2013 NCAA Regionals Live Blog with @CattyComments until the Bittah End

Kittens, it's me, Catty Comments! We've got a whole lotta look and a whole lotta gymnastics in the next few hours.

All times left coast because, we have more bounce in California!



Norman Regional Live Video
Norman Regional Live Scores
Norman Regional Rotations

2:03pm - the Sooners are starting on vault and sticking them!

2:08pm - another good vault, small hop back by Kmeciak that only goes 9.825. Judging will be tight here today.

2:12pm - another good OK vault, another hop back. Bree Olson goes 9.875 and no Bart, she didn't stick it. That was an 80's stick, not a 2013 stick.

2:15pm - Iowa girl rocks her double layout dismount, then trips & falls on the bars cables. Typical gymnast! I wish there were some team lineup lists so I know who she is.

2:20pm - Oklahoma finished vault with a 49.375, so they're on track to peak during nationals. Iowa is having bars issues (2 falls so far), and Washington has already bombed a fx (8.625) from Northey, so both of them will have to werq for a good day. Vaccher on fx for Washington now, mounting with a clean double tuck. But where's the excitement? No energy to this music or routine - its. just. clean. *snore*

2:21pm - Rachel Updike just pulled off a crazy beam acro series - bhs to Kotchetkova (full-twisting bhs). The way her legs spun around I didn't think she could make it at all.

2:23pm - Rodgers on fx for Washington. Nice kid, bored already. Middle pass of running front layout to front full. Trying to do vague hip-hop moves to techno music while smiling. Nice double tuck dismount.

2:27pm - the last performer on floor is an individual who already stumbled oob on her opening double tuck. She doesn't seem very interested in her choreography, and ends with a slow double pike, landing with a low chest. I'm peeved at the small video, because I can't see her leotard all that well. It appeared to be maroon. Singing the slow ballad, "I won't remember youuuuuu...."

2:30pm - I found the regional rotations and posted the link above! Apparently I won't remember K. Hawthorne of Air Force. Yo Air Force - you need zippier leos and choreo. Pop some No Doz and get on that.

2:35pm - Okay, we've got Washington, Stanford, Iowa & Penn State this rotation. I kind of like the Penn State leotards - meh tumbling. I'm not a first-pass rudi kinda gal. Shona Morgan starts on bars for Stanford and has a perfectly okay routine, ending with a cowboyed, stuck double front.

2:39pm - the Iowa routine up was starting out well with a cool mount, but is off on her two standing back tuck series. In the meantime, Ashley Morgan picked things up with a nifty, fast bar routine for Stanford.

2:41pm - Ivana Hong up on bars for the Cardinal - low Tkachev, nice hs in her bail 1/2. Gorgeous dlo dismount, but slooooow rotation, and a hop forward. The Cardinal leos are okay - black torso, red sleeves.

2:43pm - Some of these NCAA teams have a better pop music vault than NARAL - this Penn State kid is tumbling to old pop techno music WITH A SAX SOLO. How much dust did that music have on it when they dug it out of the archives? Cue Sonny Crockett.

2:47pm - Sami Shapiro love on bars. She still has amazing form, still don't know why she can't keep her feet together on her Pak. Another slow double layout, landing with low shoulders and a teeny step forward. Bart is already loving on Stanford's bars, not realizing that the trick is if they can field 6 vaults that start from a 10.0.

2:49pm - Alex Archer on bars for Stanford. Nice Gienger, and a great double layout dismount, with high shoulders and a small step back. Stanford coach now helping set the bars for their individual rotator, King of Illinois State.

2:51pm - Ten times more interesting than the choreography of Penn State is watching the 3min pep talk the Penn State assistant coach gives each gymnast before she competes her 90 second routine, complete with arm and head choreography.

2:53pm - While I get you linkage to the 3 regionals starting at the top of the hour, quick shout out to Southern Utah - nice leos and they went an impressive 6 for 6 while starting on beam. You've got some spunk, young Mormons! I believe!

Gainesville Regional Live Video - Gainesville Regional Live Scores - Gainesville Regional Rotations

Morgantown Regional Live Video Bars/Beam - Morgantown Live Video Vault/Floor
Morgantown Regional Live Scores - Morgantown Regional Rotations

Columbus Regional Vault - Bars - Beam - Floor
Columbus Regional Live Scores - Columbus Regional Rotations

3:06pm - WE HAVE LINKAGE! I'll triple-check those Columbus regional links - they're not all on the air yet. This Regionals merde is now a 16-ring circus.

3:09pm - Gainesville is online, with the sloooooooooowwwwwwwest Star Spangled Banner. Say it, "Man and wife! Just say man and wife!"

3:13pm - Mr. AJ will be freaking out now that Florida is starting. I'm watching the UCLA vault rotation in Columbus. It's taking forevahhhhh to start. Miss Val is lovely in flowy black pants, heels and a white top. And she's flashing the vaulter numbers for the judges. Starts off with a decent vault with what looks like Pritchett. Interesting details to this new blue leo - fancy black band across the low back and some black detail in the neckline as well - an under-leo illusion if you will.

