The more the USAG postseason picture takes shape, the more fascinating it gets. After a few weeks of Lindenwood putting up big scores and looking like the team to beat, UIC has taken the reins back with a season and USAG-best of 195.500 at possibly its last home meet ever.
We wanted to show more love to the non-top teams in college gym in 2019, so we broke out our Dismounts into DI, DII (all USAG nationals teams) and DIII. Each week, we’re also dishing out a few superlatives for some of our favorite moments, looks and results from the weekend of competition. Below those, you’ll find your typical results and highlights from every DII and USAG nationals-eligible team’s meet. For reference, teams eligible for USAG nationals include those with less than seven and a half full scholarships. They include, Ivy league schools, all DII teams, Air Force, Centenary and SEMO. Note: Penn has opted out of competing at USAG nationals this year, but we will continue to feature it here.
Routine of the Week
Claire Haklik (Cornell) – FX
Sophomore Claire Haklik is a dynamic tumbler and has come into her own this season, recording her second 9.900 in three weeks at the Ivy Classic. She opens her routine with a one and a half twist through to double back, a pass that is unusually difficult, even at the top levels of college gymnastics.
Surprise Performance of the Week
Maya Reimers (Bridgeport) – FX
https://twitter.com/UBGymnastics/status/1099491194969735168
By this point, you’ve undoubtedly all heard about Reimers’ landmark floor routine in which she threw a brand new double layout, as well as her existing tuck full-in. She didn’t quite have the stamina this time, but her full-in has been so reliably excellent through her career that we’re sure she’ll get it.
Emotional Moment
UIC’s Last Home Meet
This weekend might have been the last time UIC will ever compete at home, but you wouldn’t know it from the relentless positivity the Flames have exuded on social media and on the competition floor this year. Some of the emotions snuck into Instagram captions this weekend, though, with sniffle-worthy comments like “If you want a happy ending it depends on where you stop your story 🔥“ and “Still managed to get a picture after a lot of ugly crying so that was definitely an accomplishment.”
Top Scores
| Gymnast | Team | Event | Score |
| Claire Haklik | Cornell | FX | 9.900 |
| Maya Reimers | Bridgeport | BB | 9.875 |
| Crystal Gwinn | Bridgeport | FX | 9.875 |
| Courtney Mitchell | Lindenwood | VT | 9.875 |
| Caroline Moore | Pennsylvania | BB | 9.875 |
| Erin Alderman | TWU | BB | 9.875 |
| Erin Alderman | TWU | FX | 9.875 |
| Kayla Baddeley | UIC | UB | 9.875 |
| Yolanda Nodarse | West Chester | BB | 9.875 |
| Lindsay Chia | Yale | BB | 9.875 |
| Jessica Wang | Yale | BB | 9.875 |
| Christina Luniewicz | Cornell | UB | 9.850 |
| Samantha Henry | Cornell | FX | 9.850 |
| Ryan Henry | Lindenwood | BB | 9.850 |
| Natalie Yang | Pennsylvania | BB | 9.850 |
| Darian Burns | Seattle Pacific | FX | 9.850 |
| Kayla Baddeley | UIC | VT | 9.850 |
| Toni Alicke | UIC | UB | 9.850 |
| Serena Baker | UIC | UB | 9.850 |
| Mikailla Northern | UIC | UB | 9.850 |
| Jacey Baldovino | Yale | UB | 9.850 |
| Jacey Baldovino | Yale | BB | 9.850 |
The Highlights
| No. 11 Auburn at No. 56 Texas Woman’s | ||||
| Full Results | Auburn 195.350 | Texas Woman’s 193.85 | ||
| VT: Gobourne & Watson 9.875 | UB: Day & Krippner 9.875 | BB: Alderman 9.875 | FX: Alderman 9.875 | AA: Gobourne 39.425 |
The Big Storyline: Texas Woman’s tied its season high in an injury-delayed meet with the help of a phenomenal day from senior Erin Alderman who won two events. It still has a way to go if it wants to challenge the top four though. It’s time for the Pioneers to be pushing 195.
Implications: Texas Woman’s passes Air Force in the rankings this week to move back up to No. 5 in USAG standings, but it shouldn’t get too comfortable there: Air Force is still counting a 188 in RQS and could make up the difference with any kind of normal meet this weekend. TWU also dropped to fourth in the MIC.
Controversies: The meet was paused for around 30 minutes due to a scary fall from TWU senior Jenna Cashmore who peeled off the bar after catching her Gienger. She was checked out by the training staff and eventually taken away on a stretcher for further evaluation. However, she was spotted after the meet and appeared to be OK. The lengthy delay resulted in both teams being allowed to have a four-minute open stretch period before heading into their rotation three touch. In funnier news, TWU’s Hunter Vincent had an unfortunate fall on her beam mount, which is literally just a forward roll onto the beam, and gave a head shake and smirk to head coach Lisa Bowerman before hopping back on to finish (or really start, to be honest) her set.
| No. 35 Northern Illinois at No. 33 UIC | ||||
| Full Results | UIC: 195.500 | NIU: 193.975 | ||
| VT: Baddeley 9.850 | UB: Baddeley 9.875 | BB: Lord 9.875 | FX: Richardson 9.825 | AA: Baddeley 39.100 |
The Big Storyline: In its best-attended meet of the season by far, UIC put up a season best and the top score of the USAG teams on its senior night—and what may be its final home meet ever. Sophomore Kayla Baddeley has now put up two 39-plus all around totals in a row and remains ranked No. 1 on vault in USAG and MIC standings. If this is the end, what a way to go out.
