Session two of the GEC Championship features No. 50 Penn, No. 59 Yale, No. 61 Brown and No. 62 West Chester. The meet could be a showdown between Penn and Yale. Penn is the defending champion and is the favorite to lift the trophy after breaking into the 196s a couple of weeks ago. Yale is also coming off a historic season, posting the second highest score in program history, a 195.400, a few weeks ago on the road.
Among the individuals to watch, you don’t want to miss Penn standout Skye Kerico, Brown’s Julia Bedell, and West Chester’s Caroline Cascadden.
Welcome to the evening session of the GEC!
Penn’s Ana Kenefick suffered a hard fall on beam during warmups. She’s OK but she’ll be replaced by Alisha Werlen.
Rotation 1: Yale on vault, Brown on bars, West Chester on beam and Penn on floor
Wilson, vt: Yurchenko tucked full, hop back, her usual
Dewar, ub: missed the release, caught the bail really close, full pirouette to double tuck dismount, good landing
Marshall, bb: strong leap series, BHS to LOSO, check, fall on side aerial
A. Kenefick, fx: double pike, good landing, strong second twisting pass, good landings
Wang, vt: she bails and performs only a tuck. She looks a bit scared but just told head coach Leis that she’s ok
Weiner, ub: full pirouette with form issues to Gienger, also form, bail to handstand, not held, full pirouette to double tuck dismount, quite solid
Keane, bb: good full turn, BHS to LOSO to LOSO, slight balance check, good leap series, good Gainer dismount, hop forward
Tashjian, vt: strong Yurchenko full, Yale needed a good vault here
Marcus, ub: Maloney to bail to handstand, good form, full pirouette to double tuck dismount, big step forward
Sabatini, vt: bent elbows on the board but pulls her Yurchenko full around, step back
Solid routine on floor for Gazdak, especially lovely double pike dismount
Eskew, bb: BHS to LOSO, solid, stuck dismount
Lassiter, fx: front full twist to front tuck, big double pike, good landing
Brueck, vt: stuck pike front with step forward, she’s had trouble with it in the past, so it’s nice to see that she delivered when needed the most
Strause, vt: Yurchenko full in tuck position, the best one I’ve seen her do
Davis, ub: Maloney to Pak, beautiful form, great dismount in combination
Kerico, fx: 1.5 twist to front layout, gorgeous form, nice leaps, gorgeous double pike to finish
Farrell, ub: Maloney to Pak, amazing form, double tuck dismount in combination, stuck, amazing routine!
Cascadden, bb: standing LOSO, beautiful, great leap series, BHS to LOSO, super solid, 1.5 twist dismount with a small step forward. Fantastic work!
Davies, fx: double pike, good landing, front layout to front full twist, another good landing, double tuck, great landing. Amazing routine
S. Kenefick, fx: 2.5 twist to front tuck, a bit shy on landing, front double twist, gorgeous form and great landing
McFarland, bb: BHS to LOSO, super solid and great form, beautiful side aerial, 1.5 twist dismount, small step forward
After 1: Penn, 49.200, West Chester 48.725, Brown 48.600, Yale 48.525
Penn proved to be the superior team in rotation one, showing off great difficulty and landings on floor. West Chester delivered on beam and Brown pushed through bars. After a scary fall by Wang on vault, Yale regrouped and it has some work to do.
Rotation 2: Penn on vault, Yale on bars, Brown on beam and West Chester on floor
Song, vt: Yurchenko full, hop back, fairly good in the air
Holt, ub: good Jaeger, good bail to handstand, dismount a bit underrotated
Marcus, bb: BHS to LOSO, super solid, front tuck, a bit low on landing, a tad short on the leaps, step on the 1.5 twist dismount
Gruber, fx: Rudi to jump, good, second twisting pass combination, good landing
Kerico, vt: Yurchenko full, very good in the air but a bit messy on landing
Sabatini, ub: Tkatchev to bail, some form, double tuck dismount in combination, solid landing. Her usual
Aucoin, ub: good Jaeger, very good bail, double tuck dismount in combination, stuck. That was a GREAT routine!
