ECAC 2018 Preview

ECAC had quite the success story in 2017. The six teams that make up the division I network saw historic seasons and broke numerous program records. The conference retains a good amount of its superstars from the prior season, many of which are underclassmen. Schools have sent individual gymnasts to regionals for the first time in years—some sending multiple athletes—bringing recognition to their talents, coaches and schools. All teams will debut a slew of stellar freshmen who have made waves in the J.O. scene and are sure to continue the upwards trend ECAC is making. We break down what 2018 holds for the conference and what to expect from each team.

Brown

The past few years have seen Brown dominate the ECAC championship, placing third in 2017. One of Brown’s greatest gymnasts, Caroline Morant, graduated, leaving a slew of veterans eager to take her place, as well as newcomers looking to prove themselves.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 60th
  • ECAC Ranking: 3rd

Returners to Watch out for

  • Anne Christman, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT 9.675 | BB 9.75 | FX 9.775
    • Competed on vault and floor in every meet last season and beam eight times
    • Brown gymnastics Rookie of the Year in 2017
  • Maggie McAvoy, senior
    • Career Highs: UB 9.75 | FX 9.75
    • Competed on bars in every meet last season and floor nine times
  • Anya Olson, senior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.6 | UB 9.85 | BB 9.775 | FX 9.8 | AA 38.55
    • Competed on bars in every meet last season, floor 13 times, vault 12 times and beam three times
    • Placed second on uneven bars during USAG event finals

Newcomers

  • Rose Domonoske, Black Diamond Gymnastics
    • 2017 regionals qualifier
    • Placed third on balance beam and fourth on vault at her 2017 state meet
    • Placed second on balance beam during 2015 regionals
  • Alyssa Gardner, Hamburg Gymnastics
    • 2016 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • 2017 regionals qualifier
    • Placed second on vault and the all around at 2016 regionals
  • Emma Hansen, Queen City Gymnastics
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed eighth in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Kate Nelson, Gymtowne Gymnastics
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Qualified for state and regional championships nine times in her club career
    • Placed seventh on uneven bars at 2015 J.O. nationals
  • Caroline Warren, Terry & Don’s Gymnastics Academy
    • 2016 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed second on all around, balance beam and third on bars at her 2017 state meet
    • Placed second on beam at 2016 regionals

Cornell

Cornell continued to break records in 2017 and, with its incoming freshmen, look for the Big Red to carve out a place this season as well. Most prominent of the returners are juniors Lyanda Dudley and Kaitlin Green.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 55th
  • ECAC Ranking: 2nd

Returners to Watch out for

  • Lyanda Dudley, junior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.8 | UB 9.825 | BB 9.875 | FX 9.9
    • Competed in the all around in every meet last season
    • Placed first in the all around at the 2017 ECAC championships and qualified for regionals, placing 14th
  • Kaitlin Green, junior
    • Career Highs: UB 9.9 | BB 9.9
    • Competed on uneven bars in every meet last season and balance beam 12 times
    • Won national titles on bars and beam and qualified for 2017 regionals on bars

Newcomers

  • Jessie Aman, Atlanta North Stars
    • Six-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed fourth on floor, ninth on beam and 11th in the all around at 2016 regionals
  • Emily Carr, Club Champion Gymnastics
    • Two-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed 12th on vault at 2016 regionals
  • Claire Haklik, Georgia Gymnastics Academy
    • 2016 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed seventh in the all around at 2016 regionals
    • Placed third on vault and beam at her 2016 state meet
  • Isabel Herczeg, Elite Gymnastics Academy
    • Placed fifth on vault, second on beam and fourth on floor at 2017 regionals
    • Placed third on vault, beam and floor at her 2017 state meet
  • Amy Shen, Massachusetts Gymnastics Academy
    • Four-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • 2017 state champion on beam
    • Placed third in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Madison Smith, Houston Gymnastics Center
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed 10th in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Olivia Tometich, Oakland Gymnastics
    • 2015 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Qualified five times to regionals and eight times to state

