Regionals Live Blog – Day 1

Two play-ins to start regionals action today. The play-ins (“first round”) are held in the normal dual meet rotation order, though if history is any guide, they do not alternate routines like they would in a typical meet. Meaning that you miss some things. And they’re also super quick.

NC State opens on vault while Ball State is on bars. NC State’s vault NQS this year is 49.075 and Ball State’s bars NQS is 49.125, so Ball State will expect a slight lead after one, and if Ball State is going to make up the ranking gap, will hope that lead is actually a little more than slight. 

Rotation 1

Diaz – VT – NC St – yfull, bounce back, some flexed feet throughout. 9.700

Sumner – UB – Ball St – maloney, small leg break to pak, good feet, a little close on the pak catch – toe full, some legs apart, connects to double tuck, hop forward. 9.750

Ooooh looks like we actually are alternating routines this year. Good improvement. Now do we have live scores?

Zultevicz – VT – NC St – yfull, another pretty large bounce back on her full, tries to control the landing with an arm wave, some knee softness throughout. 9.650

This guy is looking at Ball State’s vault lineup instead of bars, so all his athlete IDs have been wrong so far.

Middleton – UB – Ball St – good first hs – toe on to maloney, leg separation to bail, another small leg break, good vertical – short final cast hs – giant full, some legs, into double tuck, small hop back.9.800

Ortega – VT – NC State – tries to pike some to control her landing, still hops back, smaller than it could have been, but then the pike to take.  9.650

Some REALLY unique camera cut decisions happening here mid vault.

Evans – UB – Ball St – good first hs – blind to jaeger, nice feet, connects to overshoot but misses one hand and peels off. Finishes double tuck, short with a large rebound forward. 9.150

Rutherford – VT – NC State – yfull, best landing control, small slide back – some leg separation on block, some piking. 9.775

Henry – UB – Ball St – hits firs ths on low – maloney to pak, nice pak, small leg break on maloney – Natalie Brown triggered by soft back and knee positions like the proper OU gymnast she is – toe 1/2 to double front, small hop forward. 9.825

Shepard – VT – NC State – nice stick on yfull, good distance, just some foot position and a little pike. 9.850

Ruthberg – UB – Ball St – a bit shy on first hs – ray, great height but can’t catch, and she’s down, meaning a counting fall for Ball State.  Rsumes and redoes her Ray with a close catch into overshoot – short hs on hgih – finishes FTDT, legs apart and crossed, bounce back. 9.000

Negrete – VT – NC State – hits yfull, solid distance, but chest forward and a small hop. 9.675

Teter – UB – Ball St – short first hs – giant full, solid vertical to good height on tkatchev into overshoot, nice, just some feet at the end – finishes double front 1/2 out, chest a little down, hop. 9.850

Neither team will be particularly pleased with the performance in that rotation, some vault landings that might have been devastating for NC State if not for Ball State counting that fall on bars.

After 1: NC State 48.650, Ball State 48.375

Ball State will see a deficit of less than three tenths despite a counting fall as being let off the hook. That’s still a manageable margin, but they’re going to need to convert the vault scores, which were noteworthy for being willing to take the deductions that were there. Shouldn’t be news, but…

Rotation 2

“They’re down one full point.” It’s less than three tenths?

White – VT – Ball St – yfull, pretty large bounce back, definite direction deduction over the line, legs apart, solid distance and open position. 9.625

Adomaites – UB – NC St – shortish first hs – toe on to maloney to pak, legs together well, some feet – short hs on high – stalder to double tuck, small hop back. 9.800

Teter – VT – Ball St – handspring pike, good stick on landing, solid direction, flexed feet throughout. 9.800

Childs – UB – NC St – jaeger, hit, small amplitude decduction – bail hs, somewhat short of vertical – good hs on high – giant full to double tuck, chest forward, bound. 9.750

Middleton – VT – Ball St – yfull, good distance, bounce back, some pike. 9.750

Robinson – UB – NC St – good first hs – blind to jaeger, hit – small angle in hs – pak, good extension – keeps verticla on 1/2 turn on low, a bit of body position – shortish final cast hs – giant full to double tuck, small bounce up. 9.825

Pfister – VT – Ball St – handspring pike 1/2 – nice height and open, good leg position, bounce back. 9.875

Ortega – UB – NC St – some angle in first hs – hindorff, hit with some feet – bail, legs together, toe shoot to high, catches close on high, works out the handstand afterward – DLO, bounce back. 9.850

Ruthberg – VT – Ball St – yfull, good control on landing, holds the stick, pikes the hips at the end to find the landing, so chest a little forward. 9.750