Lin, bb: good leap series, BHS to LOSO, solid, side aerial, solid, 1.5 twist in tuck position, nearly stuck
Lassiter, vt: Yurchenko full, she may have missed one hand slightly, not her best landing but a safe one
Wilson, ub: Tkatchev to bail, very beautiful, double tuck dismount in combination, stuck. Great routine. 9.900!
Belkoff, vt: Yurchenko half, beautiful in the air, nearly stuck. A beauty!
Wang, ub: Jaeger, bail to handstand, all solid, full-in dismount, step to the side, she looks happy
Yang, bb: wolf turn, good leap series, fall on front aerial, BHS to LOSO, solid, I missed the dismount
Rodriguez, fx: double pike with many steps back, OOB I believe , I missed the second pass, stuck double tuck
Barrow, vt: huge Yurchenko full, slight hop back
Xing, bb: BHS to layout to two feet, super difficult and super solid, excellent leap series, double twist dismount, small hop back, GREAT routine! 9.875
DeJoy, ub: good piked Jaeger to bail, close to the bar, double layout dismount, slight pike down and small hop back
Fred, fx: double pike, step forward, 1.5 twist to front pike, very good landing, whip to 1.5 twist, unusual and good landing.
Ford, bb: BHS to LOSO, balance check, good leap series, though there may be a questionable connection, cat leap to side aerial fall. It looked like she could save it, it’s a shame. Good dismount off the side of the beam, hop back.
Cascadden, fx: double pike, one extra step, front layout to front full twist, better landing, 1.5 twist to front tuck, very low. Not her best routine.
After 2: Penn 19.975, Yale 197.475, West Chester 197.075, Brown 197.000
Penn struggled a bit with landings on vault but is holding on to first position. Yale rallied back on bars with a strong rotation and captain Wilson posting a 9.900. Brown is in fourth after counting a fall on beam.
Rotation 3: West Chester on vault, Penn on bars, Yale on beam and Brown on floor
Sullivan, vt: Yurchenko layout, almost stuck
Strause, bb: BHS to LOSO, good landing, front aerial to leap jump, solid, good leap series, strong full turn, double twist dismount in combination, step back, great routine!
Kramer, fx: there’s a problem with the music but now she goes, front layout to Rudi, double tuck, fall. It must have hurt on the ankles
Lassiter, ub: good Jaeger, bail to handstand, she holds it, double tuck in combination, nearly stuck
Sabatini, bb: full turn, solid, BHS to LOSO, super solid, leap series, slightly underrotated, side aerial, not a wobble, 1.5 twist dismount, big hop forward
Rodriguez, stuck Yurchenko full in tuck position
Oniki, ub: Tkatchev a bit close to the bar, good bail to handstand, double layout, stuck. Great routine!
Tashjian, bb: full turn, slight wobble, BHS to LOSO, solid, good leap series, off on her side aerial, a shame, she was controlling her nerves so well!
Xing, fx: double tuck, quite low, double pike, better landing.
A couple of Yurchenko layouts for West Chester on vault.
Paris, ub: Maloney to bail to handstand, such long lines, double tuck dismount in combination, stuck.
Mangiacapre, bb: full turn, slight adjustment, BHS to LOSO, good leap series, Gainer dismount, the smallest of hops back
Davis, fx: double pike, good landing, solid combination pass
Kerico, ub: gorgeous Tkatchev, great bail to handstands, full-in dismount, hop back, impeccable handstands and toe point.
Wilson, bb: front tuck, slight adjustment, switch leap to leap jump, solid, BHS to LOSO, good landing but knees, side aerial, she fights to stay on, front full twist dismount, she fought and she won the battle.
Dewar, fx: 1.5 twist to front twist, quite good landing, double tuck dismount, chest down but good landing.
