Skaggs really says it all in this video – eight teams, one dream. Can the Gators stand atop the podium again? To get there, they’ll have to get through tonight first, which is a bigger hurdle than they’ve faced all season. Oklahoma, Utah, and Alabama – three teams in the top 6, all former or current national champions themselves… the field is tight. For more on what it will take for the Gators to put it together and make it through to Saturday, read our preview with interviews from tonight’s commentators, Olympians Aly Raisman and John Roethlisberger.
Gator fans, if you were with us for Regionals, then Utah is a familiar team, and if you’ve been around this season, so is Alabama. However, for what will likely be the last season, Florida did not face Oklahoma in regular season action, so let’s do a quick review of what routines to watch for on each of these teams.
Oklahoma is… in a word, unstoppable. The Sooners have had dominant performance after dominant performance this season, showing very few weaknesses and capitalizing on “clean, safe gymnastics guaranteed to stick,” in the immortal words of one of the greatest films of all time. (Stick It, for the uncultured.) They’re led by all-arounders Jordan Bowers, Kat LeVasseur, and Faith Torrez, and you can’t miss routines from sometimes-all-arounder sometimes-three-eventer Audrey Davis (UB/BB/FX), former Olympic alternate Ragan Smith (UB/BB/FX), and fifth-year transfer Soraya Hawthorne (FX).
Utah’s No. 5 ranking puts their NQS just behind Florida, but it’s shown some weak spots that may by exacerbated by a meet on podium – vault, in particular. The Utes’ strengths lie more in two- and three-eventers rather than all-arounders, but don’t let that lead you to understimate them: Maile O’Keefe and Grace McCallum are definite threats on bars, beam and floor, and Abby Paulson is not to be trifled with on beam and floor. Jaylene Gilstrap and Amelie Morgan are also strong specialists on VT/FX and UB/BB, respectively. Utah starts on beam, so if they have a balance beam situation like Arkansas did in the first session… things could get very interesting very quickly.
Alabama can never be counted out, so even if they look to trail early, Gator fans should not be breathing sighs of relief just yet. Team leader Luisa Blanco is uncanny in the way she finds landings and finesses mistakes, and fellow all-arounders Lilly Hudson and Gabby Gladieux have also been good for 9.9+ or better on most events all season. Combine them with the killer freshman duo of Chloe LaCoursiere (VT/UB/FX) and Jamison Sears (VT/FX) and specialists Ella Burgess (BB/FX) and Cam Machado (UB/FX) and you get a gritty team that is the only SEC team to defeat Florida in dual action this year, and the only team at all to defeat them in the O-Dome in five years. There will be no sigh of relief until Florida is through to the end.
Tonight, the Gators begin on floor, a scenario they have not had the opportunity to practice yet this season, but a good event for them nonetheless. However, if they aren’t in qualifying position after the first rotation, it’s not time to panic. At the halfway point, after vault, that will be where things are most telling – vault is the Gators’ best event, so if they aren’t in qualifying after that… it may be time to panic. Still, they’ll get to finish on beam, where battling back may light their fire enough to pull them back into qualifying position as long as they’ve been able to keep things close throughout the meet.
Ideally, would they be in qualifying position from start to finish? Absolutely. But I’m trying to give us a place to gauge from in case things don’t go to plan.
It all starts in just a few minutes at 9pm on ESPN2 and ESPN+, but if you can’t watch or miss a routine along the way, I’ll have all the play-by-play right here!
9:03pm: Roethlisberger reminding us that while the first semifinal combined for no national titles, the second semifinal teams combine for a whopping TWENTY. FOUR. TITLES. This is going to be a bloodbath.
Also a quick reminder that you can catch two Gator alums on the stream team.
9:07pm: Let’s go, rotation 1!
Torrez, OU VT: Y1.5… oh my god. She sat it???? Oklahoma showing a sign of weakness right out of the gate.
Morgan, UU BB: Bhs bhs loso, nice and steady. Dance series is clean, lovely split. Gorgeous needle scale down to the beam, very nice. Front gainer full off the side – stuck! Utah starting off well.