3:17pm - looks like de al Torre was 2nd - the vid resolution is distracting. It literally makes all of the gymnasts look short, wide and ginormous. Kittens, UCLA didn't eat their feelings about losing Pac12s - it's just the resolution.

3:20pm - I shouldn't have commented about Stanford's vaults - UCLA's vaults are downright average, with awkward preflights and bounces/steps on landings. Let's see if Zam can rock - excellent vault, small hop back. If those other vaults were 9.8s, that should be a 10.2.

3:23pm - Courtney rocked a 9.925, and Zam should go around there. In the meantime, Florida is starting off on vault in more traditional shiny blue leos with sparkles. The UCLA leo is highly complicated, probably to distract me from the injured World & Olympic medalists on their bench.

3:27pm - And for Florida, Hunter just nailed a ginormous Y1.5 with a tiny step afterwards. I'm not sure why she just doesn't do a double - vaulting seems THAT easy for her.

3:31pm - Morgantown is featuring Michigan on vault, who apparently had to weather a right boob-grabbing glitter storm to arrive at the arena - congratulations Wolverines! Way to vault while bedazzling! Seriously, the vaults look solid - gorgeous preflights, solid landings. In this regional I'm loving the Kentucky (sorry about your "KY" postal code there...) leotards - blue torso - black sleeves, shoulders & back with nice sparkles on the front.

3:40pm - Weird fall on vault by Austyn Fobes. Here's what you need to know for UCLA - they went 49.225 on vault and stuck a couple of landings. Florida went 49.6 on vault and also stuck a couple of landings. The vaults were that much better in the air. Hopefully Sawa will come back into the lineup for UCLA.

Ready for the 24-ring circus? Let's do this kittens!

Tuscaloosa Regional Live Video - Tuscaloosa Regional Live Scores - Tuscaloosa Regional Rotations

Corvallis Regional Live Video - Corvallis Regional Live Scores - Corvallis Regional Rotations

3:54pm - Fun times - the Corvallis regional already has live video, but no one has told the drunk person holding the camera. Let's see how this goes!

4:11pm - Still trying to get appropriate event links for Columbus. And the Oregon State pep band is playing the MOST sad, depressing national anthem ever. Kittens, you're getting scholarships - those notes should be perfect & memorized.

4:15pm - OSU pep band is now earning my love with a peppy version of the B52's "Rock Lobster." I'll let you live. In the meantime, UCLA is again earning good, not great scores on bars. The Norman Regional will be close - 2nd place is only .125 after 3 events - Stanford in 2nd, Penn State in 3rd. The hope for Stanford is that Penn State will falter on their last event, beam. But like I was alluding to earlier, Stanford currently has a tough time fielding 6 10.0 vaults, and that's with an fty still worth a 10.0.

4:19pm - King rocked a huge bar routine for Florida, disguising her short dismount by holding her feet in place and falling forward into her salute. Fick it until you Stick it, or er, something like that.

4:24pm - UCLA is going to have to bring it after faltering to a 49.05 on bars. They're 2nd, but in 3rd place is Arizona, only .025 behind. Both teams still have to do beam, whereas LSU has already finished on beam and is slightly in front of both of them.

4:26pm - one of my more favorite western teams is Idaho State, and they've got a gymnast rocking her Inception music at the Corvallis regional. You go pale kid - lovely routine!

4:34pm - Stanford is hitting vault, so we'll see how Penn State does on beam. Each Penn State gymnast is getting the same 3min pep talk, with arm & head choreography, from the flowy-headed assistant coach.

4:39pm - Stanford rocked vault for 49.425, so they're in the gate with a 196.800 - it appears Stanford & Oklahoma are safe and sound, both qualifying full teams to NCAA championships. Penn State is not going to catch them with a 9.6 & 9.625 on beam. Congrats Cardinal! Congrats Boomer Sooners!

4:53pm - AJ is already calling Florida as good as 2007 Georgia. We shall see, but they're looking awesome. Getting Alaina Johnson back in the lineup has really done the trick for them.

4:54pm - AJ - "What (Florida lacks) in form and extension they make up for in badassness in a time when everyone else is doing level 9 gymnastics." You heard it here, kittens!

4:56pm - Macko rocks her beam routine including an absolutely stuck ro-double full dismount. I'd like to point out that she was not an excellent beam competitor until she arrived at Florida. Now she's clutch.

4:59pm - Kittens, we need to discuss the ASU leos. Disappointingly, they're not as hiddy as usual. However, the flames! The flames! Between the glitterbomb flames & the horizontal back slit (I wish I were joking), it's a lotta look.

