The dynamics of the Ivy League seem to change radically every year, which means the Ivy Classic is reliably an exciting meet. This year, Yale has been in cruise control with the help of workhorse upperclassmen like Jade Buford and Alyssa Firth. But Penn’s results are beginning to catch up to its amazing recruiting over the last few years, and the Quakers are capable of an upset win if they can stay consistent.
Brown always seems to look like a better team than its scores would indicate, but consistency is a challenge for this young group. The Bears can do big things on beam, but lack of difficulty on vault has been a sore spot this year. And for poor Cornell, everything has gone wrong after years of strong results. The Big Red is in an inexplicable technical hole on bars, but no event spare floor has really behaved itself this year. I don’t quite understand how things have gone so wrong, and I want to.
A word of note: I have no idea what quality of stream we’re going to get here. We might not have commentary or names or scores or important routines. I can identify the majority of these gymnasts, but as for the rest, I’ll just do my best.
Aw, not only do we have TWO commentators, one of them is Kevin Copp! You love to see it. No scores but we’ll tough it out.
Rotation 1: Yale vault, Cornell bars, Penn beam, Brown floor
Jennings (Yale): Tucked FTY, far back on the table and underrotated, falls forward onto her hands.
Hansen (Brown): Whip half front lay, wolf full, whip half front full… big fan of the whip halves over here. 9.475 I think
Kent (CU): Blind to pike Jaeger, knee bend on the release, soft handstand on the HB into overshoot. Another iffy handstand, half to half to double back, release timing is way off and lands on hands and knees. 8.45
Buford (Yale): FHS front pike, tucks early but good landing with a hop.
WHAT, she’s the three-time defending all around champ? That’s absurd.
Kraez (Penn): Well, if anyone’s sneaking in to steal the AA title, it’s this kid. Full turn, something to split 3/4, BHS LOSO with a little lean, punch front full dismount with a hop forward. 9.75
Carr (Cornell): Double lay, closes her hips in the second salto with a step back. 9.225
Cooperman (Yale): Hands weirdly close together on the table on her FTY, HUGE bounce back.
Matsuda (Penn): BHS LOSO great, switch half to sissone, side aerial back full with a step. 9.8
Domonoske (Brown): Rudi, underrotated and crunchy on the ankles but lunges out fine. Switch side split full split full… I think… round off LOSO to hit the old directional tumbling requirement. Front lay front full and a possible OOB, wolf full.
Marr (Penn): Cat leap side aerial. The freshman only joined this lineup a few weeks ago and has been shockingly consistent. Switch straddle quarter, BHS gainer full stuck-ish.
Howell (Brown): Missed a tumbling pass, tour jete half wolf 3/2, one and a half front lay underrotated with a step back, wolf full Popa.
Yang (Penn): Beat to ring jump, front aerial to beat. Full turn, side aerial back full stuck.
There’s a judging conference, they’ve hit her SV.
Gardner (Brown): Double pike, little overrotated and scoots back. Switch to wolf 3/2, Brown is bulking up on twisting leaps to keep its floor SV up and it’s a risky play. Double back, split full Popa, one and a half front lay with leg separation.
Lazaro (Brown): Double pike, a little underrotated, switch half wolf full Popa. Front tuck, front full front full with a hop back.
After 1: Penn 49.125, Yale 48.400, Brown 48.100, Cornell 46.900
Pretty much what you expected from Cornell on bars. Yale getting through on vault but not special. The big story there was Penn beam, which was HOT.
Rotation 2: Brown vault, Yale bars, Cornell beam, Penn floor
Aubley (Cornell): Off on her series, back walkover, switch ring and falls again. 8.625
We saw two really nice Y lays from I think Lee and Lazaro from Brown.
Lund (Cornell): BHS LOSO, steady, beat split 3/4 with a massive bend check but stayed on. Cat leap kick front with a little check, one and a half dismount with a hop. 9.675
Hoffman (Penn): Front full front lay, cat leap tour jete full. Wolf full split full, double pike, scoots back into the corner and keeps her heel up, I don’t think that was an OOB. 9.7
DeMeo (Cornell): Cat leap kickover front I think, punch Rudi dismount and hops around a bit. 9.65
Mannino (Penn): Front double full punch front, easy and lovely. Tour jete full wolf full. We cut away to chat to Mei Li Costa, who just got a 9.85 on vault! Lovely after a few weeks where she couldn’t meet her potential due to flu. 9.875 for Mannino.
Buford (Yale): Just saw her FTDB dismount, great with a hop.
Lashley (Penn): Switch half wolf full, one and a half front lay lovely, front lay to Rudi great. Penn is on FIRE today. 9.85
Murphy (Cornell): Hitch kick side aerial to beat, working through a little bit of angle, punch front full stuck. Cornell looks like it’s got its energy back today!
