Welcome to the penultimate week before the NCGA East Regionals!
The Cortland Red Dragons have been red hot this season, leading the East as of this writing and coming off a program-record team score on floor at the Empire State Challenge. Fueling that surge is Cortland’s dominance on bars, where it has posted a team high nearly half a point ahead of the next-best squad. If the Red Dragons continue this momentum, they could solidify themselves as the clear powerhouse of the East by the end of the weekend.
Joining Cortland in this quad meet are Ithaca Bombers, Utica Pioneers, and Springfield Pride. Ithaca has struggled to find consistency this season, hovering around the 190 mark but not reaching the higher scores it achieved last year. There have been no major setbacks—just an inability to put together a complete performance across all four events.
Utica, in only its third season, continues to show steady improvement from meet to meet. Standout performances from Alyssa Langston, Camille Lindley, and Grace Marra have led the team’s progress and positioned it as an emerging contender.
Springfield brings a strong beam lineup, with most of its competitors recording season highs of 9.675 or better, along with solid production on floor. However, like Ithaca, bars has prevented the Pride from putting together a fully complete meet. If Springfield can close that gap, it has the potential to challenge the field and play spoiler in a critical late-season matchup.
You can watch along over on the Cortland Athletics webpage and keep track of scores with Virtius.
Rotation 1:
Allan (Cortland): Tsuk full, tucked, chest down.
Brown (Cortland): Y full, form in the air, strong landing.
Mirigliano (Cortland): Y lay half, small step, good control and awareness.
Sutton (Cortland): Y lay full, good distance, chest a bit down, steps.
Graham (Cortland): Y lay full, big bounce, but very clean in the air, lovely!
Chapman (Cortland): Y lay 1.5! Lots of power there, not as clean but the vibes are dynmaic.
Kaupp (Ithaca): Wiggly and archy on her bail to low. Toe circle to to double tuck.
Thompson (Ithaca): Toe shoot to bail, good. Double lay, just a step.
Lane (Ithaca): Release to shootover, minor leg sep. Short on the last hs. Dobuel lay, lands legs a bit locked but smooths it out.
Blake (Ithaca): Muscles through the release to shootover. Sticks the double tuck! Ithaca looking much better on bars today.
John (Ithaca): Toe on shaposh to shootover, great! Excellent form. Full to double tuck, steps. Beautiful routine from her!
Babineaux (Ithaca): Misses her release. She’s been struggling with that so hard this year, and she’s such a beautiful bar worker too.
Fewins (Springfield): Wobbles on what looked like her series. Springfield celebrating big after the dismount. Beam judges chatting.
Kelley (Springfield): Hits her dance series. Side aerial to round off, but comes off. Steps on the dismount.
Walters (Springfield): Breaks her series, steps back to repeat. Side aerial to round off, good. Gainer lay full off the side, I am obsessed wit those.
Donley (Springfield): Straddle 3/4 could’ve been a liiiittle more extended. BHS LOSO, drops her shoulder but recovers. Small step forward on the dismount.
Ayakawa (Springfield): Switch leap to split quarter, absolutely gorgeous extension, same for her straddle jumps. Sticks hte piked gainer off the end!
Ginter (Springfield): BHS LOSO, good. Great last routine to wrap up this beam rotation for springfield.
Ferri (Utica): Just keeps the front tuck at the end of her last pass in and on her feet.
Troche (Utica): Rudi to split jump rebound, a little uneven. Front full to front lay has form issue in the air, front lay doesn’t get that lift.
Dorman (Utica): Front lay to rudi, chest a little low but good overall. Double tuck, good, nice height there.
Plone (Utica): Rudi to split jump rebound, uneven but good height in the rebound. RO 1.5 to front lay is floaty!
Marra (Utica): Sky high double pike to open. No notes. Great height in her leap series. Ends with an effortless double tuck.
Graff (Utica): Switch ring to switch half to straddle has fabulous extension and toe point. End of her second pass is floaty. Great!
AFTER ONE: Cortland 48.525, Springfield 47.025, Utica 46.900, Ithaca 46.325
Cortland kicking off the meet with its highest team vault score of the year, told you the Red Dragons were hot, hot, hot. The Utica Pioneers struggled a little bit on floor today, no major errors, just a lot of little details across routines that added up quickly today. Ithaca looked much better on bars but still hasn’t found its rhythm.. Springfield crossed beam off its to do list today with 9.200s or better, lookijng good in the process.
Rotation 2:
Wabick (Utica): FHS front tuck, deeep squat but keeps that on her feet!
Miller (Utica): Just missed it, but she landed with a good chest position, minimal to no foot movement.
DiPalo (Utica): Y lay, a litlte archy but clean legs overall.
Villani (Utica): Y lay, great form, small step!
Dorman (Utica): FHS Front tuck, massive height, just a controlled hop forward.
Marra (Utica): Y lay, great form, hops and arm swings.
