It’s the first-ever matchup between the two newest teams in the EAGL. Temple made the move from the ECAC while LIU is just getting its program started.
LIU has had a rough go of it so far this year, having to deal with COVID issues on top of injuries and ineligibility problems. The Sharks are coming off their best meet of the season last week, though, where they nearly notched a 192 (and would have if not for a 0.10 neutral deduction taken off the team’s final score). They will be looking to build on that and set a new season high (and program record) here. Mara Titarsolej was finally cleared by the NCAA last week and has impressed so far, recording two scores of 9.900-plus on bars. LIU has three more meets left, and if she can keep doing what she’s been doing, she could easily qualify to regionals as an individual.
Temple has been steadily improving after a slow start to the season. Consistency on bars is still an issue, but its beam and floor lineups can be nationally competitive. Ariana Castrence finally returned to the all around, giving a boost to Temple’s already impressive floor lineup. With a ranking of No. 39, qualifying to regionals as a team is still a possibility, but the Owls will need to continue to build.
While we often don’t pay too much attention to the win-loss record in gymnastics, note that neither one of these teams have had a win yet this season. That will change today, as long as they don’t tie.
Rotation 1
Temple: Vault, LIU: Bars
I missed Schugman’s vault but she got a 9.75
Miller (LIU): little short on hs, bail hs is good, little close on toe shoot, hop on DLO – 9.5
Edwards (TU): good y full with a hop back – 9.725
Castellanos (LIU): great bail hs but overcooks it and has to jump off, good tkatchev – not a whole lot of height, DLO with a small step – 8.7
Leary (TU): good y full with a large bounce back – 9.5
Koopman (LIU): good maloney, little close on shootover, short on last cast, chest low on FTDT – 9.2
Roland (TU): big y full with a large bounce back – 9.825
Lapp (LIU): beautiful maloney to pak, gorgeous handstands, hop on DLO. beautiful! – 9.8
Castrence (TU): big y full with a small slide back – 9.85
Cohen (LIU): catches feet on tkatchev, good pak, has a bit of trouble on pirouette, stuck dismount – 9.025
Brooks (TU): y full with a hop forward – 9.7
LIU scratching Hilliard
After 1: Temple: 48.900, LIU: 46.225
Good vault rotation from Temple! LIU scratched its sixth routine, so I’m not sure what’s going on there. Sounded like Mara Titarsolej being out was a last minute change, which doesn’t sound great.
Rotation 2
Temple: Bars, LIU: Vault
Van Allen (LIU): tucked y full with a small slide back – 9.7
Oster (TU): good tkatchev, good bail hs, hop on FTDT – 9.65
Koopman (LIU): good tucked full with a small hop back – 9.75
Whalen (TU): good bail hs, good toes shoot, great tkatchev, stuck FTDT – 9.85
Loo (LIU): good y full with a hop back – 9.775
Edwards (TU): good tkatchev, good bail hs, hop on DLO – 9.675
Miller (LIU): good y full with a small hop forward – 9.725
Castrence (TU): good tkatchev, good bail hs, small hop on DLO – 9.8
Goldberg (LIU): tsuk layout with a low landing and a bounce forward – 9.25
Smith (TU): beautiful handstands, falls on ray, good bail hs, step on FTDT – 8.85
Roland (TU): good pak, trouble on toe shoot – lands in a dead hang, hop on DLO – 9.25
Shugman (TU): exhibition – messy gienger but catches, good pak, comes off on her blind full, small step on double back dismount
After 2: Temple: 48.225, LIU: 48.200
Well, Temple started out well on bars but unfortunately has to count the 9.25 from Roland. Good vault rotation for LIU and a new program record! Titarsolej looked to be on the sidelines with crutches, which doesn’t bode well.