LaCoursiere, Ala UB: Maloney to pak, legs together nicely. van Leeuwen is good, some leg sep. Sticks her full in!
Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, a little lack of control but kept it in bounds. Gorgeous dance series, lovely extension and rise off the floor. Such elegant choreo through here. Great control in her final pass, lovely into her arabesque. Great start, Gators!
Wells, VT: Y1.5, a hop forward. They’ll take that.
Smith, BB: Candle mount is clean. Hitchkick front aerial to split jump, great connections through there. Series is nice and steady. Dance series is excellent, well connected, not a bobble in sight. Sticks her dismount!
Hudson, UB: Releases were clean. Last handstand is excellent! And sticks her dismount, Alabama is on.
Bowers, VT: Y1.5, somehow did not sit that but came veeeery close.
Lazzari, FX: Front double full, looked a little wonky but covered okay. Dance series is lovely, very precise. Combination pass to close was much better!
McCallum, BB: Wolf turns were clean to open, she does two back to back, I don’t love that. Series is dead on. Split leap to switch leap, great 180 positions, some flexed feet. Sticks her dismount, although a little off to the side.
Adams, UB: Almost overcooked her last handstand! But somehow saved it, stuck her dismount. Alabama keeping it going.
LeVasseur, VT: Y1.5, stumbled back too! What is happening to Oklahoma????
Pilgrim, FX: 1.5 through to double back, well controlled lunge. Super precise on the dance series, gorgeous oversplits. Really hitting her moments in the music here, this routine is so great. Double pike to close, just a little bouncy but in place, so may not be as big a deduction.
Paulson, BB: Side aerial loso, very steady. Switch to split, gorgeous splits. Gainer full off the side is stuck!
Waligora, UB: Incredibly high Jaeger to overshoot, fabulous. Great last handstand. Just a little bounce back.
Scheible, VT: Handspring pike half, no distance, but just a small adjustment of the feet, they’ll take that.
Blakely, FX: They need a 9.9 ASAP. Punch front through to double back, little bouncy on that landing. Dance series is strong. 1.5 to front full, excellent there.
O’Keefe, BB: Switch leap to split leap, great splits. Side aerial loso, little balance check, arm swing. Sticks her gainer full – Utah doing what they need to do to get through beam.
Davis, VT: Y1.5, big bounce forward, and another step. Better than sitting it, but it won’t be great.
Machado, UB: Great handstand. Pak is lovely. Van Leeuwen is excellent. Little shuffle on her dismount.
Gilstrap, BB: Single wolf, little bobble, I think she was supposed to do a double. Front aerial, another check. Series is clean, bhs back pike. Switch leap and she’s off!
Ferris, FX: Full in is excellent, just a controlled lunge. A little bouncy on the dance series, but great positions in the air. 1.5 to front lay – also a little bouncy but doesn’t take more than one step. Screams as she runs off, she’s THRILLED even though it’s not the best, it’s still normal.
Blanco, UB: Maloney to pak, legs just glued together, lovely. van Leeuwen is clean. Handstand work on high bar is excellent. Sticks her dismount!
Wilson, Mich indiv VT: Y1.5, big bound forward.
Harris, UCLA indiv BB: Bhs loso bhs, very steady. Switch to split leap, gorgeous. Front toss is excellent, very solid. Roundoff 1.5 stuck! That should be an excellent score, good for her. Aww, Utah chanting 10 for her, we love when we can overcome rivalries like that.
Wong, FX: DLO to open, one of her best maybe, textbook lunge on the landing. Whip half to front full, arabesques right into her choreo excellent.
Bauman, Mich indiv UB: Gorgeous opening handstand and pirouette work. Jaeger to overshoot, the prettiest overshoot I’ve maybe ever seen. Double front, just a single step. A great bars routine!
Carey, OSU indiv FX: She’s rotating with Florida tonight! FTDLO – the hardest piece of gymnastics you will see tonight! And she does it just as cleanly as Wong just did her non-twisting DLO. Incredible. Dance series is lovely, great extension, maybe some feet? Punch front through to double back, very well controlled.
