We are back and ready to go! Thanks to all of you who tuned in with us yesterday for an exciting regional semifinal where the Gators knocked it out of the park for a massive 197.95 and NC State upset both Illinois and Central Michigan to advance to the final after being unfairly forced to earn its place through the play-in round. Joining those two teams are Minnesota and Denver, who qualified in the afternoon session yesterday just a hair’s breadth ahead of host Georgia, who will miss national championships for only the second time in program history. These four teams will compete for only two berths at Nationals, as only the top two teams from each region can advance to Fort Worth.
This regional final will be one of the tightest in the country, because no matter what, one top ten team will not qualify to nationals. Statistically, as we discussed in our preview, Florida has the edge in several different aspects. However, both Minnesota and Denver have high scores that can surpass Florida’s average, and at conference championships, both had stellar performances to upset the favorites in their conferences while Florida had misstep after misstep to end up in third. Last night, Florida’s score would have beaten both Minnesota and Denver if they’d competed in the same session, with standout Gator performances on every event.
However, two nights of competition in a row can be tiring, and it could be difficult to replicate those results back to back. As last night’s commentator Bridget Sloan is so fond of saying, anything can happen! We’re here all night with the play-by-play starting at 7pm, and if you can watch, it’ll be on ESPN3. In the meantime, grab yourself some food, read up on last night’s action, and put on your Gator finest as if you were going to the O-Dome. We can’t wait to watch along with you all tonight, so get hype for some Gator gymnastics as they try to punch their ticket to Nationals for the first time since 2018!
Spotted on site: Trinity Thomas warming up beam!
Yes, that is Thomas warming up floor in the background! And she was reportedly working on some front tumbling – no double backs yet, but it’s a start.
Also, just warning y’all ahead of time, I’ve had the worst allergy attack today, so if I’m a little slow on updating, it’s probably because I’m sneezing. Or blowing my nose. But I’ll get there, I promise.
7:00pm: Broadcast is on! Vault lineup for the Gators look like the same as last night, Baumann anchoring, no Thomas.
Watch and score links for you in the above tweet!
7:02pm: Foberg, VT: FTY, better than yesterday, hop back rather than forward.
Brown, DU BB: Front aerial, nice. Switch to split, lovely. Really killing this leadoff position. Gainer full stuck! Big screaming celebration, love to see her stoked for tonight.
Remlinger hit bars for Minn, and Jordan hit floor for NCSU.
7:04pm: Lazzari, VT: FTY, little piked down but basically stuck! Yes!
Thompson, BB: Side aerial loso, nice! Switch to switch, a little rushed and not 180 on the second I think. SIde aerial back full stuck!
Hooten, Minn UB: Releases good. Double front is cowboyed, looked like a little hop.
Cox, FX: Double pike, nicely done. Combo pass is clean. Double tuck to close, pretty well controlled there as well. Good hit for them too!
Skaggs, VT: FTY, STUCK COLD YES MA’AM!
Willmarth, UB: Big stuck dismount for her too!
7:06pm: Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5 AND SHE STICKS HER VAULT! OH MY GOD!
Ruiz, BB: Bhs loso, break at the hips. Side aerial to split is better. Gainer pike off the end is stuck!
Loper, UB: Maloney to pak is nice. A little shy on last handstand. Double tuck is stuck! Good for her.
7:08pm: Reed, VT: Oop, she balked on her first run. Since she didn’t touch any of the apparatus, she can have another go. She ran again… and she balks again… somehow she’s getting to go again? Commentators are saying it’s judges fault, so she can have another go. Nope, she psyched herself out, she did a timer and rolled out of it.
Benson hits FX for NCSU.
Hutchinson, BB: Switch to split, gorgeous splits…. I missed the rest because of Nya.
Sales, UB: Sticks her DLO! That’s all I caught because of the Nya drama.
7:13pm: Mabanta, BB: Dance series is nice. Side aerial back full! I think she might’ve had a fall? I thought I saw her start and then saw her mount the beam again, and there’s no celebration when she finishes.
Looks like I missed Ramler UB but she hit for 9.925!
7:15pm: Baumann, VT: FTY, slide back but she hits, I’m not even mad. We just needed a score.
Vasquez, BB: Yesss love watching her. Lovely mount sequence showing her flexibility. Front aerial bhs loso, well connected and super straight. Switch to split, very nice toe point and extension. Y turn, ooh that was nice. Side aerial back full, hangs onto the stick!