Shepard – UB – NC St – blind to jaeger, good – hits hs on high – pak, nice form – 1/2 turn on low, a little under – great hs on high – FTDT, some feet, hop forward. 9.900

Henry – VT – Ball St – y1.5, good stick on hers, a bit quick on the slide step-salute out of it – soft knees throughout. 9.900

Rutherford – UB – NC St – good hs on high – Ray, hit, possible crooked position in the air – good bail vertical – hits hs on high – DLO, lower, steps back and an additional step salute. 9.850

So Ball State goes 49.075 on vault, a big improvement on what NC State did there but will lose ground overall because NC State went 49.225 on bars. The looser scoring on bars compared to vault coming home to roost there in extending NC State’s advantage. Though it’s still not even 5 tenths despite Ball State counting a fall.

After 2: NC State 97.875, Ball State 97.450

NC State will expect to have an advantage in the final rotation on floor, so if Ball State is going to do something here, it will be essential to constrict the NC State lead right now in rotation 3.

Rotation 3

Diaz – BB – NC St – full turn, slightly uncertain but secure – aerial, a bit of knee, connects to bhs smoothly – switch to split, good splits, some torso position in the switch – cat leap to switch 1/2, not too bad for a switch 1/2 position – bhs tuck 1.5, stuck. Solid. 9.825

Ruthberg – FX – Ball St – front through to double back, lunge back OOB – double pike, lands chest forward, covers as well as she can – switch ring to switch 1/2 – rudi to straddle jump, controls it, some leg crossing and under on the straddle split. 9.625

Jennings – BB – NC St – smooth full turn – bhs bhs loso, good position, check – switch to tuck jump 3/4, comfortable – cat leap – 1.5 dismount, a little deep, step forward. 9.800

Waldo – FX – Ball St – long wait on Ruthberg’s score – which is now in at 9.625 – front 2/1, lands it, a little underrotated so she takes a crossover step – switch ring to switch side – front full to front lay to front full, small slide – rudi, controls front foot. 9.800

Zultevicz – BB – NC St – full turn – bhs loso, secure – switch to split, loses the back leg some – cat leap to side aerial, hit, connects to a sissone, pretty short of sissone position – 1.5 dismount, a little low but gets the stick. 9.850

Middleton – FX – Ball St – front lay to rudi to an awkward split jump with a large arm wave correction and some travel – split leap full to jump full, hit – double pike, controls the landing but comes in crunched, so some deep landing deduction. 9.800

Ortega – BB – NC St – L turn, some correction – bhs onodi combination, walks out of it to try to cover the landing but definitely a wobble – switch to split to beat, secure – walkover – switch, attempts to go right into gainer pike, short landing and a large lunge forward. 9.625

Henry – FX – Ball St – front tuck through to double tuck, large bounce back and another OOB – front lay to front full, slide forward – back tuck to prone – switch side to popa, a little under – doubel pike, good height. 9.700

Shepard – BB – NC St – L turn, starts a little under but horizontal in the end – switch to straddle 1/4, nice, good positions – bhs loso, secure – side aerial, maybe a small adjustment – beat to straddle 1/2, check – side aerial to lay 1.5, hop. 9.825

Pfister – FX – Ball St – double tuck, nice control, good open – switch side to popa to wolf full, just a little under on wolf full landing position – front lay to front pike, good, slight steppy – double pike, controls the landing with chest forward. 9.850

Negrete – BB – NC St – full turn – aerial, some knee into bhs, connected – cat leap to switch 1/2, holds it, small pause into beat jump – split jump, good – 2/1 dismount, hop back. 9.875

Teter – FX – Ball St – front lay to rudi, good leg positions, controls her step – double tuck, good tuck position but a large rebound back – split leap 1.5, pulls it close to around, not quite to split – front full to lay, good rise in layout. 9.825

NC State goes 49.175 on beam, which does not open the door the way Ball State needed them to on this event, and then Ball State ended up having to count that OOB anyway for a 48.975 rotation total that gave back even more tenths.

After 3: NC State 147.050, Ball State 146.425

NC State in full control now heading to floor to finish and knowing that even a 48.9 would be basically insurmountable.