AFTER ONE: UTAH 49.6375, BAMA 49.4875, UF 49.45, OU 48.325
Oklahoma is a full point behind Florida… I am at a loss for words. I could never have dreamed that this would happen.
But like I’m sure the Gators aren’t now, fans should not take anything for granted – if anyone could come back from this, it’s Oklahoma, and disasters can happen to any team at any time on any event. They will want to triple check all the vault settings, and then hit vault just like they did at regionals, and just like they did in podium training two days yesterday. It’s going to still be a fight, whether Oklahoma is part of that fight or not.
9:38pm: Rotation 2!
Draser, UF VT: Y1.5, yes! Just a little shift back on the landing.
Siever, OU UB: Maloney to pak, both lovely. Full in dismount is stuck – a great reset for the Sooners. But they need to keep that going, vault could not.
Hudson, Bama BB: Front aerial bhs, well connected, patient with it. Swithc leap to split jump, excellent. Stuck dismount!
Smith, UU FX: Front double full, came in a little short, had to stutter step it. Dance passage is interesting, gives me big Skinner vibes with a cat leap full I think? Rudi to back layout to straight jump, much better there. Another Rudi, this time to a straddle jump. A good start for the Utes.
Nguyen, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward, great distance.
LeVasseur, UB: Good opening handsstand. Ray is excellent. Shy on that handstand maybe? Pak is clean. Good last handstand, blind full is solid. Double tuck is stuck – they’re fighting back.
Waligora, BB: Bhs loso, solid. Side aerial, very steady. Split to tuck 3/4 and she’s off! Alabama having beam problems now? Remounts, dismount is good but they’ll want to drop that.
Rucker, FX: Double tuck to her knees… what is happening? Dance series is strong, really selling the choreography, but this will be one they want to drop. Front full to front lay, much better there.
Pilgrim, VT: Y1.5, not her best amplitude but basically stuck?! Heck yes!
Torrez, UB: First handstand is alright. Ray is caught close but big amplitude. Big leg separation on that pak salto. Last handstand short. DLO, hop forward. She’s not at 100% tonight, you can tell.
Burgess, BB: Full turn to start, solid. One arm bhs to loso… and she’s off! Alabama counting a fall too! Holy cow. Side aerial as she remounts, excellent. Switch to beat, another bobble. Beat to switch side, another big bobble, foot comes up. Gainer pike off the end is stuck – oh god. what is happening?
Paulson, FX: Punch front through to 2.5, takes it right to the line but does not go over. Dance series is good, good positions in there, maybe a little imprecise. 1.5 to front layout, two foot stick! A good reset for the Utes.
Ferris, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward, good. We will take normal over trying for perfection right now.
Gladieux, BB: Bhs back pike, solid. Front aerial, a check. Dance series is clean, good extension through her split. Roundoff double full, swims for the stick. Hopefully that helps them reset.
Smith, UB: Tkachev is huge as usual. Good handstand there, some leg sep on the pak. DLO is stuck – that’s the vet we know.
Gilstrap, FX: A little Bohemian Rhapsody here. Front layout to Rudi, really well controlled, clean leg form. Dance series is lovely, her toe point is really nice. Punch lay to front full, also very clean. A very elegant routine.
Wong, VT: Yhalf off pike half off STUCK! her best one all season!
Adams, BB: Triple wolf, that’s a difficult skill, wow. Front aerial, little check. Bhs loso, locks it in. Dance series – she’s off! How is this happening? Alabama now counting two falls too???
Davis, UB: Great opening half pirouette. Huge piked Jaeger, incredible. Pak is lovely. Maybe shy of last handstand? Double front half out is stuck! Oklahoma did their job on bars for sure.
Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, maybe a tiny shift back? Maybe stuck? I’m so impressed, well done Gators!
O’Keefe, FX: I missed what she did for her first pass but she hit it. Punch layout to front full, super clean, well controlled. Switch leap to switch ring half, solid ring position and split. Back tuck to front support, that’s fun. Really serving in this choreo section here, hitting every moment in the music. 1.5 to front layout, it’s another hit for Utah. They need one more to erase Rucker’s fall.
