It’s the showdown of the season in Baton Rouge tonight as the Gators head to Tiger territory to fight off their SEC rival and greatest conference championship threat, LSU.
Trinity Thomas is on a quest to complete her Gym Slam – a perfect score on every event – with a 10.0 on vault, the last event where she hasn’t earned one. She, Nya Reed, and Savannah Schoenherr have all come close to perfection this season on various different events, and with the way scores have soared at this meet historically, tonight could be the night it finally happens for the Gators in 2021.
LSU will not be an easy team to beat, though. The Tigers have already reached perfection this season – star Kiya Johnson earned the first perfect 10 of the year on floor all the way back in the first meet of the season. And their freshman phenom Haleigh Bryant has picked up several honors and near-perfect scores as well, with a stellar handspring pike half vault and incredible tumbling in her floor routine.
It all happens tonight at 7:30 E.T. in the PMAC and on SEC Network, but if you can’t be there or watch live, you can follow along with me for all the action!
7:31pm: Meet hasn’t started just yet and my TV signal is acting up a little bit so apologies if I miss anything tonight.
In other SEC news, Georgia just upset Alabama by a pretty big margin.
7:35pm: Looking at these two teams event by event, side by side: Florida ranks in the top 3 on every event, while LSU is in the top 4 on every event except vault, where they are 7th.
7:36pm: Brock, VT: FTY, nice and straight, great air, little bounce back.
Richards, UB: First handstand a little short. Maloney to bail is strong, maybe some leg sep. Last handstand is fine. DLO a little far out but stuck! A great start.
7:38pm: Shchennikova, VT: Y1.5, great height, a little lean to the side but doesn’t move her feet necessarily? I don’t know that I’d call it a stick though.
Gallentine, UB: Good first handstands. Maloney legs are pasted together, same in the pak. Little hiccup on the half piro on the low bar but saves it. Good last handstand. DLO, had to lunge forward. Well done to save it, but not what they needed.
7:40pm: Arenas, VT: FTY, gorgeous in the air, little bounce back.
Skaggs, UB: Great first handstnad. Tkachev to pak is GORGEOUS, some of the best I’ve ever seen it. Good last handstand. DLO, little shuffle back. A good reset for this Gator bar squad.
7:42pm: Edwards, VT: Y1.5, great in the air, little cautionary step forward.
Schoenherr, UB: Great first handstand! Jaeger, maybe a little close? Super high though. Great handstand work in the middle, bail is great. Last handstand awesome. Double front half out and SHE STICKS!!!! YES!
7:44pm: Johnson, VT: DTY, little shuffle on the landing but that’ll be a GREAT score.
Thomas, UB: Great first handstand. Maloney to uprise is perfect. Pak is floaty. Good low bar handstnad work. Van Leeuwen is great. Last handstand spot on. DLO STUCK! THROW THE 10!
7:46pm: Bryant, VT: Handspring pike half, it’s soooo open! Little stutter step back.
Lazzari, UB: YAY ELLIE IS IN! Good opening handstand. Tkachev is good. Pak was a little wonky but she’s fighting through. Good last handstand. Full in, little stutter step back.
AFTER ONE: LSU 49.6, UF 49.4
It’s close! And the Gators had some hiccups in there. We’ll see what happens when the Gators go to vault, where they’re ranked No. 1!
Update: Richards is returning to the later half of the lineup, suggesting she has her Y1.5 back!
7:54pm: Lazzari, VT: FTY, little hop back. Good form in the air, not a lot of distance though.
Johnson, UB: Good first handstand. Maloney to bail is great. Last handstna dmaybe a little shy? Angle is funny. DLO STUCK! A great start for the Tigers too.
7:56pm: Skaggs, VT: FTY, SO high and flared out and she STICKS IT! That’s a Sierra Alexander-level full, give that girl the 9.95!
Brock, UB: Tkachev, flexed feet but height fine. Bail is good. Last handstnad good. Full out, step back to steady herself.
7:58pm: Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, WOW she fights for the stick and keeps it! Knee bend in the air though.
9.875 for Skaggs????? A CRIME!