Rotation 4

Henry – BB – Ball St – switch to straddle 3/4, under on the straddle position but secure – bhs loso, check – full turn, overturns by a quarter with a wobble – gainer kickover front, very good – bhs layout 1.5, stuck. Good last few elements. 9.750

Diaz – FX – NC St – double pike, good legs, chest a bit forward, controls landing – switch 1/2 to popa – front lay to front full, controls it, some feet – double tuck, solid. 9.850

Evans – BB – Ball St – loso series joined in progress looked secure – full turn, check – side aerial, slightly off but keeps arms moving into beat jump – hitch kick wobble, has to redo it to switch side, hit on second attempt – 1.5 dismount, lower but stuck. 9.750

Ortega – FX – NC St – double L turn attempt, heel drop toward the end – rudi, pike, chest down on landing – split leap full to jump full – 1.5 to front lay, controls, some leg separation in 1.5 – front lay to front full, good rise, controls step. 9.800

Ruthberg – BB – Ball St – straddle back cut mount – bhs loso bhs, secure, some knee – full turn, hit – switch to switch, hit, small pause before pike jump – gainer full, hop back. 9.775

Zultevicz – FX – NC St – 2.5 to front tuck, controls the step – split leap full to wolf full, pulls it around, some foot flexing and some torso position to get it around – double tuck, cowboys to get it around but does. 9.825

Sumner – BB – Ball St – side aerial to bhs, good save on a large wobble, a couple steps and legs up but stays on – aerial to beat jump, good – switch to split to beat, good feet, under on the split jump 180 – 1.5 dismount, short, lunge back. 9.625

Rutherford – FX – NC St – 2.5, gets nothing into the front tuck and sits it down – OK  things are happening again – switch 1/2 to wolf full, hit – she’s like, this choreo can eat my farts at this point – double tuck, chest down, step forward. 9.075

Volpe – BB – Ball St – full turn, smooth – side arerial, keeps arms moving to beat jump – bhs bhs loso, good amplitude,a bit of knee position, secure landing – beat to split jump 3/4, pulls it around – gainer full, small movement. 9.825

Shepard – FX – NC St – double pike, under control – split leap full to split jump full, good leg positions, low amplitude on the leap, higher on the jump – front lay to front full, controls it, some loose position on front lay – double tuck, secure, foot flexing. 9.900

Waldo – BB – Ball St – full turn, hit – aerial, pretty much keeps working into front handspring – switch to straddle 1/4, comfortable – kickover, small hesitation to beat jump – punch tuck rudi dismount.

9.850 for Waldo clinches the win for NC State.

We will not, in fact, have to “wait on all the of scores.”

Negrete – FX – NC St – double pike, large bounce back, steps OOB – split leap full is solid – front full to front lay, solid – switch 1/2 to split leap full, nice feet in switch 1/2 – double tuck, secure landing. 9.650

NC State eliminates Ball State, 196.075 to 195.375

NC State won’t actually be over the moon about those vault and floor rotations, but will be over the moon about advancing, which they ended up doing more than enough for. Ball State’s counting ball on bars proved critical as they had the stronger overall VT, BB, FX total compared to NC State. Though with the final margin at 7 tenths, even a hit bars probably wouldn’t have made up the full gap since Ball State also had struggles on beam and floor.

On to the next! Now, BYU will take on Boise State. With BYU starting on vault, they have an NQS advantage of 49.130 to Boise State’s 49.045 on bars. It’s somewhat surprising to see a Boise State team that doesn’t rank bars as its bestie, and they’ll be eager to overturn that number in their quest for an upset here.

Rotation 1

Dudley – VT – BYU – yfull, hit, small hop back – 9.750

Little – UB – Boise St – hits first hs – maloney, some pike on backswing – connects to solid pak – short final cast hs – giant full, past into double tuck, chest down, step forward. 9.750

Raesly-Patton – VT – BYU – ro full on back tuck, 9.950 start now, hop back, foot positions. 9.750

Morden – UB – Boise St – blind to piked jaeger, solid – some angle in cast hs – bail, good feet positions – short hs on high – FTDT, small hop. 9.775

Benson – VT – BYU – yfull, solid control on landing, small movement, some pike and feet. 9.800

McGovern – UB – Boise St – short first hs – clear hip to gienger to voershoot, leg break on gienger catch, good height – short final cast hs as well – FTDT, bounce back. 9.725

Bean Ripley – VT – BYU – handspring front pike, 9.9 start, large bounce forward. 9.725

Hamby – UB – Boise St – good first hs – Ray, takes it too far and falls – resumes with a dismount, DLO, short with a hop forward. 8.425

Eaquinto – VT – BYU – yfull, nearly finds the stick, just a step salute after a second – some pike. 9.825

Blackson – UB – Boise St – long wait  – good hs – bail, hits vertical – short hs on high – blind to markelov – great amplitude – DLO, holds onto the stick, more like it for Boise State. 9.875

Fun that we didn’t see Mason’s vault at all. I thought we had resolved this issue this season? I mean, argument to be said that we haven’t seen any of these vaults because of this reverse angle.