Blanco, BB: Triple series and she’s off – that never happens. I can barely even process what’s happening right now. The rest of her routine was super clean, dance series was great, stuck her dismount. But three counting falls is uh, something.
Bowers, UB: Hecht mount, solid handstand work on the high bar. Piked Jaeger is excellent. Pak is clean. Full in is stuck! That’ll be a big rotation for them, to come back like that.
Carey, OSU indiv VT: Yurchenko double full, just a little bounce back, much like the ones in session one earlier, but her amplitude is fabulous. Still some knees though.
McCallum, FX: Full in, just barely keeps it in bounds. Dance series is clean, good lift. Front lay to Rudi to close – that will indeed erase Rucker’s fall. Utah stays alive.
Magnelli, UK indiv BB: Bhs bhs loso, solid as a rock. Switch to straddle 1/4, excellent split positions. Sticks her gainer pike off the end.
Wilson, Mich indiv UB: Fingertip Tkachev, wow. Pak is clean. Great final handstand! DLO is stuck cold!
Worley, UK indiv FX: The great Wildcat! Her final routine. Full in, absolutely nails it, just steps into the lunge because she can. Switch ring is gorgeous into the corner. Really selling the choreography both to the judges and crowd. Front full front lay, almost a two foot stick again, goes straight into her choreo section. Hitting every musical moment – she is an absolute star. Double tuck to finish – worked really hard not to move her front foot. One of the best routines you’ll see this weekend.
AFTER TWO: UU 99.25, UF 98.95, OU 97.9875, BAMA 96.7375
10:10pm: Bars is our worst event, but the goal is not to be better than normal – just get through cleanly. Six hits. Even five would do.
Apparently OU found the beam was physically moving?? So warmups took a little longer than planned. Brings back flashbacks of Florida bars two years ago.
Morgan, UU VT: Y1.5, a little short, step back.
Balekly, UF UB: Maloney to pak, cleanly through, maybe some slight leg sep. Double front stuck! That might be one of her best all season. Handstands were fab throughout too, wow.
Davis, OU BB: Bhs loso, solid. Front aerial to some choreo in scale, that’s interesting. Dance series is excellent. Roundoff double full is stuck – they keep fighting back!
Waligora, FX: Front double full, strong opening. Some Star Wars cantina music here, that’s fun. 1.5 to front lay to finish, well controlled. A good start for Bama after a true beam disaster.
Zirbes, VT: Y1.5, absorbs the landing well, holds the stick! A bit of a deep knee bend in order to make it happen though.
10:15pm: Nguyen, UB: Maloney to pak, some leg sep in both. Half pirouette on low bar is clean. DLO is stuck! Excellent!
Siegfeldt, BB: Bhs loso – and a fall! OU is a mess. Dance series is clean as she gets back up. Sticks her dismount, but they’ll be desperate to drop that in order to keep fighting.
Machado, FX: Double tuck, slidey on the landing. Lovely turn sequence, don’t see that often. Combination pass is clean. Dance passage is gorgeous, lovely toe point. Another hit for Bama.
Glynn, VT: Y1.5, big bound forward. Better over than under right now though.
Lazzari, UB: Great opening handstand. Big Tkachev, excellent. Good handstand work. Pak has some leg separation. DLO dismount, ends up on her knees. Oof. She let go too late – they’ll need to drop that now.
Bowers, BB: Having a great routine so far, series steady. Roundoff double full, looked like a small shift.
Burgess, FX: Double pike to start things off, great amplitude, love the toe point too. Double tuck, also well controlled. Great split positions on her dance sequence, solid amplitude too. Front full front lay to finish, another hit for the Tide.
Smith, VT: Yhalf-on front pike, basically stuck! Wow.
Torrez, BB: Side aerial loso, very steady. Full turn is fine. Switch leap to straddle jump, some flexed feet. Gainer full is stuck – a good rebound after two rough routines for her.
Pilgrim, UB: Maloney to pak, both excellent. Great final handstand! Full in, drops it in like a dart. I am so glad she is a Gator!!
