Saturday Live Blog – February 28, 2026

This weekend delivers the now-annual quad meets in the Big Ten Or So conference, where the teams break off into discussion groups of four to get ready for the final in a few weeks.

By virtue of winning yesterday’s meet, UCLA went to 9-0 within the Big Ten Or So and clinched the conference trophy that’s not the main conference trophy, but it’s the other conference trophy before the main conference trophy, and you can hold it up and be like, “Trophy.”

As Jordan Chiles said last night, “The trophy means everything to us.” Yes. What every girl dreams of. The Big Ten Regular Season Conference Championship trophy.

But really, the wild-time meet of last night was Stanford @ Oregon State when we had three perfect scores given on vault (two 9.950s for Yfulls).

Rotation 1

McWilliams – VT – Washington – yfull, hop back, some leg separation, chest position. 9.750

Jordan – UB – Michigan – hits first hs – blind to jaeger, excellent amplitude – hits hs on high – legs together on bail – solid hs on high – giant full, finishes vertically just maybe a tad loose/crooked – holds stick on double tuck. Good. 9.850

Leary – FX – Penn St – front 2/1 to front tuck, does well to keep it in bounds, small hop forward and an “I’m not OOB, loser” lean – switch ring to wolf hop full, under position – back 1/5 to layout, clean layout. 9.800

Jencks – BB – Nebraska – sticks dismount, saw a broken connection on her dance combo there, so we’ll see about SV. 9.225, so she did not get 10.0 SV.

Lin – VT – Washington – yfull, smaller hop back, pikes throughout. 9.800

Clapper – UB – Michigan – finishes with a lovely high DLO but pikes down at the end, chest forward and a little hop

Monahan – FX – Penn St – front 2/1, controls it, slightly under-rotated – tour jete 1/2 to wolf fulls, also under position – front full, some knees –

Gard – BB – bhs loso series securely, slightly soft knee position – full turn, hit – beat jump – pause – repeats so she can get a series into side aerial – switch to switch to split is nicely connected. Sticks dismount.

Diaz – UB – Michigan – maloiney to bail, small foot separation – hits hs on high – DLO, hop back.

Tubbs – VT – Washington – Yfull, pretty large bounce back. 9.700

Herring – FX – Penn St – front through to double tuck, chest down but holds control on the landing – switch side 1/2 to straddle, clear landing position – back 15 to front lay, under control

Homecillo – BB – Nebraska – bhs bhs loso, wobble leg up, holds onto it – beat to straddle 3/4 is well done – 1.5, hop forward. 9.750

Lew – UB – Michigan – toe 1/2, little pause but good vertical, into paked jaeger, hit – pak – 1/2 turn on low is past vertical – DLO, little pike, little hop

Schaffer – VT – Washington – yfull, good landing control, little hop – some pike throughout

Kraus – BB – Nebraska – nice split jump position – bhs loso, secure – hitch kick to switch 1/2, check – gainer tuck full a bit low with a hop

Bauman – UB – Michigan – jaeger to overshoot is right on – double front, small shuffle forward

Bolden – VT – Washington – another pretty large bounce back on yfull

McElligott – FX – Penn St – double tuck, good power, little bounce back – switch to switch ring 1/2, pretty close there as far as ring 1/2s go – 1.5 to front lay, some lay form to get it around, a little lower –

Burns – BB – Nebraska – very solid bhs loso loso – beat to straddle 1/2, a little tentative but OK – 1.5, good stick

Parenti – UB – Michigan – toe on, some loose back but pulls through it – high Ray – pak, smooth – really rushes 1/2 turn on low, past vertical – DLO, step back

McDonough just survived a Yfull on vault land she landed almost fully off the mat she was so off line.

Kramer – FX – Penn St – nice position on front 2/1, bounce to the side out of it – tour jete 1/2 to wolf full wolf full, the closest to position – switch – rudi to loso, very solid.

Sikon – BB – Nebraska – bhs loso, little check hesitation – cat leap to switch 1/2, large break, step back and a lean forward at the hips – full turn with another check – 1.5 dmt stuck. 9.625

After 1
Penn State 49.250
Michigan 49.200
Nebraska 48.800
Washington 48.775

A little early upset here with Penn State being ahead of Michigan. Michigan had to count that 9.725 for Parenti because they had a 9.700 from Clapper earlier.

Rotation 2

Leary – VT – Penn St – yfull is well landed, stuck, some light knee and pike to deduct. 9.825

Oppegard – UB – Washington – piked jaeger, good – a bit shy hs on high – bail – just a couple short verticals – DLO, leg sep, step back. 9.725

Parenti – BB – Michigan – bhs loso, small check lean – switch to split, good back leg position – moved through dance combination – 1.5, stuck

Gard – FX – Nebraska – double back, good control, chest down – front lay to sort of a front tuck full – double pike, similar to the tuck. 9.775

Latronica – VT – Penn St – yfull, bounce back, solid form through the air

McWilliams – UB – Washignton – blind to jaeger to overshoot, hit, some form and amplitude to take throughout – DLO, pikes it, hop back. 9.725

Davis – BB – Michigan – bhs loso, holds solidly – cat leap to side aerial, chest a little down but connects to beat jump – switch to pike jump, short back leg on switch – gainer full, hop back. 9.925, with a non-stick, so we’re going big.

