The NCGA-East welcomes a new team this season with Utica having its debut season. Ursinus is looking to join Rhode Island as a team on the rise with Rhode Island coming off a season where the Anchorman barely missed making it to NCGA nationals.
The preseason is starting and 2023 will be here before we know it. That means it’s time for our annual potential lineups analysis! As gymnasts get back into the gym with new goals for the new season, we’re breaking their prospects down and taking a look at what each team’s lineups may look like come January—from who’s expected to contribute, holes that need to be filled, and exciting upgrades fans should look out for.
No. 77 Ursinus
Ursinus is coming off of a disappointing end to the season coming in last place at the NCGA-East regionals. 2024 will come with a lot of roster turnover and provide the opportunity for the freshmen to prove they are up to the challenge.
| Losses: | Taylor Cusick (VT, FX), Alyssa DeLorme (AA), Alex Panetta (VT, UB), Kasey Ricci (BB, FX), Lindsey Thornton (BB) | |||
| Gains: | Lauren Coleman, Arianna Ellis, Bella Leo, Erin Roe, LeeLee Sanders, Lucy Warburton | |||
| Returning From Injury: | Madison Zimmerman (VT, UB) | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Ashley Cromer (NQS 9.565), Sidney Schreiber (NQS 9.500), Isabella Scarpetti (NQS 9.125), Erin Stubbs (9.575), Megan Matteucci (9.350), Kyleigh Pierce (9.325), Madison Zimmerman, Lauren Coleman, Arianna Ellis, Bella Leo, Erin Roe, LeeLee Sanders, Lucy Warburton
How It Looked Before: The Bears frequently switched out vaulters throughout the season and continued to perform at a high level throughout with Ashley Cromer and Alex Panetta leading the top six.
How It Looks Now: With the rotation in the top six throughout the season there are more than six gymnasts with lineup experience so there is no immediate pressure for the freshmen to step up. The newcomers most likely to step into the lineup are Bella Leo and Erin Roe.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. There are plenty of vaults to choose from between newcomers and returners to improve on 2023.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Adison Tanguay (NQS 9.225), Megan Matteucci (NQS 9.125), Brianna Duffy (NQS 9.030), Kyleigh Pierce (NQS 8.770), Carly Troilo (8.967), Isabella Scarpetti (8.500), Madison Zimmerman, Bella Leo, Erin Roe, LeeLee Sanders, Lucy Warburton
How It Looked Before: Panetta was consistently the highlight of this group that improved steadily each meet in 2023.
How It Looks Now: Losing two top bars workers is not going to be easy, but there are options. The best bet is two of the freshmen as Leo will be a great addition to this lineup and will likely slot in right away with Roe and Lucy Warburton likely joining.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending down. With the couple of key losses in Panetta and Alyssa DeLorme, the Bears will likely trend down, at least at first.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Ashley Cromer (NQS 9.400), Daria Gregory (NQS 9.025), Isabella Scarpetti (NQS 9.025), Sidney Schreiber (9.294), Bella Leo, Erin Roe, LeeLee Sanders, Lucy Warburton
How It Looked Before: The Bears succumbed to the nature of beam a bit in 2023 with a lot of variety in performance from week to week.
How It Looks Now: With freshmen needing to step in to fill holes in the top six, the Bears will likely turn to Leo and Warburton to help fill in those holes.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending down. Relying on underclassmen on beam is not something that tends to be smooth sailing.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Sidney Schreiber (NQS 9.730), Megan Matteucci (NQS 9.575), Isabella Scarpetti (NQS 9.495), Carly Troilo (9.537), Daria Gregory (9.487), Kyleigh Pierce (8.562), Arianna Ellis, Bella Leo, Erin Roe, LeeLee Sanders
How It Looked Before: Like vault, gymnasts rotated appearances for the Bears throughout the season. While continuing to improve as the season went on.
How It Looks Now: Two of the top three floor workers return and the freshmen bring in a plethora of options to choose from. The top contenders to join the top six are Arianna Ellis, Leo, and LeeLee Sanders.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. There are quality replacement options on floor for the freshmen class to pair with the strong group of returners.
Three Big Questions
Can Bella Leo replace Alyssa DeLorme in the all–around?
Leo would be a great asset in all four lineups for the Bears like DeLorme was. Those are big shoes to fill, but if Leo’s level 10 career shows anything, she may be up for the task.