Wong (Cortland): Geinger to shootover, some leg sep, no major issues. Half, almost goes t over to half to double tuck, stuck!
Roberts (Cortland): Free hip to gienger to bail, good. Small shuffle on the dismount, good height.
Chapman (Cortland): Shaposh to bail, some leg sep but that shaposh was lovely. FTDB, biiiig step forward but good rhythm there overall.
Baradic (Cortland): Cortland doing the worm on the mats while we wait for the next routine to start.
Baradic (Cortland): Half to tkatchev to shootover. Winds up for the double lay, chest down, steps forward.
McSweeney (Cortland): Shy first hs. Gienger to shotover, good. Half to half to double tuck, sticks! Beautiful.
Adkins (Cortland): Clean routine until the double lay, can’t keep it on her feet.
Horike (Ithaca): BHS BHS LOSO, drops the shoulder, big wobble, recovers. Sticks RO 1.5 lay.
Desjardins (Ithaca): Side aerial to side aerial. No problems. Hops forward on the dismount.
John (Ithaca): BHS LOSO, small wobble. Unsure if she fell out of the corner of my eye or if she wobbled and did some choreo. Front tuick full, hops forward.
Foster (Ithaca): Beam judges are chatting. Drops her shoulder on her leap series, keeps it on. BHS to 1.5, small step back.
Freyman (Ithaca): Front tuck to back tuck series, steps forward. Slow and steady so far. Sticks the front 1.5!
Kobusky (Ithaca): Beam judges are chatting. RO LOSO, small check wit hthat back leg swining forward but finesses that like an absolute pro. Split jump to sheep, great! Looks good today. Piked gainer off the end, hop forward.
Geiger (Springfield): Rudi to big double stag, good control there. Tour jete half to split full, good. RO 1.5 to front lay, quick scramble to keep that on her feet.
Walters (Springfield): Rudi, great chest position. Split ring jump full, looked alright from this angle. Good height on leaps.
Kaplan (Springfield): Kind of lost herself in her leap series, didn’t really have a rebound. Ends with a strong last pass and quick front lay.
Gardiner (Springfield): Front lay to rudi but doesn’t get the rotation she needs and puts her front knee down.
Taylor (Springfield): Quick feet shuffles to keep that first pass on her feet. Switch half to wolf full looked good. Good overall.
Donley (Springfield): Double tuck to open, good. Very dramatic choreo, I love it. Switch side to popa, LOVELY. Front lay to front full, very quick, doesn’t float that front lay as much but has a good rebound.
AFTER TWO: Cortland 95.475, Utica 93.975, Springfield 93.475, Ithaca 92.750
Utica brought some clean vaults, and while the start value isn’t as high as other teams, having simple but clean vaults is incredibly important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Cortland didn’t show out as strong as it usually does on bars, but the momentum for a fabulous meet is still strong, so don’t get worried.
Rotation 3:
Cassin (Springfield): Tsuk lay, good.
Geiger (Springfield): Y lay, flexed feet but good body position in the air.
Dunham (Springfield): LAy tusk, good chest position, big step back.
Donley (Springfield): Y lay, best that we’ve seen from Springfield so far, great form.
Kaplan (Springfield): Y lay, good block!
Taylor (Springfield): Tucked tusk half, rounds out a solid vault rotation for the Pride.
Trying to figure out if I missed something or if Springfield had a Y full for an exhibition ?????
Dorman (Utica): Great first hs. Hits her feet on the pak. Oh her handstand game is amazing. Toe front, several steps back.
Utica gymnasts sitting/stand sitting on the cables has me confused.
Marra (Utica): Not sure if she tapped her feet on a low bar kiup. Toe to high looked good Full to double tuck, just a step.
Troche (Utica): Good hs. Gienger, some flexy toes there. Arches on the free hip to bail hs. Free hip to …. 1.5 lay. That dismount always sneaks up on me. Good!
Lindley (Utica): Full to bail to hs, great! Double lay, small step! LOVELY routine.
Langston (Utica): Half to jaeger to shootover, good. Some bent knees in the giants to a double lay, almost overcooks it but keeps it on her feet after running a few steps back.
Mirigliano (Cortland): Split jump to split half, not quite as much extension on that second jump as the first, so it really stands out. Leaps looked fine, toes a bit flexed but hits 180. RO 1.5, good!
Dobson (Cortland): BHS LOSO, smallest shoulder drop but picks it up smoothly in her finish. Cat leap to side somi, leg comes up, she fights, but comes off. RO 1.5, sticks.
Bootman (Cortland): BHS LOSO, good! Side aerial to tuck 1.5, small hop shuffle. good!
Graham (Cortland): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, absolutely lovely. She is UNBOTHERED by the volume in the gym. BHS to gainer lay off side, fights, and keeps the stick.
Sutton (Cortland): BHS LOSO, no issues there. Small check on the ful turn. Bobble on what looked like a front aerial but fineses that too. RO 1.5 lay, smalest of hop.
