PHOTO ESSAY: USAG Nationals Event Finals

April 17, 2019 Emily Howell-Forbes Event Coverage, Featured Carousel, Features, NCAA WAG, Recap

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The final day of competition in Bridgeport featured competitors from all thirteen teams. Sunday also marked the final time UIC gymnasts would represent their university. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Vaulting in the first flight of athletes, UIC sophomore Kayla Baddeley posted the highest score on vault. However she had to wait for the second flight to compete as she moved to compete on beam to confirm her title. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Cornell senior Kaitlin Green’s beam routine was her final competition routine for the Big Red. She is the only Cornell gymnast to ever win multiple USAG event titles, winning both bars and beam in 2017 as well. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Navia Jordan followed Green to wrap up the first flight on the event. A few small checks in her routine meant she moved into second place behind Green for the time being. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Continuing the streak of hit routines was Katie Bailey from Lindenwood. Her routine was considered a real challenger for the title after she had posted a 9.975 on beam the previous night during team finals. Her 9.825 fell just short of the top three scores here. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

As Baddeley mounted the beam, the last score on vault was posted, cementing her position as the USAG vault champion. Baddeley’s 9.850 here placed her in a three-way tie for second with Jordan with two routines left to go. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

After finishing fifth in the all around on day one, SEMO’s Anna Kaziska also qualified to both beam and floor finals. The freshman put up a great routine on the former, scoring only the second 9.850-plus score of the night and jumping past the 9.850 tie into second place. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

The final beam routine of the day came from Lindenwood junior Ryan Henry. Her final score of 9.850 tied her for third place with Jordan and Baddeley. Green and Kaziska finished first and second, respectively. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Current MPSF bar champion Anna Salamone went early in the first flight of the uneven bars final. Her 9.850 was good enough to hold up through all 11 other routines and tie her for first place and the title. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Mei Li Costa Brown bars — Brown freshman Mei Li Costa went near the end of the first flight, posting a 9.850 to tie with Salamone. Both gymnasts then had to wait through the second flight to find out if their scores would hold up. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Bailey restructured her bars routine this year after an elbow injury and has been a staple in the Lindenwood bar lineup. She scored on a 9.800 on the event during event finals. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

UIC junior Serena Baker performed her last bar routine during event finals as she announced after the competition that she would be retiring rather than transferring for her senior year. Her 9.800 tied her with Bailey for second behind Salamone and Costa. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Junior Toni Alicke’s bar routine was the final competitive routine for the UIC Flames and the final routine of her career as she announced her retirement from the sport rather than transfer for her senior year. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

In a highly competitive floor final, beam runner-up Kaziska showed more of the consistency that has made her such a key gymnast for SEMO this year. Her 9.875 tied for the highest score of the first flight on floor. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

UIC freshman Alisa Sheremeta closed out her freshman campaign and her time at UIC in style with a 9.875 on floor. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Darian Burns’ floor routine was a victory lap after her all around title and was also the last routine and last USAG podium finish under retiring Seattle Pacific head coach Laurel Tindall. Burns scored a 9.875 for her effort. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Air Force junior Tyler Davis’ floor routine was a crowd favorite all weekend long. She posted a 9.950 during event finals to easily defend her title from a year ago. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Centenary’s Navia Jordan’s floor routine has been somewhat of a cult favorite throughout her career. She came into USAG nationals ranked only 19th on the event, so her tie for second with a 9.875 was a great last hurrah for the senior. (Photo/Emily Howell-Forbes, [email protected])

Essay by Emily Howell-Forbes

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One comment

Sandy Squillo says:

April 18, 2019 at 9:23 am

Congratulations to UIC’s Serena Baker and Toni Aliki on your retirement and outstanding success!
It has been a pleasure watching you these past 3 years.

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