Will the Bears improve on beam consistency?
Beam was the least consistent event for Ursinus in 2023 with an almost three-point difference between the highest score of the season and the lowest. A team that has a lot of roaster turnover on beam specifically might have a hard time improving in that area.
How will the lineup rotation in 2023 help 2024?
With top contributors leaving this offseason, the large number of gymnasts who competed on vault and floor look to be able to create a stable floor on those events heading into 2024 that the Bears can improve upon that they might not have had otherwise.
No. 78 Rhode Island
Rhode Island has been on the rise, and in 2023 that trajectory led the team to putting up four of the top five scores in program history and just missing out on qualifying to NCGA nationals by one-tenth.
| Losses: | Victoria Schlawiedt (VT, UB), Sydney Talabac (VT) | |||
| Gains: | Maddie Brandt, Ilana Chase, Payton Greene, Amelia Hansen, Ava Magoun, Payton Smith, Nina Turba, Autumn Everett, Ivy Jimenez, Katie Russo, Presley Cuen, Molly Pompeii | |||
| Returning From Injury: | Jolie Carpino (VT, UB) | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Emma Tucker (NQS 9.530), Sophia Damiano (NQS 9.495), Kailey Ferri (NQS 9.390), Olivia Keyes (NQS 9.360), Kelsey Gates (NQS 9.320), Abigail Bunch (NQS 8.935), Morgan Lunn (9.300), Jolie Carpino, Maddie Brandt, Payton Greene, Amelia Hansen, Ava Magoun, Payton Smith, Autumn Everett, Ivy Jimenez
How It Looked Before: Rhode Island was not the best on vault, but the Anchorman consistently improved throughout the season, ending the season setting a new program record.
How It Looks Now: The top four scorers for the Anchorman are returning for 2024 so not too much will be expected of the newcomers. Jolie Carpino could make her return here and the freshmen will each have a shot at the top six.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too soon to tell. Most of the lineup remains the same so improvements will come from landings.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Olivia Keyes (NQS 9.320), Kelsey Gates (NQS 9.190), Gracie Romero (NQS 8.785), Emma Tucker (NQS 8.765), Abigail Bunch (NQS 8.710), Alison Silva (NQS 8.710), Morgan Lunn (8.088), Jolie Carpino, Maddie Brandt, Payton Greene, Molly Pompeii, Presley Cuen
How It Looked Before: The Anchorman had an inconsistent season on bars with large variability of scores week to week, but that variability led to a program record in March.
How It Looks Now: The optimal source of improvement is going to come from increased consistency from the returners. There is likely only one newcomer that will join the preexisting lineup once Carpino reclaims a spot, and Greene would be favored to be that newcomer.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too soon to tell. Event improvement for Rhode Island will have to come from consistency.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Olivia Keyes (NQS 9.690), Kelsey Gates (NQS 9.490), Morgan Lunn (NQS 9.480), Emma Tucker (NQS 9.400), Kailey Ferri (NQS 9.295), Alison Silva (NQS 9.065), Abigail Bunch (8.962), Hannah King (8.175), Maddie Brandt, Payton Greene, Amelia Hansen, Ivy Jimenez,
How It Looked Before: Like vault and bars a new program record was set on beam, but in this case it was set at regionals in the last meet of the season after a strong season overall.
How It Looks Now: Most of the lineup that set the program record is returning so there is not much that will likely change. Brandy, Greene and Hansen will likely compete for the spot in the lineup opened up by Gates.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. With so many returners coming off a program-record performance, more good is on the horizon.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Kelsey Gates (NQS 9.830), Emma Tucker (NQS 9.620), Olivia Keyes (NQS 9.535), Kailey Ferri (NQS 9.445), Morgan Lunn (NQS 9.425), Julia Yitts (NQS 9.400), Liz Shrewsbury (NQS 8.590), Maddie Brandt, Payton Greene
How It Looked Before: Floor was consistently the Anchorman’s best event with Gates being the star of the lineup reaching a score of 9.900.
How It Looks Now: Gates returning returning allows this lineup to remain intact. Greene will likely put up a fight to take a lineup spot with Shrewsbury.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up. The top six returns and there are newcomers that can improve on early lineup performers.
Three Big Questions
How does the return of Kelsey Gates impact the lineups?
