Let’s take a moment to ignore the rankings above and take a closer look at the conference where William & Mary and Penn call home: the Gymnastics East. In just the second year, the GEC is proving to be a tough conference, not only among the top teams but those who are looking to break into the top. Last year, Penn claimed the inaugural GEC Championship title with an absolutely massive 196.950. That’s not a typo. Penn won with a 196.950. All of that just after notching a program record in the previous meet with a 196.225. Not only did that smash program records, but that near-197 became an Ivy League record, too. So it’s no surprise that after Week 2, Penn sits as the No. 1 team in the GEC already. Penn has two weeks under its belt so far this season, opening with a 193.5250 and scoring a 194.9000 last week. That near-197 all makes sense now.
William & Mary is in sixth, tallying a 188.5750 last week at the Lindsey Ferris Invitational hosted by George Washington. Hot on the heels of several career highs by Keaghan Schafer, with a 9.800 on floor, and Sofia Huang, with a 9.700 on vault, the Tribe may not be able to challenge the Quakers for a team win, but they can certainly put on the pressure for event titles.
If you want to watch along, head over here and you can pull this link up for live stats.
Looks like Anne Marie Kuebler will be making her bar debut for the Tribe today.
Rotation 1: Penn Vault, W&M Bars
Lassiter (Penn): only showed us the end of it, but y full, hop. 9.800
Wiley (W&M): Not really showing us. Okay, straddle jaeger, good. Bail. Hs looked short. Full to double tuck, steps forward, couldn’t tell if she touched a knee or hand on the mat. 9.150
VanHorn (Penn): FHS front pike, steps forward, that’s a lovely vault. 9.675
Jackson (W&M): Blind to straddle jaeger, good. Full to double tuck, falls on her back. 8.850
Agarwala (Penn) Only showed us the end, landing looked fine. 9.700
Blatchford (W&M): Straddle jaeger, some feet. Good last hs. Giant full to double tuck, also puts her hands down. 9.050
S. Kenefick (Penn): Y tuck full, chest a little down, great landing. 9.700
Kuper (W&M): Piked gienger, form. Good last hs. Double lay, form in the air, just a step on the landing. First no fall routine in this bar rotation. 9.600
Kerico (Penn): Y full, big hop back, but clean in the air. 9.725
Laird (W&M): Short on that first hs. Tkatchev, nice, good form on that. Giant full to double tuck, great form there too, I’d call that stuck. Absolutely great routine for W&M. 9.775
Belkoff (Penn): Y half, some soft legs, takes a step. Good, though. 9.800
Wozniak (W&M): Little hsy on that first hs. Giant full to piked gienger, some form on the legs ooh a weird slip on the bail to low but she’s back up. Double lay, just a hop. 8.750
After 1: Penn 48.725, W&M 46.425
Not the opening rotation the Tribe would’ve wanted, after counting only one hit routine, but Penn went big on vault, going six for six. William & Mary heads to vault to hopefully make up some ground, Penn will head to bars where they haven’t yet broken into the 49s yet this year.
Rotation 2: W&M Vault, Penn Bars
Chandler (W&M): Y lay, nice, step-hops it back. 9.550
S. Kenefick (Penn): Good on the tkatchev, leg separation on the pak. Giant full to lay double full. Love it. 9.6000
Definitely missed the second W&M between the jumping around and replays with this. This broadcast can best be described as a fever dream. They’re sending vaulters though while they wait for bar scoring.
Laird went 9.350, if my fever dream is correct, she had a Y lay with a bounce much like Chandler.
Kuper (W&M): Y lay, more controlled on that landing there. 9.425
Wiley (W&M): Y lay, fairly clean in the air could be more laid out, small hop. 9.525
Still waiting on a bar score.
Gazdak (Penn): Toe to hand, nice. Giant full to double tuck, but her knees give out. 9.025
Lassiter (Penn): Little hsy on that first hs. Blind to straddle jaeger, good. Archy hs after, saves it. Bail to hs, good. FTDB, small step, great height on that. 9.650
Burke (W&M): Y lay, not quite as much height at the other vaults, steps. 9.600
Kuhn (Penn): Tkatchev to pak, leg separation there. Shy on that last hs. FTDB, stuck! 9.800 — changed to a 9.850
Huang (W&M): Y full, chest down, takes a big step. 9.600
Oniki (Penn): Good height on the release, beautiful free hip to bail to hs. Double lay, hops. 9.750
Kerico (Penn): Ray, beautiful. Bail to hs, slight wiggle. FTDB with some excellent height, just a step. 9.750
After 2: Penn 97.225, W&M 94.125
Rotation 3: Penn Beam, W&M Floor
William and Mary had a smoother vault rotation than bar rotation. Penn had a few hiccups but no falls counted, so that’s a win.
Belkoff (Penn): Bhs bhs loso, foot comes up, stays on the beam. Switch leap sheep, position looked fine, but some flexed feet. RO 1.5, camera man didn’t show the feet, but landing looked good, maybe a small step. 9.675
Carpenter (W&M): Music problems, delay. Front through to double tuck, goes out of bounds. Switch ring series, okay. Double pike, good. 9.700
S. Kenefick (Penn): Love a chest mount. Bhs bhs loso, floats it. Beat straddle 3/4 but doesn’t really hit that full straddle shape. RO 1.5, hops. That felt so short? Did I miss something? 9.675 I didn’t Penn just has these beam routines down to get on get off don’t fall science.