Implications: UIC is solidifying itself at the top of the MIC and USAG.
Records: Kayla Baddeley’s 9.875 on bars was a career best.
| No. 68 Centenary at No. 42 Lindenwood | ||||
| Full Results | Lindenwood: 194.850 | Centenary: 187.450 | ||
| VT: Mitchell 9.875 | UB: Borges 9.725 | BB: Henry 9.850 | FX: Jordan, Alexander 9.825 | AA: Mitchell 39.050 |
The Big Storyline: Neither MIC team had a particularly excellent outing in Missouri this weekend, but Lindenwood recorded its best home score of 2019 and set a season high on floor. Centenary registered an acceptable road score and senior Navia Jordan got two podium finishes.
Implications: Neither will move in USAG standings this week.
Records: Courtney Mitchell’s vault score is a career high.
| No. 44 Bridgeport and No. 81 Ursinus at No. 50 Temple | ||||
| Full Results | Bridgeport: 195.350 | Temple: 194.950 | Ursinus: 183.300 | |
| VT: Castrence 9.850 | UB: Doran, Tereshko, Aycock 9.825 | BB: Reimers 9.875 | FX: Gwinn 9.875 | AA: Roland 39.100 |
The Big Storyline: Bridgeport set a season high that briefly tied the USAG season best before UIC took it over. It also recorded an impressive win over Division I Temple and came close to sweeping the individual titles. Freshman Julianna Roland continues to excel in the all around, and senior Kelly Aycock recorded a season high on bars to win the title there.
Implications: Bridgeport remains at No. 3 in USAG standings, and senior Maya Reimers becomes No. 1 in USAG on floor with the help of NQS kicking in.
Records: Reimers became the first Bridgeport gymnast to compete two E passes in a routine.
| No. 60 Illinois State and No. 73 SEMO at No. 45 Ball State | ||||
| Full Results | Ball St.: 194.575 | Ill St.: 194.250 | SEMO: 186.900 | |
| VT: LaRoche 9.875 | UB: Marema 9.825 | BB: Meyer 9.825 | FX: Menzione 9.900 | AA: Cooke 38.950 |
The Big Storyline: SEMO recorded its second highest vault score of the season but hasn’t made much headway in the team total.
Implications: NQS will help the Redhawks a little, boosting them to No. 70.
Records: Freshmen Anna Kaziska and Maya Tran set career highs at this meet.
| Ivy Classic With No. 46 Yale, No. 58 Cornell and No. 65 Brown at No. 57 Penn | ||||
| Full Results | Yale: 195.100 | Cornell: 193.925 | Penn: 193.100 | Brown: 192.200 |
| VT: Costa, Webster 9.800 | UB: Luniewicz, Baldovino 9.850 | BB: Moore, Wang, Chia 9.875 | FX: Haklik 9.900 | AA: Buford 38.725 |
The Big Storyline: This was truly a fascinating meet from beginning to end. Cornell, performing in Olympic order, started the meet with excellent performances on vault and bars, but a couple unfortunate misses on beam put the competition back in Yale’s hands; the Bulldogs won the meet for the second year in a row.
Implications: With the shift to NQS, Yale remains comfortably at No. 4 in USAG standings. Cornell improves one place to No. 6 over Air Force, which was on bye this week, and Brown improved another spot to No. 9 and now looks as though it will be fighting West Chester for a nationals berth.
Records: Costa’s meet-winning vault score was a personal best. Yale’s beam score was a program record, and Cornell came only a quarter tenth from its program record on floor.
| Pink Invitational With No. 62 West Chester and No. 63 Southern Connecticut | ||||
| Full Results | West Chester 192.900 | SCSU: 190.875 | ||
| VT: Johnson 9.750 | UB: Stahlbrodt, Wojewoda 9.800 | BB: Nodarse 9.875 | FX: Meakim 9.825 | AA: Stahlbrodt 38.800 |
The Big Storyline: It was a night of repeated success for various standout gymnasts. WCU sophomore Yoli Nodarse notched another 9.875 on beam to tie the school’s record on the event, which she also did the week before. In addition, SCSU breakout freshman Hannah Stahlbrodt had another solid meet, falling short of last week’s 39-plus all around score but earning her third consecutive bars score above 9.800.
Implications: West Chester remains at No. 8 this week, but Southern Connecticut will drop to No. 10, under Brown.
| No. 64 Sacramento State at No. 66 Seattle Pacific | ||||
| Full Results | Seattle Pacific: 192.375 | Sac State 192.175 | ||
| VT: Burns 9.825 | UB: Sampson 9.850 | BB: Sampson 9.825 | FX: Burns 9.850 | AA: Burns 38.600 |
The Big Storyline: Seattle Pacific got a rare Division I win on Friday, defeating the Hornets for the first time since 2005. Star Darian Burns got three event wins. Itzia San Roman suffered an ankle injury in warm ups and was forced to scratch three events but recorded her career best bars score.
Implications: NQS won’t change SPU’s ranking of No. 11 in USAG standings.
Records: Three Falcons recorded new career highs: Haven Lanzador and Kayla Chan on beam and Itzia San Roman on bars.
READ THIS NEXT: The Dismount: Week Eight WAG
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Article by Rebecca Scally
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