Meadows (Cortland): BHS BHS LOSO, no sweat. Cat leap and comes off on the skill after. Cortland will have to count a fall on beam today, sticks the dismount.
Kaupp (Ithaca): Rudi, chest down a bit there. Switch side half, good extension.
Farragher (Ithaca): Double tuck to end, strong routine overall from what I saw.
Thompson (Ithaca): Double pike, chest a little down, picks it up quick. RO 1.5 to front lay, nice! Strong routine.
Arias (Ithaca): Front full to front lay, a little archy on that second skill. Good routine overall.
Freyman (Ithaca): Goes a little sideways on teh front full to front tuck, keeps it on her feet and inbounds. Switch leap to wolf full to wolf full, good. Rudi to stag, good chest poisition.
Murray (Ithaca): Front full to front lay, no notes. She could put on a class. Swithc side half to popa. LOVE that routine.
AFTER THREE: Cortland 142.575, Springfield 140. 850, Ithaca 140.725, Utica 139.725
Even though forced to count a fall on beam, the Cortland Red Dragons are holding onto the lead heading into the final rotation of their home quad. I’m not going to say that they’re absolutely going to Nationals tihs year but they’re not .. not. 48.425 would put Cortland into the 191s today.
Rotation 4:
Farragher (Ithaca): Y lay, flexy feet, big step back, but solid distance from the table.
John (Ithaca): Y lay. Great block, great height, bounces on her toes.
Contakos (Ithaca): Y half on, tuck off, over cooks, puts her hands down. Lovely and clean othewrwise.
Babineaux (Ithaca): Runs out of the tucked tsuk half, lots of power.
Steed (Ithaca): Y lay, archy in the hair, hops back, again, lots of power.
Murray (Ithaca): FHS front pike half, great distance as usual.
Geiger (Springfield): Toe to high looked good. Free hip to double tuck, fights for that stick.
Kaplan (Springfield): Bail to low. Team celebrated big after the dismount.
Lehan (Springfield): Full to gienger to shootover, leg sep but makes all the connections. Anotehr big celebration after the dismount.
Bendick (Springfield): Comes of on the gienger. Shuffle steps the dobule lay.
Skowronek (Springfield): Half to gienger to shootover, leg sep along the way. Shy last hs. Full to dobuel tuck, step forward. Good.
Giogas (Springfield): Gienger to shootever, leg sep. Dobule lay, just a step back!
Marra (Utica): Gorgeous leap series to start, her straddle extension is lovely. Hits her series. Good start!
Miiller (Utica): BHS LOSO, soft knees and fit but square hips throughout. Sticks the dismount off the side of the beam.
DiPalo (Utica): Drops shoulder on the series and almost comes off, fights. A couple more errant wobbles and checks in the leap series. Piked gainer off the end, a step/hop forward.
Villani (Utica): BHS LOSO, floats. Swithc leap to straddle 1/4, straddle not quite fully extended, chest is down during the jumop. Gainer lay full off side, good.
Dorman (Utica): Beat to split 3/4, not quite fully extended there but the toe point isn’t lacking. Gainer lay full off the side, shoulder drops, fights for the stick.
Langston (Utica): Beam judges are chatting. I love routines that go salute, mount, choreo, full turn. Hits her series, no issue. Very low back leg on the split jump, feels like nerves. SWitch half. BHS gainer lay off side, hits!
McSweeney (Cortland): Rudi looked great, a little bouncy. RO 1.5 to front lay, good.
Bootman (Cortland): Floaty, floaty, floaty front lay in the first pass. Wolf full is muscled around a little bit. Rudi to loso is LOVELY.
Mirigliano (Cortland): Front lay to front full to open. Bouncy and fun choreo. Switch half to wolf full has some HEIGHT. Stumbles out of bounds in her second pass, overcooks it.
Chapman (Cortland): Front double full, good rotation on that. Beautiful leap series, so bouncy. RO 1.5 to front lay, front lay doesn’t get a lot of lift. Rudi to stag, stag isn’t totally under control but the rudi looked good!
Adkins (Cortland): Front lay to rudi. Swithc to wolf 1.5, good. Solid routine.
Sutton (Cortland): Front through to double tuck. Switch side to split full, good. RO 1.5 to front lay.
FINAL: Cortland 190.700, Ithaca 188.000, Springfield 186.600, Utica 186.200
Cortland continues to look hot, and will absolutely be a threat for the NCGA-East Regional title in just a few short weeks against Brockport. If all goes according to plan and by plan I mean how the season is going, Ithaca and Rhode Island will be fighting it out to claim the third spot on the podium, but there’s still one last weekend for everyone to iron out the wrinkles.
VT: T Graham Cortland 9.775
UB: C Lindley Utica 9.650
BB: S Ayakawa Springfield 9.675
FX: A Adkins Cortland, S Bootman Cortland, G Murray Ithaca 9.725
AA: G Marra Utica 37.500
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Live blog by Allison Freeman
