Recruit Files: Cassie St. Clair, Western Michigan

Name: Cassie St. Clair
Club: Aspire Gymnastics Academy
High School Graduation Year: 2021

NCAA Team: Western Michigan
Commitment Announcement: Instagram
Social Handles: Twitter | Instagram 

Personal Bests 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
9.825 9.050 9.550 9.625

Videos 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
2020 UGA Invitational 2020 Bravo Classic 2020 California Grand Invitational 2019 Aspire Classic

About Cassie

St. Clair began competing level 10 in January 2019 at the Bravo Classic where she finished sixth on floor. Later that year she finished fourth on floor at the Illinois state meet and tied for fourth on vault and floor at the Region 5 regionals. St. Clair scored career highs on vault and floor in the short 2019-20 season.

What She Brings to Western Michigan

Vault

  • Skill: Tsukahara tuck 1.5
  • Results: first place at the 2020 UGA Invitational (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: A leg separation on the vault’s entry is the main area of deduction. This, however, is a rare vault with a 10.0 start value in the NCAA. It will be a delight to watch.
  • Impact on the Team: WMU did pretty well on vault in 2020, but did not compete any 10.0 start values. St. Clair’s vault could be a game changer in two years.

Uneven Bars

  • Skills: bail to handstand to Laumann, half pirouette to double tuck dismount
  • Results: eleventh place at the 2019 Region 5 regionals (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: St. Clair’s routine is impressive because of her Laumann, a rare transition from low to high bar. However, her routine presents some deductions, especially on her cast elements, and she will need to upgrade her dismount to start from a 10.0 in college. She is training both a double layout and a full-twisting double layout.
  • Impact on the Team: St Clair’s routine is not quite ready to make the lineup yet, but she has one more year of club gymnastics to upgrade her difficulty. It would be fun to see her unique skill in the NCAA.

Balance Beam

  • Skills: full turn, BHS + LOSO, side aerial, switch straddle leap to LOSO, beat jump to straddle jump three quarters, 1.5 twist dismount
  • Results: first place at the 2020 California Grand Invitational
  • Margin of Improvement: St. Clair’s results are shaky, but when she hits, she is an excellent beam worker. Her switch side makes her routine unique.
  • Impact on the Team: WMU showed a lot of potential on beam in 2020. If St. Clair can keep her nerves at bay, she will challenge for a lineup spot.

Floor Exercise

  • Skills: front full twist to front layout, double turn, front double twist
  • Results: first place at the 2020 UGA Invitational
  • Margin of Improvement: St. Clair does not perform a very difficult routine, and she could work on her landings a bit more. She has potential, though.
  • Impact on the Team: This was WMU’s best apparatus in 2020, but the Broncos’ best gymnast, Stacie Harrison, will have graduated once St. Clair gets to college. If she cleans her landings, she will be in contention for a spot.

READ THIS NEXT: Recruiting Roundup: August 2020


Article by Talitha Ilacqua

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