Rucker, VT: Y1.5, stumbles back. Didn’t sit, but not their best.
Blanco, FX: Double wolf to start, that’s nice. Double pike, big slide back. Double tuck, much better control there. Turning on performance mode now – dance series is fabulous, great amplitude and extension. Front full front lay to finish. A great routine for her.
LeVasseur, BB: Bhs loso, very floaty, dead straight on the beam. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, great split positions. Side somi I think – but she’s off! Oh my god, Oklahoma counting another fall!
Draser, UB: Good low bar handstand. Maloney to pak, both clean. Low bar pirouette is solid. DLO is stuck! Yes! What a rock for this team she’s been.
McCallum, VT: Yhalf on tuck half off, lands over the line on one side, clearly off axis. Not a lot of height either.
Hudson, FX: Front lay front double full, starting with strong difficulty. Giving us the Sweet Home Alabama routine. Dance series is clean, one of the better wolf positions we’ve seen today other than McClain. Double back to finish, very bouncy. A little down home line dance energy to close it out.
Smith, BB: Series has a little bobble. Front aerial, better. Switch leap to korbut, gorgeous. Full turn is clean. Sticks her gainer full!
Wong, UB: Maloney to pak, gorgeous. van Leeuwen is excellent! Good last handstand. DLO dismount, stuck like glue yes ma’am! Gators will drop the fall and stay in qualifying position going into the final rotation.
Hooten, Minn indiv VT: Y1.5, great in the air, just a single step forward. A great showing for the individual.
Gladieux, FX: Full in to start, nice and open, big amplitude. Gorgeous split positions on her dance sequence. Front lay to Rudi to split jump, doesn’t travel too much. Stomps her foot in celebration as she runs off the podium! She’s thrilled with that routine.
Wilson, Mich indiv BB: Bhs loso, little wobble but stays on. Dance series is lovely, maybe some flexed feet? Double tuck dismount! Little slide back.
Carey, OSU indiv UB: Maloney to Bhardwaj, wow, that difficulty. Maybe doesn’t quite get the twist all the way around before the catch? Little bounce back on her full in dismount. Should be a good score, not sure it’ll set her up for an AA title threat though.
Brooks, Mich indiv FX: Full in to open, really well controlled. Dance sequence is well executed, very precise and strong split positions. Big breath before her last pass. Punch front through to double tuck, close to stuck. Good for her!
AFTER THREE: UU 148.425, UF 148.4, OU 147.0875, BAMA 146.15
The coaches need to triple check that beam, and the athletes need to pretend they’re at home in the O-Dome, and the Gators might be able to be the coolest customers tonight to go through to Saturday. I keep saying might because we are not jinxing anything!!!!
10:42pm: Rotation 4! They have to close the door now.
Sears, Bama VT: Yfull, great height, super clean form.
Smith, UU UB: Pak salto is clean. van Leeuwen is excellent. Great last handstand. Toe on pike half dismount, looked stuck to me!
Draser, UF BB: Switch to switch half, fine. Series was clean too. Roundoff 1.5 stuck! What a rock!
Davis, OU FX: Front double full to start, super clean. Switch half to wolf jump full to split half, very precise. 1.5 to front lay, fabulous. Lots of choreo left in the routine, it’s… fine I guess? Not my cup of tea.
LaCoursiere, VT: Y1.5, big step forward.
Blakely, BB: Front aerial bhs, well connected. Split leap switch half to beat, excellent! All well connected. Full turn, clean. Gainer full is stuck! She is already celebrating, screaming as she hugs Rowland who ran up on the podium to meet her.
Zirbes, UB: Tkachev to pak, strong connection, good amplitude. Good last handstand. Stuck dismount!
Sievers, FX: Double pike to open, well controlled. Combination pass is clean. Triple dance series is solid, good positions in the air.
German, VT: Yfull, very clean, a little slide back.
Pilgrim, BB: Candle mount is strong. Bhs loso, so steady, just lays it back. Full turn, very clean. Front aerial is good. Switch leap to split leap, maybe a check but she just waited for it, stayed patient and did not bobble. Cartwheel gainer full, single step.