Webb, FX: Excited to see this routine from her. Double pike, very high but a little slide on the landing. Rudi to double stag, legs a little wild there. Second dance series there was imprecise. 1.5 to front pike, dances right out. Team goes CRAZY for her, love to see it.
AFTER ONE: DU 49.325, NCSU 49.325, MINN 49.275, UF 49.225
Only a TENTH separates first and last here, so don’t be too concerned for the Gators. Reed has the whole meet to get back in her zone, so as long as the Gators can shake it off and hit bars, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Bars was the killer at SECs though, so that’s not exactly a small task. Light the prayer candles folks, and try not to let this meet give you a heart attack!
7:27pm: Broadcast came back late and Richards appears to have hit bars.
Ruiz, DU FX: First pass hit. Dance series looked a little imprecise. Double back to close, it’s a hit!
Koch, Minn BB: Gorgeous aerial to scale! Stuck dismount!
Lazzari, UB: Tkachev and pak both lovely. Full in stuck! Very nice!
Jordan, VT: FTY, it’s piked down but it’s stuck!
Montgomery, BB: Series is solid, maybe a small lean. Switch to split half to tuck jump, that’s fun. Stuck her dismount!
Casali, FX: Both feet OOB on first pass. Combo pass is hit. 1.5 to front tuck to finish, close to the line there too.
Skaggs, UB: Tkachev to pak is amazing. Good last handstand! DLO is stuck cold! She’s on fire tonight!
7:31pm: Benson, VT: Yhalf on front tuck, little step forward but huge height!
Loper, BB: Series is locked down. Front toss to beat, little hesitation there but I buy the connection. Switch to split half, good. Roundoff 1.5 slight hop.
Schoenherr, UB: Almost overarched a handstand but pulled it back. Double front half out stuck! Yes!
Thompson, FX: First pass is are hit. Dance series looks good. Front lay to Rudi, lovely form. Final pass hit!
Thomas, UB: Maloney to uprise, textbook. Pak is so floaty. Van Leeuwen, legs glued together. Last handstand is good. DLO, slide back. Won’t be the 10, but another great one! Great mental toughness for this team.
7:34pm: Sales, BB: Triple series, gorgeous! Leap series solid. Stuck dismount!
Gallentine, UB: Maloney to pak, both lovely. DLO dismount is stuck! That should be a career high, WOW.
Hunter, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward.
Think this is Hutchinson on FX, I’ve been told Glynn is still out. Front double full, clean. 1.5 to front lay, great control out of it. Last pass hit as well, the Pioneers just keep them coming.
7:37pm: Korlin-Downs, BB: Candle mount, love it! Bhs loso, nice and steady. Switch to split, nice from what I can tell at this angle. Stuck dismount! Minnesota is killing it on beam.
Brown, FX: DLO, GORGEOUS, just lays it back into the lunge. Leaps are almost in slow mo, very nice. Such power in this choreo. 1.5 to front lay to stag, lovely. Double pike to finish, again, just steps back into the lunge. What a routine! Denver only went 5 up on floor and every single one of them nailed it. They threw the 10!
7:40pm: Ramler, BB: Gorgeous series. Front aerial to beat, so graceful. Beat to split ring, maybe a little low back leg. Side aerial back full is stuck! Another solid rotation for the Gophers.
AFTER TWO: MINN 98.825, DU 98.8, UF 98.7, NCSU 98.55
Beam lineup still has Schoenherr in, no Thomas.
7:49pm: Richards, BB: Triple series, a little arm swing and foot comes up a little, but she puts it back down and keeps it small. Switch to straddle, a little hesitant. Side aerial back full, little slide.
Casali, DU VT: FTY, little piked, little hop.
Koch, Minn FX: Front double full punch front, VEEEERY low in the landing but somehow doesn’t sit. Roundoff back full for a side pass? Interesting. Rudi to finish, a little low maybe?
Ruiz VT: FTY, slide back, nice body positions though.
7:52pm: Skaggs, BB: Wolf turn is nice. Switch to split, lovely. Bhs loso, excellent. Front aerial, great. Cat leap to switch side, nice. Side aerial back full, little shuffle.
Hutchinson, VT: FTY, little leg sep but stuck!
Nylin, FX: Double pike to open, little slide back. Combo pass hit. Double tuck to close, little bit short but covers.
Brown, VT: Y1.5, tried too hard for the stick and ends up stepping back.