Kraez (Penn): Double pike lovely. Switch half wolf full, front lay front full. Penn is SHARP on these landings, keeping the lunges short and their toes planted like a top team would and it’s showing in the scores even though the guts of their tumbling isn’t perfect. Double back, powerful with a little scoot. 9.9!! She got hug tackled by the team and she’s in the middle just crying.
Karpousis (Penn): Front through double back, crashes it, looks painful but she keeps moving. Good leaps, double pike low with a step back. Limping off, that’s a bummer.
After 2: Penn 98.050, Brown 96.550, Yale 95.700, Cornell 95.425
This is a nightmare meet for Yale, with three misses on bars and other teams in a groove. It’s not in the Bulldogs’ hands any more. Brown is getting through clean with the help of that wonderful Mei Li Costa vault, while Penn is still otherworldly good. Vault is the big test now, not usually a great event for the Quakers.
Rotation 3: Penn vault, Brown bars, Yale beam, Cornell floor
For Penn, clean Yurchenko lay with a little hop for Graber, FHS front with a similar hop for Joost.
Lashley (Penn): FTY, hop back. 9.75
Chia (Yale): Switch straddle 3/4, we haven’t seen much Yale yet today as beam and floor are prioritized on this feed. Cat leap side aerial back full great. 9.9
Hoffman (Penn): FTY, a touch of pike down but nearly stuck! 9.8
Kraez (Penn): We’re just watching vault. FTY, tiny hop forward. AMAZING. 9.825
Haklik (Cornell): Front through double back, nailed the leaps, really emphatic landings. Wolf 3/2 wolf 1/1, oh that’s a RISKY series. Something front full, great. One of her best and an iconic fistpump in her closing pose. 9.925!!!
Mannino (Penn): FTY, big hop back.
Costa (Brown): Blind full double back with a hop.
Buford (Yale): Front to back series is shaky, cat leap side somi clean. Switch straddle half, full turn, punch front full with a hop.
Petrillo (Blind full Tkachev, toe on to bail. Positions not perfect but getting through and making handstands. Double lay stuck!
Henry (Cornell): Hit first pass that I forgot to write down because I’m digging through the Penn record book. Front lay front full good, good leaps, double back emphatic. Cornell floor is back, guys.
Maughan (Cornell): Double pike, switch side double stag. One and a half front lay with a hop, wolf full straddle full tuck 3/2. Double back. Good finish! Cornell on floor can be SO good and it’s great to see that energy today.
Penn 146.825, Yale 144.850, Cornell 144.525, Brown ?
Amazing, amazing 49.150 vault rotation brings Yale back into the action. Penn only needs a low 48 to break its program record which is a HUGE DEAL. Cornell floor was also a blast! Great to see signs of life from the Big Red.
Rotation 4: Cornell vault, Penn bars, Brown beam, Yale floor
Mannino (Penn): Clear hip to Ray to overshoot, missed a handstand, toe on double back stuck. WOW. Always think she should be better on bars than she is but that’s her freakin routine.
Lee (Brown): Fall, One and a half turn is lovely. One and a half dismount.
Prescott (Cornell): FHS front pike, huge and BEAUTIFUL, step back.
We’re getting more fragmented routines than the last few rotations and I’m more stressed!
Kraez (Penn): Bail, blind full a little slow to double back with a big step. This should be a career high AA for her and Penn looks like it’s on pace.
Petrillo (Brown): Full turn, BHS LOSO, tentative but got it. Switch, breaks the connection, split straddle quarter deep but on. One and a half dismount stuck.
DRILLED double layout dismount from McCaleigh Marr at Penn.
Firmstone (Yale): Stepped out on first pass, Rudi to split jump.
Hoffman (Yale): Coming in at the end of a routine, somehow does three KCH in a row? Oh, she couldn’t get over the bar for a blind change. Half to half to double back.
Buford (Yale): Double pike, front full front lay, Rudi to split.
Chong (Yale): Finishing with a Rudi, rebounded and put her hands down in addition to OOB.
Costa (Brown): Split split 3/4, cat leap, stuck the gainer full. Lovely as always.
Final: Penn 194.850, Yale 193.800, Brown 193.050, Cornell 192.975
Those 9.6y bars scores at the end were killer for Penn. The Quakers will know EXACTLY what they want to work on in the gym this week, because the program record was right there. But so much to be proud of today, a magnificent meet and a first Ivy Classic crown in five years. Absolutely imperious through three events, I’ve never seen a meet like that from an Ivy League team. Pity about bars.
Season highs for Brown and Cornell, too! Each had one pretty ouchy rotation but were lovely on their other events. Yale the only one to come away from today with a few regrets, counting two falls on bars, but beam and floor were magnificent today.
VT – Mei Li Costa (Brown) 9.850
UB – Mei Li Costa (Brown) 9.850
BB – Lindsay Chia (Yale) 9.900
FX – Jade Buford (Yale), Claire Haklik (Cornell) 9.925
AA – Sydney Kraez (Penn) 39.050 (career high and first 39!)
Live blog by Rebecca Scally
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