Penn

Continuing ECAC’s trend of record breaking performances is the Pennsylvania Quakers. Junior Caroline Moore, senior Kyra Levi and sophomore Emma Cullen contributed to some of the highest scores in program history. All three plus junior Nicole Swirbalus qualified to USAG individual championship event finals, with Swirbalus finishing fourth on floor. Moore was crowned vault champion at ECAC championship while Cullen’s 9.925 on bars became the second best score in school history.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 62nd
  • ECAC Ranking: 6th

Returners to Watch out for

  • Emma Cullen, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT 9.625 | UB 9.925 | BB 9.7
    • Competed on bars and vault in every meet last season and competed beam five times
    • Qualified for USAG individual championships on vault and bars in 2017
  • Kyra Levi, senior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.5 | UB 9.9 | BB 9.675 | FX 9.85 | AA 37.75
    • Competed on bars in every meet last season and competed floor nine times, beam six times and vault three times
    • Qualified for USAG individual championships on bars and floor in 2017
  • Caroline Moore, junior
    • Career Highs VT: 9.85 | BB 9.875 | FX 9.875
    • Competed on vault, beam and floor in nine meets last season
    • 2017 vault champion at both the Ivy Classic and ECAC championship
  • Nicole Swirbalus, junior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.625 | BB 9.85 | FX 9.85
    • Competed on beam and floor in every meet last season and vault in eight meets
    • Qualified for USAG individual championships on vault, beam and floor in 2017, finishing fourth on floor

Newcomers

  • Isabella Even-Chen, North Stars Gymnastics
    • Two-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed seventh on vault at 2016 regionals and fourth on vault at her 2015 state meet
  • Allison Frommer, Hills Gymnastics
    • 2016 regionals qualifier
    • State champion on bars in 2017
  • Rose Hoffman, Universal Gymnastics
    • Two-time regionals qualifier
    • State champion on all-around, bars and floor in 2015
  • Jordyn Mannino, New Image Gymnastics
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed first on vault, second on floor and third in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Darcy Matsuda, San Mateo Gymnastics
    • 2016 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Two-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed 12th in the all around at 2016 J.O. nationals
  • Darby Nelson, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Four time regionals qualifier
    • Placed ninth on bars at 2017 J.O. nationals

Temple

Temple’s 2017 success was unprecedented and a long time coming. The Owls enter 2018 on the heels of their best season in program history, continuously breaking their own records each week, ending the regular season with their top 10 team scores all recorded in 2017. At the heart of it all was Daisy Todd. Postseason saw Todd as the first Temple gymnast in eight years to qualify to regionals with her stellar bars routine.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 54
  • ECAC Ranking: 5

Returners to Watch out for

  • Kerry Arone, senior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.425 | UB 9.85 | BB 9.65 | FX 9.7 | AA 37.45
    • Competed bars in 10 meets last season and balance beam once
    • Placed third on bars at 2017 ECAC championships
  • Aya Mahgoub, junior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.85
    • Competed in every meet last season on vault
    • Ranked first in ECAC conference on vault by RQS
  • Alexa Phillip, senior
    • Career Highs: UB 9.875 | FX 9.8
    • Competed on bars and floor in 10 meets last season and beam three times
    • ECAC co-champion on bars in 2017, Temple’s first bars champion in the conference
  • Daisy Todd, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT 9.85 | UB 9.825 | BB 9.775 | FX 9.775 | AA 39.025
    • Competed all around in every meet last season
    • Qualified for 2017 regionals as a bars specialist
  • Breahna Wiczkowski, junior
    • Career Highs: UB: 9.725 | BB: 9.925
    • Competed on bars and beam in every meet last season
    • Recorded first ever 9.925 in Temple program history

Newcomers

  • Aryanna Anderson, TNT Elite
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Two-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed third in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Tori Edwards, GMS Gymnastics
    • 2017 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Four-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed third on floor at 2016 regionals
  • Erica Fuchs, Parkettes
    • 2013 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed first on floor at her 2017 state meet
    • Placed sixth on vault, ninth on beam and 10th on floor at 2016 regionals
  • Delaney Garin, Capital Gymnastics
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed second on bars, fifth on beam, ninth on floor and sixth in the all-around at 2017 regionals
    • Placed 15th nationally on bars at 2017 nationals
  • Kaci Martir, Cincinnati Gymnastics
    • 2017 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed 11th on floor at 2017 nationals
    • Placed second on floor and third in the all around at 2017 regionals
  • Jordyn Oster, Hartfod Gymnastics Club
    • Three-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed fifth on bars at 2016 regionals
  • Madison Rennix, Silvia’s Gymnastics
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed fifth on floor at 2017 regionals
  • Monica Servidio, Action Gymnastics
    • 2017 J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed 11th on vault at 2017 nationals
    • Placed second on vault at 2017 regionals