5pm - King nails her beam routine, and per AJ, like 1996 Turgalan, Rhonda's Romanians hid her in the beam lineup and it worked out. I'm also liking what I see of Bridgeport, despite the tin foil leos. TIN FAIL. With their last names in glitter on the back.

5:02pm - Oregon State of course is having issues in the post season, even at home, but starting to pick it back up on bars.

5:08pm - Oregon State has officially imploded - 3 falls on bars, so they'll count two. Including Stambaugh, who was rock-solid in the early part of the season. Stunning. We'll see who makes it out of this regional!

5:13pm - I even like the Arkansas leos - classy black with thin white Vs at the neckline & sleeve ends. WHO AM I? And why can't I see the Columbus regional?

5:20pm - Oregon State is clawing back on beam, and they just showed Chelsea Davis' 9.9 bars routine for Georgia - gorgeous. And finally have the feed going for UCLA fx - I complete me.

5:31pm - Finally get to watch Zam rock her Anchormanesque jazz flute music. Solid double pike, tried to stick it like an elite landing but had to lunge. Solid double full to layout step out. Easy rudi to end.

5:33pm - Watching Pritchett explode her tumbling in Columbus while Cal's Crystal Paz shows what actual current pop music is dancing to Muse.

5:36pm - Now Olivia Courtney is rocking floor, even the spider belly choreo move, and nails both the opening double Arabian and closing double pike.

5:45pm - Florida is sitting on a gaudy 148.75 heading into floor. Bridget Sloan nails her routine, and the gators will probably go 198+. As ranked, Auburn & Minnesota are neck & neck for the 2 spot. I give it to Auburn based on their leos, but we'll see.

5:49pm - I take it back - Auburn's on beam and Minnesota is on vault, so I'll guess that Minnesota is qualifying.

5:50pm - AJ - "The Minnesota vaults are my everything. And Ashanee sticks like a dude and we live for it." Dave has declared that Florida has something for everyone, so the gators have received my 31 Flavors award. You go ice cream dream team!

5:52pm - Minnesota nails another vault like they're 2007 Georgia. They're on fyeah like ASU's leos.

5:54pm - Now the gymnast I live for, Kytra Hunter. Why in an open-ended code did Marta ignore a Hill's-coached Kytra I'll never know. She makes the double layout & double tuck look insanely easy.

5:57pm - LSU & UCLA have qualified from the Columbus regional scoring 197.275 and 196.95 respectively. Good scores for both of them, and Arizona won the battle for 3rd over Ohio State, 196.1 to 196.05. Congrats Tigers and Bruins!

6:05pm - To confirm, Florida & Minnesota have qualified with 198.400 and 197.100 respectively. The Morgantown regional has our first unofficial upset of the night - Illinois has qualified by .15 over Nebraska, who was 8th in the nation. Congrats Illini and Michigan!

6:12pm - Oh fine. I'll also pull up the Tuscaloosa regional. Someone in a nice deep red leo with black mesh sleeves is on bars. And someone with a very loud yellow & blue leo with bad hair is on beam. Ladies, COMB YO HAIR. That is all. Oh wait - del Priore on floor. Why weren't we watching her, video producers? Gah.

6:15pm - Arkansas just had a 2-fall bars routine, so Corvallis could get verrry interesting. I call butter bars.

6:22pm - The Corvallis scores are all close - I don't think OSU can pull it out with the disastrous 47.525 on bars, but vault is getting scored big in this regional, so we'll see. In the meantime, Arkansas and Georgia are both doing well, and Cal is right behind Arkansas with an okay beam (counting 1 fall), good floor and excellent vault.

6:29pm - Now Oregon State's Makayla Stambaugh on floor, who is just stunning. I could watch her & Cal's Alicia Asturias on floor all day long - tall, solid yet liquid, and dramatic.

6:31pm - In Tuscaloosa, Bama is rocking and will easily qualify with a 3-event score of 147.925 and only floor left. While Utah & Denver are tied for 2nd with 147.0, I think Utah will easily qualify - their last event is vault, while Denver finishes on beam. Life is never easy for the 3-seed in a regional.

6:54 - ASU had a great day to finish ahead of Oregon State, 195.700 to 195.375. Georgia & Arkansas look to qualify in the Corvallis regional.

6:58 - And Bama (197.400) and Utah (196.400) have qualified out of Tuscaloosa. Denver finished behind Iowa State.

7:01 - On the phone, talking to my buddy Onodious, and we're bemoaning that the team we could count on for leo hiddy, Arkansas, is wearing tasteful leos today. Where's the back pig? Where's the "Gymback" on the ass? Darn you, Arkansas, I love your leos.

So that's it from regionals, and Oregon State goes down - congrats to Georgia (197.425) and Arkansas (196.95) for advancing to NCAA finals! Thanks to the Oregon State pep band! Thanks to Bart Conner and the woman who was commentating for the Pac 12! Thank you for tuning in! We have 12 teams going back to Cali - on April 19, be readdddddy to rummmmmmble in Pauley Pavilion!