With this first session, today begins the inaugural Gymnastics East Conference championship, a new change from the ECAC championships that have been held, and for once, bringing together the two divisions of the ECAC. Don’t forget William & Mary and Bridgeport almost weren’t here this year due to programs being eliminated, so this first full season with a fully stacked conference and no programs lost is something notable already.
Of these four teams, Cornell ranks highest, but the Big Red sit just seventh tenths ahead of Southern Connecticut. The Owls haven’t notched a season high since mid-February and Cornell is riding a season high from just last week, a high that crushed its earlier score by over a point and a half. Should Cornell hit, it’s at a huge advantage. To put that much-needed pressure on Cornell, Southern Connecticut needs to wrangle its bar demons and put them to bed, once and for all. Just within arm’s length is William & Mary, less than a point from the Owls, ready to strike and itself atop a podium. As for Bridgeport, the Purple Knights probably won’t find themselves with any team hardware this weekend, but rather, want to go out on a high note. With nothing to lose, Bridgeport gains a wealth of experience today without any of the pressure. But sometimes, those are the moments when people really shine.
Swam my way to Providence today! Gymnasts are being announced now.
Vault is perfectly behind me over my left shoulder so I’ll be doing my best owl impression to bring you vault.
Warm-ups are underway with just over 2 minutes to go.
You can find live scores here.
Rotation 1: William & Mary VT, Bridgeport UB, Cornell BB, SCSU FX
Boyd (SCSU): Rudi to stag, solid. Little shy on the leap shapes. 1.5 to lay half, clean. Solid overall.
Gwinn (Bridgeport): Looks like just a layout flyaway to end.
Michelini (Cornell): solid LOSO series. Switwhc leap to split half, good. Leap series, good. Side aerial to lay full, looked good from here.
Richardson (Bridgeport): Piked jaeger had height, just too far. Bail to low, goes for that last hs. Lay full, so floaty.
Burkhart (SCSU): Opens with a strong double tuck, steps out. Whip to double full, just some ankles. Good leaps. 1.5 to front half, major bounce on the rebound.
Stone (Cornell): Cat leap to side aerial, good. RO 1.5 lay, hops forward.
Kuper (W&M): Layout yurchenko, super clean from this angle, just a step back.
DeMeo (Cornell): Front aerial to bhs, good. Comes off on jumps. Front toss split jump, good shape little soft on the form. Front full with a hop.
Wiley (W&M): Tucked fty, steps to the side.
Judges took a while to chat on floor. And bars.
Session (Bridgeport): Toe to high, good, pak. Hits that last hs, ends with a double lay.
Beers (Cornell): Cat leap to front toss to beat, great connection. BHS LOSO, just small check on the loso. Switch leap to split half, soft feat on the jump but she’s calm and collected. RO 1.5 lay, steps forward.
Floor judges chatting again.
Doran (Bridgeport): Piked jaeger good, bail to hs just floats into hs. Hits every hs so far. Sticks her double tuck. That’ll be big, for sure.
Rios (SCSU): 1.5 to front lay, super floaty. Great amplitude on leaps. Super high double tuck, just lands with her chest down a little bit to take that step forward. Good routine, otherwise.
Girolamo (SCSU): Good double pike. Great leap series with a bounce in it. Front full front lay, good. Rudi to stag, great. SCSU has some BOUNCE today.
Zebdi (SCSU): Giant double tuck to start just drops out of the sky. Solid leap series, a little soft with form, great shape in the ring, though. FHS front lay front half to stag looked good. Strong routine.
After 1: Cornell 48.575, SCSU 48.425, W&M 47.600, Bridgeport 43.050
Cornell started strong on beam, just one fall in the second routine but the rest of the lineup went 9.625 or higher so that lineup DELIVERED. SCSU had a big floor rotation but scoring is super tight here, as evidenced by Kat Doran’s 9.825 on bars when that was a dream. W&M showed up strong on vault to stay within a reach of SCSU and SCSU is within a single step of Cornell. That’ll be a new season high for Cornell on beam today and SCSU on floor, too.
Rotation 2: SCSU VT, William & Mary UB, Bridgeport BB, Cornell FX
Walsh (Cornell): Front tuck step out through to double tuck, good. Enjoying this pop music. Double pike, takes a step back and keeps it in it seems. Switch ring series, good height.
Richardson (UB): Good jump series, just a little soft in the feet. Gainer full dismount. Looked good from what I saw.
Bracher (SCSU): Big lay yurchenko, hops back.
Michelini (Cornell): High double tuck, good. She’s the quickest front twister. Gorgeous form on the leap series. 1.5 to front lay, a few stutter steps back.
Wiley (W&M): A little shy on the last hs. Giant full to double tuck, sticks it.
Session (UB): LOSO, wobbles. BHS LOSO, balance check. Jump series, good.
Huang (W&M): Piked gienger, free hip bail to hs a little wiggly there. Ends with a double lay, has a hop.
Zebdi (SCSU): Tucked fty, looked like a good landing from here.
Kuper (W&M): Catches the piked gienger on her finger tips, sticks her double lay.
Brady (Cornell): Front tuck through to double tuck, seems she kept it in. Great leap. Her popa is out of the world and should be the new standard. Little short on the double pike but keeps it on her feet. Good routine overall.
Gulotta (W&M): Big release, solid bail to hs a little wiggly. Ah, comes off on her giant full.
Doran (UB): Front aerial to BHS, clean. Clean leap series. Great routine.
Beers (Cornell): Front tuck through to double pike, chest down slightly. Bouncy leap series. Double tuck, some foot shuffling.