Mason went 9.750 on vault.

Lopez – UB – Boise St – shortish first hs – blind to piked jaeger, solid – bail, good vertical – borderline shy on final cast hs as well – DLO, small movement.

Last two from Boise State save the rotation from Ball State’s fate, so no counting fall and will have the lead on BYU after one rotation. 

9.900 from Lopez takes Boise State to 49.025 there. Not exactly the score they wanted, what with the dropped fall and lots of short handstands in the early routines, but enough to lead. BYU goes 48.875 on vault for a pretty normal hit.

Much like in the first meet, BYU will see that the scores are there to be gained on bars more so than vault and will look to flip it in the second rotation.

Rotation 2

Kho – VT – Boise St – hits yfull, small hop back, some pike and some direction. 9.725

Mason – UB – BYU – good first hs – toe on to maloney, leg break into pak, kind of straddled – short hs on high – some elbows on giants into DLO, hop back. 9.700

Loyim – VT – Boise St – y1/2, lands well short with a couple lunges back, will need to drop that score. 9.575

Benson – UB – BYU – hits first hs – toe on, a bit late into tkatchev, hit, straddle legs swinging through – bail, hip angle – short cast hs on high – DLO, small slide back. 9.750

Vulaj – VT – Boise St – ro full on pike off, good control on landing, fairly solid amplitude for that vault, chest forward. 9.900

Eaquinto – UB – BYU – toe on to maloney, some legs break, into pak, good legs together there – keeps 1/2 turn on low close enough to vertical – shortish final cast hs – DLO, small stagger. 9.850

Popp – VT – Boise State – handspring pike 1/2, sizeable bounce back, some leg separation in the air. 9.800

Hunter – UB – BYU – shortish first hs – tkatchev, big height – solid hs after – clear hip to bail, legs together, maybe slight angle – short final cast hs – DLO, holds onto the stick but with a lean forward to horizontal to do so. 9.850

Lopez – VT – Boise State – yfull, pretty clean position int he air – good open, small slide back. 9.850

Janay LOVES talking about butts.

Alvarado – UB – BYU – hits first hs – toe on to maloney, to pak, good positions – struggles to cast up into 1/2 turn, has to recast to do the 1/2 – DLO, a tad deep, small step back. 9.825

Blackson – VT – Boise St – good control on her y1.5 landing, small movement, a bit of knees. And we have a 9.950.

Boise State goes 49.225 there.

Bramblett – UB – BYU – blind to jaeger, good feet into overshoot – very short final cast hs – DLO is nice and high, but lands a little deep again with a step forward. 9.800

Boise State is going to retain the lead heading into the second half. Some good positions in the air at the end of the vault rotation and the scores were willing to go there for them.

BYU goes 49.075 on bars, which is better than Boise State’s bars performance by .050 but lost ground on Boise State’s vault.

After 2: Boise State 98.250, BYU 97.950

So this one still very much live heading to the second half of the meet. A critical floor rotation for Boise State here because this event hasn’t always delivered.

Rotation 3

Millar – BB – BYU – bhs loso, solid height, secure – full turn, slightly tentative – cat leap to switch 1/2, closeup of her upper body was particularly helpful on a switch 1/2, looked like a check – beat to split jump 1/2, good – punch front full dmt, stuck. 9.800

Vulaj – FX – Boise St – back 1.5 to front full, hit, pretty much controls the landing – switch to split leap 1.5, pulls it around but out of control on landing with a slide back – leg up hop full, a bit low – double tuck, lunge back, possible OOB, looks just in. 9.775

Raesly-Patton – BB – BYU – aerial to split jump, hit – switch to split, solid positions, you know when we have this ceiling angle and it still looks actually split that it’s a good position – bhs loso, bent back leg, secure landing – full turn – 1.5 dismount, slide back. 9.825

Lucas – FX – Boise St – double pike, slide back – switch side, overturns some into popa, under split – back 1.5 to lay, solid positions but lower amplitude on the layout – double tuck, small rebound, chest down. 9.750

Margraf – BB – BYU – aerial to back tuck, connected, just some knee in aerial and feet in back tuck – switch 1/2, hit into beat jump – full turn, hit – front lay full dismount, hop forward. 9.800

Loyim – FX – Boise St – whip double tuck, large rebound back – switch side, overturns into popa – double pike looks like she controlled the front foot. 9.800

Dudley – BB – BYU – bhs loso, hit, knee position, very small check – switch to straddle jump to straddle 1/4, also secure – full turn – cat leap to side aerial, chest down and arm wave correction – 1.5 dismount, stuck. 9.800. I would have had that lower than the previous 9.800s.