Dunne, UB: Pak had a pretty big leg sep. Good last handstand. DLO, crunched forward and stepped. I missed her release, sorry!
8:00pm: Reed, VT: Y1.5, crazy amplitude, little stutter step forward.
Bryant, UB: Jaeger is HUGE wow. Good bail, flopped it a little but stayed vertical. Double front, step forward.
8:02pm: Thomas, VT: Y1.5, STUCK! COME ON, TRIN! This could be Gym Slam, y’all!!
Shchennikova, UB: Tkachev to pak is fine. Last handstand short. DLO is whippy but stuck! That’s getting better, good for her.
8:04pm: Richards, VT: just stuck with the full? That’s odd. Very clean, little hop in place.
Durante, UB: Great first handstands. Jaeger is sooo high. Pak is lovely. Last handstand a little short. Full in, had to hop forward.
For context, this is Braie Swann (nee Speed) and Ari Guerra, both former COMPETITORS of Thomas’s, having competed at Arkansas and Alabama, respectively. When they’re saying you’ve been robbed, you KNOW the underscoring is real.
Another once-competitor of Thomas’s, Olivia Karas, formerly of Michigan.
Marissa Beucler, a former Kentucky gymnast, also commenting on the underscoring, this time for Skaggs. Just…. when it’s this obvious, there should be consequences for the officials.
AFTER TWO: LSU 99.15, UF 98.95
8:10pm: Desiderio, BB: Lovely series, she’s so solid here. Front aerial is gorgeous. Cat leap to gainer full stuck. A solid start for LSU.
8:12pm: Skaggs, FX: Loooove that she’s in this lineup. A weird hesitation, music not coming on… twice? Wow, what a wait. They finally found it? Maybe? Okay, here we go.
8:15pm: Skaggs, FX: Double wolf turn is a little off, but after that wait I can’t blame. Rudi to huge split jump, keeps it relatively under control. Lovely positions in her splits on her leaps. 1.5 to front lay, great control to close it out. A great start for Florida!
8:17pm: Durante, BB: She looks so calm, love it. Bhs loso is solid. Front aerial to split jump, barely makes 180 there. Switch to straddle 1/4, not the best switch leap I’ve seen from her. Side aerial to back full, keeps the feet in place, good for her.
8:19pm: Richards, FX: DLO, little slide of the foot there. 1.5 to front lay, step forward is a bit big but she starts dancing immediately to cover. Straddle positions are good. Double tuck, little bouncy on the landing. Saw a little crunch in her bhs going into that so I’m glad she still pulled it out fine.
8:21pm: Bryant, BB: Series is good. Good split positions there. Punch front, great height, step out. Full turn is good. Front 1.5, little slide.
8:23pm: Lazzari, FX: She’s in the AA today, this is amazing!!! Super high double tuck, a little too much power because she’s training something bigger. Gorgeous and floaty in her combo pass to the sissone. Great split positions in her jump series. Double pike to finish, a little short, jumped out of it to cover.
8:25pm: Dean, BB: Side aerial to bhs, little stutter that looked like she might lose it but held on with very little adjustment. Leaps are good. Front aerial, nice. Side aerial to back full stuck. LSU keeps hitting!
8:27pm: Reed, FX: Come on, Nya, give them no choice. DLO, perfectly lays it back into the lunge, no movement in the front foot. Front lay to Rudi, big bounce back. Dang. Split and wolf positions are good. Double pike to close, a great landing there. Just that middle pass, otherwise fantastic.
8:29pm: Johnson, BB: Bhs loso, good. Switch to switch half, little bobble there. Front toss is solid. Roundoff double full stuck! A great routine for her.
8:31pm: Thomas, FX: Here we go. DLO, just perfection, flawless control to the lunge. Front full to front lay, split jump out, no question there. Great positions, amplitude, and control in landing in her dance series. Absolutely SELLING this choreo right now. Double pike to finish, absolutely nails that one too. PLEASE give it to her. Oh my god. They gave it to her!!!!
8:33pm: Campbell, BB: Great series. Front aerial to sisone is lovely. Switch to switch half, height is amazing, lost her 180 a little though. Roundoff double full, hop, and she just kept walking? Replay shows her pull her arms down like her elbow was bothering her, uh oh.