Javinett (UB): BHS LOSO, balance check. Beat split full, good. RO 1.5 looked good.
After 2: Cornell 97.075, SCSU 97.00, W&M 96.025, Bridgeport 90.875
Cornell only recorded scores 9.500 on floor and from what I saw, William & Mary only missed one routine on bars today (edit: two!) but even with that it should be new season high for the Tribe there. Bridgeport only counted scores over 9.600 for a great beam rotation. SCSU dominated vault, scoring a new season and record high, I believe.
Rotation 3: Cornell VT, SCSU UB, William & Mary BB, Bridgeport FX
Jorden (UB): Switch side to wolf full, good. Front tuck through to lay, clean.
Campbell (W&M): BHS LOSO, solid. Front toss tiny pause to beat. Dismount looked clean.
Brady (Cornell): Layout yurchenko half, small hop forward.
Imbarlina (UB): FHS rudi, goes out of bounds. RO 1.5 to front pike, floaty. Clean on the leap series.
Watson (Cornell): FTY, slightly pikes it down but clean overall.
Schafer (W&M): BHS tuck, good. Switch leap to split 3/4, great extension. Split half, nice. Dismount looked good.
Richardson (UB): Sky high double tuck, good. Keeps her 1.5 to front tuck on her foot after landing a little low.
Arnold (SCSU): Bail to low, good. Solid giant full to double tuck, looked stuck. SCSU on fire on bars.
Wiley (W&M): Solid routine. Great front toss, just a few steps on the gainer full off the side.
Gwinn (UB): Her front twisting is so floaty. Leaps had great height. Front full, front lay, front tuck, really nice. Ends with an awkward front tuck, ah, not sure what happened.
Carpenter (W&M): BHS LOSO takes a few steps back but keeps it on. Leap series a little wobbly but made the connection. Beat to straddle 3/4, puts her chest down.
Leon (SCSU): Solid routine, SCSU needed this.
Session (UB): big double tuck to open. Switch side to popa, great. RO 1.5 to front lay, good. Ends with a stunning double pike, good form.
Looks like I’m one off on the W&M this rotation. That should be fixed.
After 3: Cornell 145.975, SCSU 145.625, William & Mary 143.800, Bridgeport 137.175
This should be a new season high for Cornell on vault, and they just flirted with the record by just over a tenth. Bridgeport had an unusual floor rotation but they’re putting it together pretty well today. That bar rotation was definitely a season high for the Owls. William & Mary may not have set a record on beam but they fought for every last skill.
Rotation 4: Bridgeport VT, Cornell UB, SCSU BB, William & Mary FX
Javinett (UB): Opens with a fhs so Bridgeport can have a team score here today. Super clean, btw.
Zebdi (SCSU): Cat leap to side aerial, good. Clean leap series. Back tuck back tuck series, good. Ends with her fun dismount, looked good from here.
Carpenter (W&M): Opening pass looked good out of the corner of my eye. Double pike had good height, chest up on the landing.
Michelini (Cornell): Pak, good. A little shy on the hs, fights to get over before the dismount, takes a few steps on the double tuck.
Doran (UB): Layout yurchenko, clean!
Kuper (W&M): Double pike, a little low and takes a step. A little soft in the feet on the jumps. 1.5 to front lay, good.
Session (UB): Tucked fty, landing looked good from here.
Fitzpatrick (Cornell): Straddle tkatchev, good, bail to hs a little wiggly but controlled that quickly. Giant full to double tuck, takes a few steps forward.
Chandler (W&M): Front double full, just a hop but clean otherwise. Switch ring to wolf hop full to split full, good. Great position in the ring. Front full to front tuck, looks like she landed on the line. Rudi with a rebound, pretty clean routine overall.
Beers (Cornell): Biiiig straddle tkatchev, doesn’t make the pirouette and tries again, bail to hs good. Little shy on the last hs. Double lay with a few steps forward.
Campbell (W&M): Her tumbling looks so easy and floaty. That was a beautiful routine.
Stone (Cornell): Piked ginger to bail, good. Giant full to double tuck, small step forward.
Schafer (W&M): Super high double pike, chest slightly down. Front lay to rudi, stuck. Switch side to popa, good. Everything she does is bouncy. RO 1.5 to front lay, so clean. Loved the choreo with her team.
Lee (SCSU): Small wobble on the full turn. Front toss to sissone to switch half, good. Front aerial swing it around to connect to her bhs. Front gainer full, good.
Kuebler (W&M): Ends with a front lay to front full, routine looked clean overall.
Leon (SCSU): Great leap series, beautiful extension. Split half, good. BHS LOSO is so solid. Front aerial to split jump is textbook in both the 180 and toe point. Front gainer full, looked stuck from here.
Final: SCSU 194.200, Cornell 194.175, William & Mary 192.675, Bridgeport 183.925
Southern swept past Cornell by the slimmest of margins in the last rotation, by just 0.025. Razor-thin. The Owls had themselves a MEET, with new season and program records, ultimately smashing the previous team record by nearly a point and a half! Cornell had a great meet, having to count a score in the low 9s that last rotation definitely threw a wrench into things today. Not to be left out, the Tribe toppled a few season highs as well. Bridgeport left it all on the floor with a roster of just seven healthy gymnasts, and Kiana Session is currently sitting at the top of the all around after this session.
VT: Beers 9.850
UB: Baker, Leon 9.875
BB: Walton, Leon 9.825
FX: Session, Zebdi, Campbell 9.850
AA: Session 38.700
Live Blog by Allison Freeman
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