Price Dominates Event Finals, TWU Wins Inaugural Title
The newly named Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championship (previously the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships) is complete for the first time, but thanks to Morgan Price, we have repeat winners. Fisk was well represented at the limited-scholarships program’s national championships, while the perpetual team runner-up was finally able to break through for the first win in a few seasons.
Price Is Right
We should have expected nothing less than supremacy from Morgan Price, the first former five-star recruit ever to commit and compete at an HBCU who has dominated to start her career. Competing as an individual, Price started off her weekend on Friday by taking home the all-around crown for the second year in a row with a 39.350 to take down top challenger Taylor Ingle of SEMO by over a tenth. However, on Sunday, Price upped her game. Having qualified for every single event final, she used an unofficial 39.4375 in the all-around to take home at least a share of every event title. Yes, she won all four events, capping off a historic season with another historic feat.
TWU Breaks Through
Entering championship weekend as the favorite was familiar territory for many Pioneers at this championship, but taking home the title was a new sensation as Texas Woman’s was able to win the team trophy after two years of second-place finishes. The Pioneers led their qualifying round and the final wire-to-wire, but SEMO hung around on Saturday, with Texas Woman’s not pulling ahead comfortably until a giant 49.325 and a huge 9.9 from Sophie Hernandez on beam to end its season.
Stars Stand Out
Texas Woman’s and Price weren’t the only champions of the weekend, with Pioneer standout Kaitlyn Hoiland nabbing a 9.85 in the bars final to match Price and take home a share of the title to end her career. Teammate Hernandez followed up her strong team final showing on her pet event to snag silver on beam in the event finals, while Bailey Upton and Trinity Caffey’s third-place finishes on floor and vault, respectively, give the Pioneers the most medal-winners. Ingle represented the Redhawks on the podium Sunday with a second-place finish on floor after doing the same in the all-around, while Greenville’s Ashlie Leage won bronze on bars and Southern Connecticut’s Gabriela Dinisoe did the same on beam.
READ THIS NEXT: Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championships Results
Article by Brandis Heffner