William & Mary

The Tribe aren’t strangers to conference titles. They’ve won an ECAC championship six times and are looking to add a seventh. The summer saw massive training updates from the team who will look to put its hard work into 2018. Junior Aaliyah Kerr is a highlight on the team—she contributes regularly on beam and floor, but it’s the latter she excels at, with a career high of 9.9 and earning scores 9.8 or above four times last season.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 63rd
  • ECAC Ranking: 4th

Returners to Watch out for

  • Caroline Caponi, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT: 9.75 | UB: 9.85 | BB: 9.7 | FX: 9.775
    • Competed on vault, beam and floor 11 times last season and bars four times
    • Bars score of 9.85 is the eighth best in program history
  • Aaliyah Kerr, junior
    • Career Highs: BB: 9.775 | FX: 9.9
    • Competed on beam and floor in nine meets last season
    • All-ECAC on floor last season; her 9.9 on floor ranks fifth in school history
  • Monica Ouellet, senior
    • Career Highs: VT: 9.475 | UB: 9.85 | BB: 9.775 | FX: 8.7
    • Competed on uneven bars in 11 meets last season, beam three times and vault once

Newcomers

  • Mary Graceyn Gordon, Kidsport Gymnastics Academy
    • Four-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed fifth on floor at 2016 regionals
  • Hailey Haycox, Gymstrada Gymnastics
    • Five-time regionals qualifier
    • Placed fourth on vault at 2017 state championships
  • Katie Waldman, Omega School of Gymnastics
    • Four-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Two-time regional champion on beam
    • State champion on bars in 2016

Yale

The reigning ECAC champions will look to remain on top this coming season, having previously dominated Ivy Classic titles. ECAC Rookie of the Year 2017 Jade Buford is looking to better her historic season. A powerhouse on floor and the all around, she’s reached a score as high as 39.025. Yale has recruited a strong class of four for the 2018 season. Jacey Baldovino and Charlotte Cooperman are nationals qualifiers who placed two-three nationally on beam in 2017; beam being a weaker event for the bulldogs, these high-ranked beam workers could see lineup action, boosting Yale’s apparatus and all around ranking.

2017 Stats

  • National Ranking: 59th
  • ECAC Ranking: 1st

Returners to Watch out for

  • Jade Buford, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT 9.725 | UB 9.775 | BB 9.775 | FX 9.9 | AA 39.025
    • Competed in the all around in 12 meets last season
    • Placed third in the all around at 2017 ECAC championships and earned ECAC Rookie of the Year honors
  • Emma Firmstone, sophomore
    • Career Highs: VT 9.675 | UB 9.4 | BB 9.85 | FX 9.825 | AA 38.55
    • Competed in the all around in 12 meets last season
    • Placed fifth on beam at 2017 ECAC championships
  • Megan Ryan, senior
    • Career Highs: VT 9.8 | UB 9.875 | BB 9.8 | FX 9.75 | AA 38.65
    • Competed on vault, beam and floor in 12 meets last season and floor twice
    • Tied for first place on bars at 2017 ECAC championships

Newcomers

  • Jacey Baldovino, San Mateo Gymnastics
    • Three-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed second on balance beam at 2017 nationals and 16th in the all around
    • Placed first on beam at 2017 regionals and third in the all around
  • Charlotte Cooperman, Elite Gymnastics
    • Three-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed third on beam at 2017 nationals and 13th on vault
    • Placed in the top 10 on all apparatuses including all around at 2017 regionals
  • Alyssa Firth, Mid Island Gymnastics
    • Placed second on vault, third on bars and eighth in the all around at 2017 regionals
    • Placed second on vault at 2017 state championships
  • Isabelle Lee, 10.0 Gymnastics Academy
    • Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
    • Placed twelfth on bars and floor at 2016 nationals
    • State champion in the all around in 2016

Article by Alicia Bettano

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