Morgan, UB: Little shy of first handstand. Maloney to Bhardwaj, well done. Stuck dismount – another hit for the Utes. Doing what they need to do so far.
Hudson, VT: Y1.5, basically stuck?? Wow!
Smith, FX: Double tuck, nice open positions, good control. 1.5 to front lay, well controlled to immediate choreography. Switch side to wolf jump full, nice. Double pike to finish, that may be her last routine ever. What a way to go out if so!
Nguyen, BB: Onodi to bhs, well connected, excellent. Full turn is clean. Switch to split, gorgeous. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward. They’ll take it!
O’Keefe, UB: Maloney to pak, clean. Great last handstand! Double arabian dismount, single step forward. Utah continuing to just hit.
Blanco, VT: Y1.5, hop forward. A good final routine for her too.
LeVasseur, FX: Full in to start, very strong. Dance series down to front support, pretty clean. Rudi to straddle jump to finish.
Wong, BB: Switch to split leap, excellent splits. Bhs loso, nice and steady today. Full turn was clean, front aerial strong. Roundoff double full – couldn’t hold the stick and may cost her the AA title, but it’s fine to get the Gators’ job done.
McCallum, UB: Pak to van leeuwen, both clean. Full in dismount, little hop forward. They’re through!
Gladieux, VT: Y1.5, another hop forward.
Torrez, FX: DLO to open, gorgeous. Dance series is clean, good split position, wolf maybe a little crunched. Punch through to double tuck – a solid routine but it’s over for them already.
Lazzari, BB: Pressure’s off. Triple series – and she’s off! That looked like it hurt… and she stays down. Oh no. Okay, after a moment, she’s remounted. She’s not gonna repeat her series, and I don’t blame her. Split 1/2 is great. Cartwheel to gainer full, little slide back.
Sabado, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, good amplitude, coach standing by after what happened in regionals with her missing her hand. Sticks her DLO.
Brooks, Mich indiv VT: Y1.5, really well done, just didn’t hold the stick.
Carey, OSU indiv BB: She’s still in contention for the AA title – but a 9.975 seems impossible given beam tonight. Bhs loso, very solid. Switch to switch half, some flexed feet. Gainer full is stuck! It could be but I doubt it.
Bowers, FX: Front double full to punch front, strong start, well controlled. Double pike, really well controlled lunge. Dance passage is excellent, gorgeous toe point throughout.
Titarsolej, Miz indiv UB: Had to repeat her low bar cast, uh oh. Maloney to pak, absolutely golden. Pauses on the high bar – she’s gassed, oh that’s so disappointing. Stays on though somehow! Finishes with a double tuck dismount stuck.
Wilson, indiv Mich FX: Big open full in, really well controlled. Really working this choreo throughout the first section, stretching through each motion and hitting all of her beats. Dance series is fabulous, very crisp. Front lay to Rudi to finish, that’s a great last routine of her career. You love to see that.
FINAL UU 197.9375, UF 197.875, OU 196.6625, BAMA 195.4125
The all-around title will go to Haleigh Bryant, but Wong and Carey will tie for second! Stanford’s Anna Roberts will take home the vault title with 9.95, but again, Wong takes second with Arizona State’s Anaya Smith, both earning a 9.9375. Oklahoma’s Audrey Davis and Wong tie for the bars title with a 9.9625. Two OU athletes tie for the beam title, Audrey Davis and Faith Torrez. And LSU’s Aleah Finnegan outright wins the floor title with her 9.9625.
The Gators definitely have some lessons learned and some adjustments to make, but overall, tonight was a pretty clean meet for them. Lazzari needs to take a deep breath, get some good treatment, and hopefully she’ll be ready for at least bars and beam tomorrow. There are others who can step in on vault and floor, and honestly maybe bars, but they really need her to be 100% on beam. Florida will start on bars in finals, so they’ll get the tough ones out of the way early, and then hopefully be able to go lights out on floor and vault. It’s just a matter of keeping an even keel until then.
Thanks for joining me tonight! We’ll see you back here at 4pm on Saturday for NATIONAL FINALS! GO GATORS!
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