Gates was a major contributor throughout her college career and losing her would be a major blow to these lineups both in terms of her scores and her leadership. Her coming back allows Rhode Island to improve on last season.
Can Rhode Island build consistency?
Consistency hurt the Anchorman’s success in 2023 with team scores having upwards of five points in variability. That was seen especially on bars. With one more year of experience for many of the contributors, building consistency is the next step.
Can Rhode Island make nationals?
Rhode Island had its best meet of the season at the perfect time; the NCGA-East regionals. That season best was also a program-best number over one point higher than the second-highest score that was put up just weeks prior. Rhode Island would likely have to set another program record to content, but anything is possible.
Utica
It’s Utica’s inaugural season! With only a few veterans from Brockport on the squad, this season will be a foundational year providing the building blocks for success in future seasons.
| Gains: | Alexis Castellaneta, Jensen Todd, Haley Miller, Olivia Fragala, Brooke Halter, Grace Marra, Ryli McGorry, Angelina Merulla, Julia Pecora, Melissa-Ainsley Pinckard, Madison Reed, Olivia Rosen, Christina Troche, Joscelyn Wabick, Gianna Fiorini, Peighton Rogers, | |||
Vault
Potential Contributors: Alexis Castellaneta, Olivia Fragala, Brooke Halter, Grace Marra, Ryli McGorry, Angelina Merulla, Julia Pecora, Melissa-Ainsley Pinckard, Madison Reed, Olivia Rosen, Joscelyn Wabick
How It Looks: Alexis Castellaneta was a strong vaulter for Brockport and should be a highlight in this lineup. For freshmen vaults, Utica will be looking towards Grace Marra, Ryli McCorry and Olivia Rosen will claim spots in the top six with the last two spots between the rest of the freshmen.
Overall Event Outlook: There are some strong vaulters and good depth on vault that should help establish vault as a strong event for the team.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Brooke Halter, Grace Marra, Ryli McGorry, Julia Pecora, Melissa-Ainsley Pinckard, Olivia Rosen, Christina Troche
How It Looks: New teams typically have a hard time with bars, and Utica looks to be no different. Bars is not a strong spot for most of these gymnasts, but Rosen and Christina Troche look to feature here.
Overall Event Outlook: It will be tricky fielding a full lineup with many gymnasts no longer training bars. This is going to be a weak spot.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Alexis Castellaneta, Jensen Todd, Olivia Fragala, Grace Marra, Melissa-Ainsley Pinckard, Madison Reed, Olivia Rosen
How It Looks: Castellaneta will once again be looked at as a strong presence here along with her fellow Brockport transfer Jensen Todd. The most likely freshmen to contribute right away are Marra, Olivia Fragala, and Melissa-Ainsley Pinkard. That still leaves an opportunity for internal competition in that last spot.
Overall Event Outlook: Beam has the potential to be a stronger event with a couple of more experienced gymnasts to help elevate the floor of this young team.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Alexis Castellaneta, Jensen Todd, Haley Miller, Olivia Fragala, Grace Marra, Ryli McGorry, Angelina Merulla, Melissa-Ainsley Pinckard, Olivia Rosen, Christina Troche
How It Looks: Castellaneta and her big full-in opening pass will look to be the high point on floor. Many of the freshmen bring in solid options to fill in the lineup with Marra and McCorry being the strongest of those.
Overall Event Outlook: Floor is similar to beam and vault where there are options to create a solid floor lineup and be one of the better events.
Three Big Questions
Could Utica draw in more transfers?
There are many teams in the NCGA-East with huge rosters. After this season, other gymnasts in the conference could see this team as a special opportunity to contribute the the team’s early success.
What advantages does Utica have as a new team?
There are no expectations! Utica has the benefit of being a new team during a year with more prominent new programs so Utica can just sit back and work towards building on each meet.
How should Utica expect to do in its first year?
Utica will be looking at the NQS marks put up by Simpson and Greenville last season as a benchmark for what this team could do right out of the gate.
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Article by Allison Freeman, Mary Collier, and Alyssa Van Auker
Just a head’s up – both Kelsey Gates (training AA, 2023 defending National FX champion) and Ali Silva (UB, BB) are both returning to Rhode Island as 5th year seniors.
Thanks! That’s great news for RIC. We will update our article to reflect this.