Ngo (W&M): Nice opening pass, controlled lunge. Switch side to popa to wolf full is lovely. RO 1.5 to front lay, som leg separation in that front lay but nice. I love her leaps. 9.675
C. Marr (Penn): Hits bhs loso. Switch leap to straddle quarter has beautiful extension. Cat leap to side aerial, thought that aerial was going to go crooked but no problem. Bhs gainer lay full off side, stuck! 9.825
Burke (W&M): Double tuck to open, chest a smidge down. Legs a liiiittle low on the straddle and wolf jumps in her series, leap was on point. Ring was nice. FHS front lay front full, good. 9.725
Wu (Penn): Front aerial, tiny check. BHS loso looked good. Into this side walk choreo. Split jump to sheep, head release could’ve been a little better. RO 1.5, stuck! 9.750
Costello (W&M): Double pike to open, chest down, does a little bit of a hop forward into her lunge. Switch ring, good. Ro 1.5 to front lay, good. Fhs rudi, a big-ish lunge back but keeps it in, nice. 9.725
M. Marr (Penn): Bhs loso, breaks at the hips but recovers nicely, keeps it small. Acro series, tiny check there too, after the side aerial. Switch leap paise, straddle quarter, checks again. Bhs gainer lay full off side, stuck! 9.400
Chandler (W&M): Front double full to open, hops forward. Fun twisty handstand to floor choreo here. Good ring leap, form is soft on the wolf hop full. Front full to front tuck, JUST keeps that in bounds. Rudi to end, some crossed legs in the air there. 9.600
Kerico (Penn): Beautiful extension on the leap jump series. Bhs loso, drops her shoulder, recovers nicely. Front tuck looked good. RO 1.5, just a step. 9.700
Schafer (W&M): Double pike to open, floats it and doesn’t move her feet after landing. Front lay to rudi, very nice. Switch side to popa has good extension. RO 1.5 to front lay, ahh, foot goes out of bounds on that. Such a beautiful routine. 9.875
After 3: Penn 145.900, W&M 142.725
A few checks kept the Quakers from really knocking beam out of the park today, but no falls were counted again, so now they can move onto floor and close this meet out fairly effortlessly. The Tribe didn’t count a score under a 9.600 on floor, and closed with a new career high from Schafer with a 9.875. Penn needs a 49.000 to match its season best this season, best the Quakers have done so far is a 48.775. The Tribe can match their season high with a 45.850 on beam, they went 45.575 last week.
Rotation 4: W&M Beam, Penn Floor
Ngo (W&M): Bhs loso, slips right off. Ouch. Fought the beam with her back shin on that. Switch leap pause to jump, comes off. Side aerial, check. Split half on the side, could have a little more extension. Gainer full off side, stuck. 7.900
Agarwala (Penn): Double pike to open, good. Stag to switch ring series, nice. Second ring could be a little ring-ier. Fhs front lay front full looked fine. 9.575
Schafer (W&M): Bhs loso, no problem there. Full turn, turn check but covers it nicely. Side aerial tiny pause to sissone. Excellent jump series, beautiful extension all the way down to the toes. RO 1.5, stuck. Really puts the Tribe back on track for beam. 9.700
Belkoff (Penn): Rudi to stag, stag travels back a bit but great amplitude on everything there. Good leap, stag ring okay. Roi 1.5 to front lay looked good. 9.725
Kuebler (W&M): Ro loso, comes off. Beat to straddle full, flexed feet there and kind of cheats it a little around. Back tuck to knee, love the different skills in this set. Cat leap to switch side, nice. Front lay, just a hop. 9.250
Song (Penn): Front through to double tuck, doesn’t rotate has much as she’d want and hops it forward. Beautiful leap series. Double pike, lunge back. 9.675
Costello (W&M): Bhs loso, comes off. Switch leap switch leap, good. Ro 1.5, hops to the side. 9.125
Lassiter (Penn): 1.5 to tuck full, nice. Double pike, great height, nice and controlled lunge there. Switch side popa is gorgeous. 9.800
Carpenter (W&M): Small check on the full turn, leg comes up, keeps it on. Switch leap series with some soft feet. Breaks her hips on the jump series, keeps it on. Cartwheel, small balance check. Gainer lay full off side, tiny hop shuffle in place. 9.650
Kerico (Penn): RO 1.5 to front lay, excellent. Great leap series. Double tuck, chest just a tiny bit down. Great routine. 9.800
Kuper (W&M): Switch leap to straddle quarter with nice extension. Bhs loso, takes a step back to smooth it over. Front toss to beat, good. Bhs 1.5, deeeep squat but keeps it on her feet. 9.575
S. Kenefick (Penn): A 9.900 ensure a Penn event sweep here today. Just keeps her first pass in, gorgeous in the air. Beautiful extension on leaps and popa. Fhs double full, beautiful form in the air there too. 9.875
Final: Penn 194.750, William & Mary 190.025
William and Mary forced to count several falls today on both bars and beam, but hit floor and vault. Despite all that, the Tribe notched their new season high today, adding nearly two points to the beam score from last week. Penn flirted with its previous season high, but a few hiccups and especially bobbles on beam held the Quakers back from their full potential today.
VT: Lassiter, 9.800
UB: Kuhn, 9.800
BB: C. Marr 9.825
FX: Schafer, S. Kenefick 9.875
AA: Kerico, 38.975
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Live Blog by Allison Freeman
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