Rotation 3
Temple: Beam, LIU: Floor
Oster (TU): good bhs loso series, good full turn, nearly falls on jump series but saves it, good front toss, stuck gainer full – 9.7
Loo (LIU): good front through to double tuck – may have gone OOB, hands down on double pike – 9.05
Donabedian (TU): good full turn, beautiful front aerial to bhs, good side somi, beautiful leap series, stuck 1.5 dismount – 9.85
Barrington (LIU): good 2.5 to start, good leap series, good 1.5 to front layout – 9.475
Schugman (TU): beautiful front aerial to front aerial, good full turn, good side somi, good leaps series, stuck 1.5 dismount – 9.825
Jones (LIU): good front double full, good leap series, good front lay to front full – 9.675
Roland (TU): good full turn, beautiful bhs loso, slight wobble on side aerial, good leap series to loso, small hop on 1.5 dismount – 9.75
Miller (LIU): good double pike to open, good front full to front layout, little short on double tuck and takes a step forward – 9.725
Castrence (TU): good full turn, solid bhs loso, good leap series, small hop on double full dismount – 9.8
Lapp (LIU): good double pike to open, beautiful leap series, good front lay to front full – I think she stayed in bounds but her toe was on the line – 9.725
Whalen (TU): good full turn, great bhs loso, little short of 180 on split jump, good leap series, step on dismount – 9.775
Koopman (LIU): too much power on triple full and bounces back, good 2.5 to front tuck – 9.7
Leary (TU): exh – good full turn, slight wobble on front toss to back tuck, good switch side, good leap series, step on dismount
Garin (TU): exh – good full turn, solid triple series, good leap series, stuck dismount
After 3: Temple: 146.125, LIU: 142.725
Great beam rotation from Temple! Even both of the exhibitions were good, which shows a lot of depth on the event. LIU had another program record on floor, which is great to see.
Rotation 4
Temple: Floor, LIU: Beam
VanAllen (LIU): good bhs loso, good leap series, good front toss to beat jump, deep squat on landing but sticks it – 9.75
Edwards (TU): great front double full to open, good leap series, good 1.5 to front layout – 9.875
Koopman (LIU): good triple series, full turn, good side aerial, stuck gainer full – 9.65
Schugman (TU): good 1.5 to front full, good leap series, stuck double pike to close – 9.825
Barrington (LIU): good full turn, wobble on bhs loso, good leap series, good side aerial to sissone, stuck 1.5 dismount – 9.7
Donabedian (TU): beautiful rudi to loso to open, beautiful ring leap, good front double full to close – takes a bit of a step back – 9.825
Doten (LIU): beautiful bhs loso, good side aerial, good full turn, beautiful leap series, stuck dismount – 9.825
Roland (TU): huge double pike to open, beautiful leap series, good front lay to front full, stuck double back – 9.875
Castellanos (LIU): falls on triple series, good full turn, good leap series, small hop on dismount – 9.125
Castrence (TU): 9.9 will tie the program record again, big DLO to open, great leaps, good whip half to rudi. That’s going to be close… 9.875 – not quite
Lapp (LIU): grabs beam on bhs loso, wobbles on front aerial, good full turn, step back on dismount – 9.35
Leary (TU): may have gone OOB on rudi – couldn’t tell but it was close, great double back to close – 9.8
Temple just 0.025 shy of the program record and Castrence 0.025 shy of AA record
Oster (TU): exh – OOB on front through to double back, great leap series, falls on double pike
Final: Temple: 195.400, LIU: 190.975
Season high and first win of the season for Temple. LIU started strong on beam but unfortunately had to count Lapp’s 9.35. Doten’s routine was definitely the highlight. Castrence finishes with a 39.325 in the all around, which would have been a program record two days ago, but was just 0.025 of her score from Friday.
Event Winners
Vault: Castrence 9.850
Bars: Whalen 9.850
Beam: Donabedian 9.850
Floor: Edwards, Roland, Castrence 9.875
All around: Castrence 39.325
Live Blog by Mary Emma Burton
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