Kaempfer – VT – Penn St – y1.5 is hit, tucking throughout, hop forward

Sikon – FX – Nebraska – double tuck, chest up, works to keep front foot down – back 1.5 to front full, low on the front full, hops to the side to save it – switch to switch 1/1ish to sissone, not quite around

Walters falls on beam

Lin – Ub – Washington – hits gienger with a leg separation – FTDT, chest down, step forward. 9.650

Cash – VT – Penn St – yfull, good distance but also a large bounce back

Kraus very strong dance combination on floor for Nebraska. Finishes 1.5 to front lay, a little low but hits. Double pike, good height but pikes down at the end, chest down and a step

Bauman – BB – Michigan – full turn, solid – bhs loso, no trouble – straddle 1/2 to sissone is very well done – piked side somi, good – gainer pike, hop back

Moody – UB – Washington – toe on to maloney to pak, leg separations but good height – FTDT, pulls out landing, holds stick with little lean.

Johanson – VT – Penn St – yfull, holds onto a very good stick, chest a little forward, a little pike, but good one. 9.875

Baechle – FX – Nebraska – front 2/1, hit, crossover step – switch to switch side 1/2ish – back 1.5 to front full jussssssstt pulls it out, low, got it to her feet magically

Ranger – BB – Michigan – full turn, hit – bhs loso loso, good lift, comfortable landing – switch to pike jump, good back leg on switch – kickover, right on, chest up – double tuck, bounce back. Good. 9.850

Tubbs – UB – Washington – toe on to maloney to bail, very nice leg together position – one short hs – DLO, stuck. Excellent. 9.925

Piedrahita – VT – Penn St – Omelianchik, great position in her pike but a large bounce forward

Jencks – FX – Nebraska – front lay to rudi, legs slightly apart, good control on landing – switch and wolf combination looks good – double back, holds onto it

Boozer – BB – Michigan – switch to switch split jump to straddle, excellent – aerial, smooth – full turn, check – bhs loso, hits well, good back leg – high gainer full, stuck. If she hadn’t wobbled on that full turn. 9.950. I mean, yeah, that full turn check was all I had…

McDonough very high jaeger.

Homecillo – FX – Nebraska – double pike, controls step back – 1.5 to front lay, good maintaining straight position on layout, sufficient rise – double tuck, smooth landing

After 2
Michigan 98.675
Penn State 98.450
Nebraska 98.000
Washington 97.825

Michigan able to drop the fall from Walters with five routines with only minor issues. Strong rotation to go into the lead. Penn State establishing a very solid margin in 2nd.

Now there’s just a closeup of some ice cream. Dean’s like, “Up next, Michigan moves to ice cream. They’ll be led off by ice cream.”

Rotation 3

Griffin – VT – Nebraska – yfull, off direction with a step back

Johanson – UB – Penn St – toe on to tkatchev, low but hit – pak – 1/2 turn on low, a little past – stronger cast hs on high – DLO, leg sep, very small movement.

Lin – BB – Washington – falls on switch 1/2

Davis – FX – Michigan – front lay to rudi, under control – double pike, little scooty shuffle on landing – double pike, shows control, some chest position. 9.875

Peterson – VT – Nebraska – Yfull, holds onto the stick, some leg separation and lean to hold the stick. Solid.

Monahan finishes bars with FTDT, holds stick

Guggino very large stumble back on double pike on floor, well OOB.

Oppegard – BB – Washington – bhs loso, good amplitude, some soft knee – switch, little hesitations into switch 1/2 and beat jump – side aerial, pulls it out with chest down, slight correction – gainer full, pretty low, chest down and step. 9.650 will have to count.

Leary – UB – Penn St – high jaeger to overshoot, good amplitude – shorter hs on high – strong stick on double tuck

Jencks with a solid yfull on vault, little hop back, leg sep a bit larger than needed just to land

Navarro – BB – Washington – bhs bhs loso and a really excellent save, but a huge break, lean forward bit wobble and arm wave –

Diaz – FX – Michigan – front 2/1 dance out – wolf – rudi to loso is comfortable – switch 1/2 to wolf full, around –

Baechle – VT – Nebraska – y tucked 1.5, way short and gets flopped to the side, fall.

Cash – UB – Penn St – solid piked jaeger – bail, slight pike but good legs together – short hs on high – giant full to double tuck, nice landing

Tubbs – BB – Washington – aerial, continues into bhs loso but the loso is wayyy off the beam, sort of angled and off the end, another fall. But the Liukin is excellent.

Bauman – FX – Michigan – front 2/1, dance out – switch 1/2 to wolf full wolf full looks comfortable and clean – 1.5 to front lay is short, step back to save it. 9.850

Sikon – VT – Nebraska – yfull is hit, hop back, some knees and feet

Piedrahita – UB – Penn St – hits hs – toe on to maloney to pak, small leg sep in maloney – 1/2 turn on low is a little wonky, some loose back position – FTDT, hop back. 9.800

Walters – FX – Michigan – front 2/1, hits it, slightly under-rotated today with a side step – switch 1/2 to popa to straddle, good – back 1.5 to front full is excellent.

Moody through a hit on beam for Washington

Shaver pretty large bounce back on yfull.

Latronica – UB – Penn St – piked jaeger, nice – little hesitation in cast hs – bail, very good leg position – clear hit hs on high – toe on to toe pike 1/2, hop back and then another small scoot adjustment.

Hallinan is off on the back tuck on beam, disaster beam rotation for them.

Ranger – FX – Michigan – DLO, shows good control, some pike down at the end – switch 1/2 to popa is pretty, clearly around – front loso to double tuck, also under control

After 3
Michigan 148.150
Penn State – 147.775
Nebraska – 146.800
Washington – 145.350

Michigan State pulling away now but Penn State still in line for one for their best ever scores if they can hit beam. Nebraska just getting stuck in the 48s to fall out of contention, and Washington going to pieces on beam means this is now going to be an unhelpful counting score for their ranking.

Rotation 4