7:55pm: NCSU hitting on bars, but some trouble. Nelson had 9.675.
Sundstrom, VT: FTY, great body position, little hop.
Lazzari, BB: Triple series, lovely. Did I see a little bobble? Maybe. Stuck her dismount though!
LeNeave, FX: Double pike to open is good. Dance series solid. Double back to finish, little short but hops into the lunge.
Mundell, VT: FTY, she could’ve had the stick but she hopped back.
7:58pm: Baumann, BB: Bhs loso, textbook. Switch to split, so aggressive. Front aerial, snaps it down. Switch half is great again tonight. 1.5 dismount stuck! GIVE HER THE TEN COME ON
Ramler, FX: Double pike to open, a little short but brings her chest up quickly. Dance series is gorgeous as always. 1.5 to front lay, great control and dances right out. Another gorgeous one for her.
8:01pm: Clapper, BB: Bhs loso loso, great. Full turn is good. Side aerial back full stuck!
Hooten, FX: Excited to watch her, I’ve heard this routine is awesome. Full in, super open positions. 1.5 to front pike, solid control there. Double tuck to close is suuuuper high, a great finish for her!
8:04pm: Schoenherr, BB: Bhs loso, little lean but shows no sign. Full turn lovely. Leap series is good, straddle 3/4 is one of her good ones. Roundoff 1.5, hop forward.
Loper, FX: Front lay to Rudi to open, gorgeous form. Back 2.5, that’s so floaty, wow. Puts her hands down on her punch front! Oh no!
AFTER THREE: UF 148.150, DU 148.075, MINN 147.975, NCSU 147.375
To update you on the other regionals around, UCLA is only one tenth behind Cal, 3rd and 2nd respectively at Morgantown right now.
8:15pm: Grotenhuis, Minn VT: FTY, solid.
Clapper, FX: Rudi to stag, solid. Combo pass is good. Starts with a hit! They’ll need it, apparently both Johnson-Scharpf and Taylor got injured in warmups.
Ruiz, DU UB: DLO slide back. I didn’t see the rest.
8:17pm: Skaggs, FX: Rudi to split, good. Love this choreo and her dance series is great. 1.5 front lay, very nice!
Hooten, VT: Y1.5 stuck! That’s the way to come back.
Casali, UB: Think I missed her?
Ramler, VT: Y1.5, little shuffle.
8:19pm: Sundstrom, UB: Tkachev, looked like she lost a little momentum and she slides out of her pak! Denver just opened the door the other way! Gets back on, DLO stuck.
Loper, VT: Y1.5, small step.
Lazzari, FX: Double pike to open, best it’s been all season, very well controlled. 1.5 to frton lay to stag, gorgeous. Lovely split and straddle positions. Double back, solid. Another hit! Well done for the freshman!
Quarles, VT: Y1.5, big leap forward.
Mundell, UB: Tkachev, solid. Bail a little loose. DLO, slide back.
8:22pm: Richards, FX: Okay, Payton. Go time. Deep breath. DLO was great! Flying high as usual. Smiling, that’s a good sign. Double tuck, they switched up her pass order. OOB, but that’s only a tenth. Florida can handle that. 1.5 to frton lay, switching the passes was a GREAT call, Adrian! Another hit for the Gators.
Brown, UB: Releases are great. DLO stuck cold! They throw the 10! Wow!
8:26pm: Reed, FX: DLO, DRILLS it, just steps into the lunge. Front lay to Rudi is super clean, well done. A little bounce out of the dance series but that’s okay. Double pike to finish! She nails it! That should be it for the Gators!
Negrete, BB: Front aerial to bhs, solid. Oop, touches the beam on her split half from side stand, and does not hit any recognizable jump shape.
That will clinch it for the Gators! We’re going to Nationals, y’all!!
8:29pm: Baumann, FX: This is just a victory lap for her, nail it. Double tuck is so high, she opened a little too early but did well not to step forward. 1.5 to front full, dances right out. Just bringing the drama. Double pike, covers the overcook but it doesn’t even matter. The Gators are moving forward!
FINAL: UF 197.7, MINN 197.425, DU 197.275, NCSU 196.15
To update you on the other regionals, it looks like Cal and Michigan will be advancing from Morgantown. Michigan may actually go 198!
Thank you all for joining me tonight! Check out my post-meet press thread on my Twitter for more from the team tonight, and we’ll see you all in two weeks for National Semifinals in Fort Worth!
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