I am excited—and not just “it’s 5:00 p.m. on a Monday and the workday is over” excited. I’m talking “5:26 p.m. on a Friday, comfy pants on, water bottle full, dinner in the oven, no laundry left to do” excited. If you’ve been watching Ithaca’s or Ursinus’ training clips on social media this fall, you get it. Spoiler alert: both teams are bringing big upgrades.
If you haven’t been tuning in, no judgment—but do yourself a favor and follow both programs on Instagram immediately. Each team said goodbye to a stacked, impressive senior class, yet neither has missed a beat to start the season. The Bombers are attacking bars with intent, the Bears are sticking vaults like they’ve got glue on their feet, and together they’re delivering a master class on why DIII gymnastics deserves a permanent spot on your college gym viewing schedule. Ursinus’ Sidney Schreiber opened the year with a 9.850 on floor, while Ithaca’s Grace Murray went 9.800 on the event—and matched it on vault to tie a school record.
Ursinus will need to bring its best to South Hill if it wants to knock off the Bombers, but with this much buzz so early in the season, it already feels like something special is brewing. This much excitement in January? It can only be DIII.
Watch along over at Bomber Sports on YouTube and keep up with scores with Virtius.
Rotation 1: Ithaca VT, Ursinus UB
Farragher (IC): Y lay, several steps back, form in the air.
Thompson (IC): Y lay, great block, lots of power, big hop and steps back. Can’t wait to see her twist that in competition in the future.
John (IC): Y lay, much more controlled that what we’ve seen from the Bombers so far.
Babineaux (IC): Tsuk half on, tuck off, small step to the front and side, good overall.
Steed (IC): Y lay half, good distance from the table, hops forward.
Murray (IC): FHS front pike, small hop forward. I’ll be watching that on repeat for the rest of the week.
Coleman (URS): Brushes the high bar with her fingers on the shaposh and comes off. Half to straddle back, form in the air. Fights for that last hs before the toe front, sticks!
Duffy (URS): Half to straddle jaeger to shoot over, issues with form but connected smoothly. Hops on the double tuck dismount, puts the bears back on track.
Warburton (URS): Half to straddle jaeger, good height. Bail to low, a little archy but looked clean otherwise. Double tuck, small step!
Sanders (URS): Toe on shaposh, holds on to it. Bail to low, wiggly, some leg sep. Good last hs. Full to dobuel tuck, sits it down.
Roe (URS): Aggressive and wonderful first hs to piked geinger. Bail to low, archy but good otherwise. Double lay, small hop. Lovely.
Ruggiero (URS): Half to straddle jaeger but comes off. Rough start for Ursinus today. Small step forward on her front 1.5 lay dismount. Can’t get enough of that dismount.
AFTER ONE: Ithaca 47.425 Ursinus?
Virtius isn’t yet revealing what Ursinus totalled in that first rotation, but it was a rough one for the Bears on bars, and it is safe to assume that the Bombers will have a sizeable lead heading into this second rotation. If the bars continue to be wicked, things may look a little more even when we head into that third rotation. Murray’s front handspring front pike was an absolute masterpiece on vault and will live rent-free in my head for quite some time.
Ursinus scores are trickling in, so it’ll be Ithaca 47.425, Ursinus 45.600
Rotation 2: Ursinus VT, Ithaca UB
Stewart (URS): Y lay, with bent knees, big hop.
Hurtado (URS): Front front tuck, runs out of it. So much power, solid block. I cannot get enough of front handspring vaults.
Sanders (URS): Y lay, great body position in the air until the very end, pikes down a little bit, hops back.
Duffy (URS): Tucked y full, leg sep in the air, but decent height, good distance from the table, nice chest position on landing, some shuffles.
Schreiber (URS): Y full, strong block, good chest position. That should do well! 9.700!
Roe (URS): Y full, even cleaner in the air, small controlled step. Fabulous!
Kaupp (IC): Pak, good. Toe to high, toe to handstand to double tuck, chest down, a couple steps forward.
Thompson (IC): Long wait here. Free hip to toe to high, lovely. Half to shootover, good. Shy last hs. Winds up for the double lay, small step! Bombers are delighted.
Lane (IC): Bar judges are chatting. Ursinus is done vaulting, and Ithaca has only gotten through two bar routines. Shy first hs. Free hip to piked geinger, but she was so, so, SO far from the bar. Leg sep on the shootover. Shy hs. Winds up for the double lay, big, big steps forward. You can see the frustration on her face.
Blake (IC): Free hip to piked geinger to shootover, no problem, leg sep in the geinger. Free hip to double tuck, small step in small, good.
John (IC): Judges chatting again. Toe on shaposh, good. Shootover. Good rhythm. Strong last hs. Full to double tuck, small hop and step.
Babineaux (IC): She has waited 45 minutes to start this routine this rotation. Half to piked jaeger but she has too much power and is way too far from the bar. It was gorgeous in the air too. Bail to low, a touch archy. Good last hs. Full to double tuck, small step.
AFTER TWO: Ursinus 93.250 — still waiting on Ithaca scores. Ithaca 93.125
Ithaca had some struggles on bars, and like Ursinus, will be counting a fall. But despite those falls, the Bombers bar rotation looks stronger and more polished than in recent seasons. Ursinus vault went lights out, adding SIX tenths from the previous week. Not too shabby! Ithaca has some beautiful beam workers so keep an eye on them in this next rotation.
Rotation 3: Ithaca BB, Ursinus FX
Horike (IC): Small check on the full turn. BHS BHS LOSO, small slide of the front foot but no notes otherwise. Switch to straddle quarter, not sure if she’ll get that connection. RO 1.5 lay, can’t see the landing, but Bombers are happy!