8:35pm: Baumann, FX: SO happy to see her back. Double tuck to open – WHEN will we see that double lay, Adrian? – and it’s gorgeous. Combo pass is lovely too, great control. Switch half was lovely. Popa a little to one side? Weird for her. Double pike to finish, little front foot slide, but it’s a great one.
AFTER THREE: LSU 148.7, UF 148.5
Very confused as to how Florida is still two tenths behind after that rotation.
Going into the 4th rotation, both teams LEAD the nation on the events they’re on…. so buckle up, y’all.
8:43pm: Richards, BB: Starts with the full turn, good. Bhs loso loso, snaps those arms down to eliminate any bobbles. Switch to straddle, solid. Side aerial to back full, stuck! What a great leadoff, she’s taken so well to this role.
8:45pm: A lineup change for LSU, Dean in instead of Campbell. Definitely something up with her.
Dean, FX: Double pike to open, slides back a little in the lunge. 1.5 to front lay, little stutter forward. Second split maybe shy of 180? Hard to tell. This choreo on the floor is not engaging at all… I usually expect better from LSU. Double tuck, cowboys a little in the air but two foot stuck?? Wow!
8:47pm: Skaggs, BB: Single wolf turn, lost her momentum partway through but covered well. Switch to split, gorgeous 180+ positions. Bhs loso, big bobble, aaaaaaand she’s off. Front aerial is good. Cat leap to switch side. Side aerial to back full, small slide. Good recovery but the damage is done.
8:49pm: Desiderio, FX: DLO to open, well controlled. 1.5 to front lay, looked like her ankle buckled?? Saved it somehow. Switch ring, switch half, looked like she was favoring her foot on the prep. Double back to finish, good. I don’t know how she pulled that out, wow.
8:51pm: Lazzari, BB: Bhs loso loso, DEAD on. Switch to split is lovely. Full turn, good. Side aerial back full is STUCK! What a champ, the freshman comes through!
8:53pm: Shchennikova, FX: Front double full, stutter step forward into an arabesque. 1.5 to front full, a little off to the side but good control there. Rudi to straddle to finish, keeps the arm wave small. A good reset for them.
8:55pm: Baumann, BB: Ice queen, let’s go. Bhs loso, solid. Switch to split, great positions in the air. Front aerial, so steady. Full turn, good, maybe a small cover? Switch half, not her greatest 180 there, a little iffy to me. Roundoff 1.5, patient for it and sticks! Yes!
8:57pm: Ballard, FX: DLO, biiiig air and takes it right to the line. 1.5 to front lay to stag, good control there. Lovely switch ring to switch half. Double pike, works hard to keep the movement on the lunge small but it was there.
8:59pm: Thomas, BB: Gorgeous switch to split leap. One arm bhs to loso, stays steady, okay I can breathe again. Front aerial to beat to korbut, great. Side aerial back full stuck!
9:01pm: Edwards, FX: Front double full, great control coming out. Front full to front full, very nice. Straddle positions great in the air. Double tuck, came in underrotated and had to step forward and crunch her chest. Let’s see if the judges actually take it.
9:03pm: Clapper, BB: Bhs loso loso, little check to the side but keeps it small. Full turn, good. Switch to split, a little tight there. Side aerial back full stuck! Will it be enough??
9:04pm: Bryant, FX: Double front, BIG air, lunge out. Front lay to Rudi, gorgeous there. Split positions are lovely. Front double full and she FALLS! Wow, that was unexpected. That’s gonna cost LSU the meet.
FINAL SCORE: UF 198.150, LSU 198.050
WOW. Not the way the Gators should’ve won, but they still pulled out the win somehow. Hope all the LSU gymnasts are okay, there were some scary moments in that floor rotation.
Thomas wins EVERY EVENT and breaks the school record for the all-around! 39.9 is a HUGE score for her, incredible. Lazzari also grabs a share of the beam title with her 9.95 as well, matching her career high.
Thanks to everyone for joining me tonight! Don’t forget to follow me @mycluttereddesk on Twitter as well as @chomptalk, and we’ll see you next week for a home meet against Kentucky.
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