The NCGA Dismount: Regionals

The NCGA looks ahead to Nationals, with Oshkosh, La Crosse, Stout, Brockport, Springfield, and Ithaca punching tickets to the team final. A near identical field to last year, Stout edges out Whitewater to put it all on the line at the big dance in two weeks. 

Superlatives

Game Changer Award

With Mikala Bugge’s graduation, Stout’s vault lineup had to step things up in the difficulty department in 2023. The team did just that, adding several twisting vaults. Gillian Cummins and Kiara Brown have been rocks in the rotation throughout the season, leading the Blue Devils to the second-highest total on the season at regionals. Vault start values and the beam season high were both major determining factors in the team’s nationals qualification.

Regionals Records

The NCGA wrapped up its season with  records, of course. Rhode Island set a new program record with a 188.950, as well as a new beam program record of 48.475. Springfield notched a program record on vault with a 9.750 by Annie Kiley. Winona notched a team record on beam with a 48.225. Oshkosh set program records on vault with a 48.575. Delaney Cienkus tied the program record on beam with a 9.825, and Emily Buffington broke the all-around record with a 38.800. Gustavus broke its beam record with a 47.625. 

Superlative Skills

As you go back and enjoy the East regionals, keep your head on a swivel for a few skills that’ll make you fall in love with gymnastics over and over again, from the basics and beyond. Watch for Abby Bang’s and Lauren Blair’s front handspring front tucks on vault, Alyssa DeLorme’s Ray on bars, Morgan Lunn’s scale on beam, Ashley Cromer’s and DeLorme’s pike jumps on beam, MacKenzie MacLeod’s one and a half to front full opening pass, and Devon Rosier’s last pass of front full to front full. Wait! There’s more! Glynis Curcione’s Maloney and Pak, Kelsey Gates’ front handspring  to Rudi to layout full connection, Skye Cohen’s Tkatchev, Emily Kobusky’s acro series of round-off layout step-out and sheep jump, and of course, Kyra Figurelli’s full-in.

NCGA-East Regionals

Nationals Qualifiers: Brockport, Springfield, and Ithaca punched the team tickets. For Cortland, Gianna Mirigliano will be competing in the all-around, Glynis Curcione qualified on bars, and Abby Bang will be showing up with her front handspring front tuck vault. Rhode Island will be sending Kelsey Gates and Olivia Keyes in the all-around, and Emma Tucker qualified for beam. Alyssa DeLorme, Alex Panetta, and Ashley Cromer will be representing Ursinus, with DeLorme on bars and floor and Panetta and Cromer on vault.  

Why Should You (Re)Watch? This meet was close between the top three teams that qualified, as well as Rhode Island, which was just barely edged out by the Bombers. Springfield led Brockport and then trailed by just two tenths. Before scores were tabulated, the Bombers and the Anchorwomen found themselves in a tie for third, with Ithaca just pulling ahead by a tenth. But the best part of DIII gymnastics is the spread of skills and the fact that none of these routines are a copy-paste from one to the next. 

Are These Teams Trending Up or Down? Ithaca will have some work to do to stay competitive at nationals, but all three teams are trending up heading into the final meet of the season.

WIAC Regionals

Nationals Qualifiers: Oshkosh, La Crosse, and Stout are heading to the big dance in the team competition while several individual athletes also punched their tickets to the national championships.  On the individual front, Danielle Jaworski from Hamline will be representing the Pipers on floor. Representing Winona State, Kennedy O’Connor will be on vault, Kaylee Bateman on bars, Taryn Sellner on beam and floor and Breanna Ho in the all-around. Whitewater has a host of athletes heading to nationals including Sarah Knetzke on beam, Kara Welsh on vault and floor, Faith Mylin on floor, Kelsey Kollhoff on floor, Richella Velarmino on bars, Carleigh Moore on floor and vault, Estee Flom on bars and Elaine Copeland on bars. Eau Claire’s dynamic duo includes Harriet Toth and Tia Ravara.

Why Should You (Re)Watch? The WIAC championships were upset central. Oshkosh had itself a night, overtaking the previously top-ranked La Crosse Eagles to three-peat for the title. Stout also had a night to remember, having its first 190-plus performance since breaking the school record in January. What a time to raise the bar when it counts! Speaking of records, UWO’s Emily Buffington managed to eclipse her own all-around program record for the second time this season. While Whitewater’s bar rotation kept it short of team qualification, that didn’t prevent individuals from shining, with both Kelsey Kollhoff and Kara Welsh capturing event titles on floor and vault, respectively.   

Are These Teams Trending Up or Down? UWO definitely silenced any doubters this weekend with a huge 193.100, the second highest team total all time and a mark higher than Brockport’s out of the East. This team is trending toward a repeat national title unless another team has something to say about it. La Crosse is strong and steady. The team will need to recapture the 192-plus performances from midseason if it hopes to challenge for a national title. Stout is on the rise, showing everyone that it is a force to be reckoned with. 

Overall Standings

Top Scores

Results

Click and expand the events below to see results from each meet, as well as individual career highs and team program records.

Around the Gymternet

Interested in how all the teams around the country performed this week? Check out our recaps of the top matchups in our other various Dismounts.

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Article by Allison Freeman and Tavia Smith

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