Desjardins (IC): Candlestick mount. Side aerial to side aerial, connection looked good. Switch leap to straddle quarter, good. RO 1.5 lay, looks like several steps forward, clean otherwise.
John (IC): Full turn from standing, love that. BHS LOSO, good. Switch leap to wolf 3/4, fun combo. Front tuck full, hops. Another strong routine for Ithaca.
Foster (IC): BHS LOSO, small shoulder drop but adjusts just fine. Switch leap, switch leap, straddle jump. Beautiful! Wobbles on the full turn, but that feels more like nerves, possibly. BHS 1.5 lay, good.
Freyman (IC): Full turn, steps it into a beat jump. Front tuck ot back tuck, small adjustment, I think they’ll give her that connection. Switch leap to back tuck, leg pops up, keeps it on the beam. Lay 1.5, good.
Kobusky (IC): Beam judges are chatting. RO LOSO, good! Small adjustment but fine. Sheep jump series, lovely. OH no, falls on the piked gainer, just over cooked it.
Duffy (URS): Front tuck through to double tuck, takes it alllll the way from corner to corner. RO BHS double pike, good! Wolf full, wolf full, good position throughout. Great start!
Bentman (URS): Floor judges are chatting. Front full to front lay. RO 1.5 to front tuck, sits it down. Rudi, but just doesn’t have the power to get it around or rotate, sits that down.
Ellis (URS): Floor judges chatting. Ithaca has done a full beam routine while they’ve been chatting. Big twisting pass to open, 2.5 lay, good. Leaps looked a touch shy. RO 1.5 to front full, JUST keeps that in by the tiniest tiniest tiniest bit. Good routine, Ursinus should be back on track.
Roe (URS): Rudi, gets it around but chest is a bit down. Good second pass, front lay was a touch archy but good power. Double tuck, good height! Keeping the Bears on track, no issues.
Warburton (URS): High double pike to open, good chest position. Beautiful extension on her leaps. Rudi to rebound, gorgeous. GORGEOUS. Front lay to an even floatier front full????!! Fab.
Schreiber (URS): Her front twisting is dreamy. Wonderful extension on her leaps. FHS Rudi to LOSO, but goes out of bounds. Fun butterfly choreo. Her toe point is so wonderful.
AFTER THREE:
Ithaca was smooth sailing on beam until the very, very, very end of the last routine, but still, nothing to sweat for the Bombers, they were lights out on beam this rotation. I mean, i’s dotted, t’s crossed, sticky feet, lights out. Ursinus struggled in that first half but brought it back and finished strong. Roe, Warburton, and Schreiber are powerhouses that I can’t wait to watch how big their scores get as the season goes on.
After a handful of routines in the 4th rotation, we have Ursinus 141.400, Ithaca 141.250
Rotation 4: Ursinus BB, Ithaca FX
Warburton (URS): Side aerial to bhs, wobbles, saves it. Check on the full turn. Switch to wolf, good position. Side somi. RO 1.5 lay, fights so hard for the stick, takes a small step. Fun fact: still no team scores in full from that third rotation.
Burton (URS): Split jump half, transverse. A little flexy on the feet. BHS LOSO, picks her chest up slowly, comes off. Comes off after the leap series.
Duffy (URS): BHS LOSO, hits. Split to beat has lovely extension. Smooths over a check on the full turn. Gainer full off side, picks her chest up quick, small step. Good! All while Ithaca was celebrating loud, too.
Schreiber (URS): Wolf, no problems. Hits her series, good. Switch to split to back tuck, great! Transverse split jump half, could use a liiiiiittle more extension. RO tuck 1.5, good!
Ellis (URS): OH okay, love this flair style mount. RO tuck, leg comes up, comes off. Fights through leap series, extension isn’t totally there. No issues on the dismount.
Roe (URS): Switch leap, switch leap, fights, keeps it on. BHS BHS LOSO, good! Tucked front full, looks like she took some steps. May not have ended with the strongest routine, but Roe had herself a GOOD day.
Kaupp (IC): Rudi, chest position looked great. Switch side to popa to split full, the split was a liiiiittle uneven but looked to be 180. Front lay to front full, a little short, hops back. Good start.
Farragher (IC): Front lay to front full. Switch leap series looked good, caught that out of the corner of my eye. High double tuck, but doesn’t totally pick her chest up before landing and bounces a bit but keeps it on her feet.
Thompson (IC): Doesn’t move on that opening double pike, good height, a bit of flex in the feet. Switch side wolf full. RO 1.5 to front lay, good.
Arias (IC): Front full to front lay, floaty. Switch side to wolf full, good extension there. Rudi, chest could’ve been a little more up but she got it around no issues and was clean in the air otherwise.
Freyman (IC): Front full to front tuck, not sure if she kept that in. Wolf position could be a little sharper in her series. Good routine overall.
Murray (IC): Front full to front lay, lovely. Switch side to popa, good. Strong double pike, solid routine!
FINAL: Ithaca 189.950, Ursinus 188.475
It’s early in the year but I already know how this season is shaping up: there’s no guarantees when you have powerhouses like these on the floor, already vying for a spot at Nationals.
Once the scores roll in, I’ll have them here for you.
VT: Roe (Ursinus) 9.725
UB: Roe (Ursinus) 9.675
BB: John (Ithaca) 9.700
FX: Murray (Ithaca) 9.850
AA: Roe (Ursinus) 38.500
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Live blog by Allison Freeman