Donovan, bb: full turn, solid, BHS to LOSO, solid, big smile, fall on her leap series, she was struggling a bit with it in warmups, side aerial, solid, good 1.5 twist dismount. She’s crying on the sidelines, poor girl
Bedell, fx: full-in , good landing, front tuck to double tuck, a bit shy of rotation
After 3: Penn 147.150, Yale 185.850, Brown 145.800, West Chester 145.025
Penn had another great rotation on bars and is soaring towards victory, barring a catastrophe on beam. Yale had to count a fall on beam and fell behind again. Brown had a good rotation on floor, while West Chester’s scores suffered from low start values on vault.
Rotation 4: Brown on vault, West Chester on bars, Penn on beam and Yale on floor
Lin, vt: Yurchenko layout, hop back
Belkoff, bb: BHS to LOSO to LOSO, super solid, switch leap to sheep jump, headlight back, 1.5 twist dismount, small hop back
Strause, fx: 2.5 twist to front tuck, great landing, double pike, chest a bit down but solid landing
Ford, vt: tucked Yurchenko full, step back
Rodriguez, ub: Pak salto, flexed feet, full-in dismount, small hop back
Sabatini, fx: double pike, a bit overrotated, good second twisting pass, double tuck dismount, solid landing
S. Kenefick, bb: BHS to BHS to LOSO, I thought she was off but solid landing, slow connection between beat jump and leap jump, 1.5 twist dismount, hop forward. She’s delighted.
Xing, vt: fall on her Yurchenko full
Werlen, bb: side aerial, solid, BHS to LOSO, she fights to stay on, 1.5 twist dismount, hop forward. She’s very happy and so is the coach
Wang, fx: 1.5 twist to front layout, good landing, double tuck, a bit overrotated, but great routine! Emotions are running high!
Dewar, vt: stuck Yurchenko full, that’s how you rebound from a fall! Perhaps her chest was a bit down.
Bedell, vt: huge Yurchenko full, small step back
Eskew, ub: full pirouette to Gienger, nice Pak salto, stuck dismount
DeJoy, fx: front double twist, she was still rotating when she landed, decent leaps, good front full twist to front layout, good Rudi to finish
Marr, bb: BHS to LOSO, super solid, switch leap to switch leap quarter, she bends her chest a bit, cat leap to side aerial, slight wobble, good full turn, stuck dismount to the side of the beam. Beautiful toe point throughout!
Wilson, fx: 1.5 twist to front layout, beautiful, I love her signature dive, double pike, solid landing
Coleman, ub: good Jaeger to bail, a bit of feet form, double tuck dismount , step forward
Kerico, bb: wolf turn, good, leap jump to leap jump half, slight wobble, BHS to LOSO, solid, front tuck, amazing, stuck 1.5 twist, this gymnast is on a league of her own! 9.900!!!
Tashjian, fx: double pike, step forward due to the mat, front full twist to front layout, double tuck, basically stuck! 9.900
Wu, bb: front aerial to beat jump, super solid, BHS to LOSO, as solid as it can get, leap jump to sheep jump, perhaps slightly shy, Gainer dismount, stuck. What a great rotation for Penn on beam!
Final: Penn 196.275, Yale 195.125, Brown 194. 450, West Chester 193.800
Penn was on a league of its own tonight, led by the amazing Skye Kerico. They won it with a season-high score – amazing job. Yale struggled on beam but finished in a respectable second place. Scoring over 195 with a fall is a great result for the Bulldogs. Brown fought on vault and West Chester finished strong on bars. This is Penn’s second consecutive GEC title – well deserved!
Event winners:
Vault: Sydney Beers, Cornell (9.900)
Uneven bars: Sarah Wilson, Yale (9.900)
Balance beam: Skye Kerico, Penn (9.900)
Floor exercise: Alexandra Quiana, Cornell and Ella Tashjian, Yale (9.900)
All around: Skye Kerico, Penn (39.300)
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Taking Another Look at 9.975s—Which Judge Was Right?
Live blog by Talitha Ilacqua