McGovern – FX – Boise St – rudi to loso, under control, some leg crossing in rudi – switch 1/2, back foot into tuck jump 1.5, around, a little bouncy – double tuck, good feet, small slide back. 9.850

Rollins – BB – BYU – switch to straddle 1/4, solid positions – aerial, just a little under but works through well into bhs loso – full turn, hit – gainer full, stuck. 9.900

Blackson – FX – Boise St – high front 2/1 to front tuck, steps forward, holds it to avoid a second step and OOB – split leap full to jump full, gets under on the jump full with a little control issue – 2.5, good amplitude. 9.850

Schooley – BB – BYU – bhs loso, holds it with a lean and turn to the side – full turn, small check – hitchkick, low into side aerial, large break, arm wave and turn to the side – straddle jump to straddle 1/2, arm wave – gainer full, small hop. So that will be the drop. 

BYU goes 49.125 on beam, which is a step up but not the height they were really hoping for.

Leitch – FX – Boise St – double pike, large lunge back, again looked like she just stayed in bounds – switch 1/2 to wolf full, good clear completion – front lay to front full, under control – double tuck, foot form, under control. 9.725

After 3: Boise State 147.275, BYU 147.075

Boise State goes 49.025 on floor so does drop a tenth to BYU, which is significant. We expect BYU to gain some ground in the final rotation on floor, but how much ground? Two tenths is very doable but not a given.

Rotation 4

Vulaj – BB – Boise St – gainer bhs loso, secure, flexed feet throughout – switch to gainer loso, same – full turn, solid – kickover, solid – 1.5 dismount, good control. 9.900

Millar – FX – BYU – switch side 1/2 to popa, pulls it around, some body position to do so – double tuck, slide back – front lay to front full, hit, some leg separation. 9.800

Little – BB – Boise St – bhs loso, nice amplitude on bhs, comes down chest down, small adjustment – full turn, check – switch to straddle 1/4, nice split positions – aerial to beat – 1.5, hop forward. 9.850

Benson – FX – BYU – double tuck, nice landing – split leap full to popa, around, a bit crooked – front lay to front full, low on full, some knee – double pike, feet, chest down, good stick. 9.775

Elkabchi – BB – Boise St – full turn – bhs loso, secure, chest slightly down – beat to side aerial, comfortable – straddle 1/2, under split, to a tuck jump – 1.5 dismount, short with hop back. 9.775

Dudley – FX – BYU – double pike, secure landing – front full to front lay, nice straight position in layout – switch side, overturns to wolf 3/4 – doubel tuck, feet, good control again. 9.850

Lopez – BB – Boise St – bhs loso bhs, solid, knees – full turn – split jump to split 1/2, nice – “very even-field” ??? – kickover, also secure – gainer full, solid landing. Good one. Door not opened for BYU. 9.900

Schooley – FX – BYU – switch side 1/2, maybe a bit under – back 1.5 to front lay, slide forward – switch ring to switch side – double tuck, chest down some, controls front foot. 9.775

Loyim – BB – Boise St – good height in bhs loso loso series but a wobble, chest down, turn to the side – full turn – side aerial, secure – switch to switch, a bit tight but solid – yes, I want to see this through an ipad, tht’s helpful – hits gainer full. 9.850, which is high for that error on the series, and means there’s going to be no way in for BYU here.

Rollins – FX – BYU – double tuck, sticks the landing, but chest definitely down – switch side, overturns some into a very nice stag ring full position – front lay to front full, slide, some knee bending. 9.775

Popp – BB – Boise St – aerial, hit with knee – full turn – bhs bhs layout 2 feet, great height pikes down a little at the end, wobble with leg up – cat leap to switch 1/2, hit – gainer full, slide back. 9.925. Judges went to TOWN at the end of this rotation.

Big hit beam rotation for Boise State to advance to tomorrow.

We have one judge on 9.350 for Rollins.

You love to see it.

Bean Ripley – FX – BYU – waiting – “Bean, that’s her nickname,” maiden name is the term – front tuck through to double tuck, step back with leg up – switch side, overturns a little into popa wolf full, good height – double pike, mostly controls front foot.

Boise State eliminates BYU, 196.700 to 196.125

Interesting what a difference maker vault proved to be, with big landings on the 10.0 starts from Boise State making a difference.