We’re here at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for the Pink Invitational, featuring Division II squads West Chester and Southern Connecticut. The setup for this meet is a little unique because it’s being held as part of the same program as a J.O. invitational over the course of the weekend.
These teams might be ranked lower, but as I’ve said before, a competition between teams so closely ranked remains a competition. West Chester had a particularly solid weekend this past week, turning in two 191-plus performances in three days. Sophomore Yolanda Nodarse tied the school record on beam, so she should be especially compelling to watch tonight.
SCSU also has no shortage of exciting gymnasts and routines. Watch out for freshman Hannah Stahlbrodt, who turned in the first ever 39-plus all around score for the Owls. She earned ECAC DII Gymnast of the Week honors for this stellar performance.
Rotation 1: WCU Vault / SCSU Bars
Trying a different style of listing the routines today as to how I usually do it. Let’s see how it goes!
Founder of the meet is speaking. She’s a 15 year survivor of breast cancer.
WCU with an interesting take on the pink theme, leo is almost entirely black with a thin pink ribbon on the chest. Here for it!
WCU Vault
- Kissinger: VERY unique way to start the lineup with a handspring front full. I honestly have not seen that before. Props!! 9.450.
- Lubking: Handspring front tuck. Stumbles a little out of it but overall decent landing. 9.400.
- Mathis: Yurchenko full tucked. Chest a little down. 9.550.
- Duke: Yurchenko back tuck. Bounces out of it. Love the variety of vaults tonight! 9.100.
- Meakim: Yurchenko half, slight hop on the landing. Team is soooo hype for this one. 9.575.
- Johnson: Full with a little bounce. Great anchor. 9.750.
- Powers (EXO): Handspring front tuck and sits it.
SCSU Bars
- Antonangelli: Good bail to start. Front full dismount, step forward. Seems to be a wait on this score? 9.350.
- Brothers: Full pirouette to bail. Handstands a bit off. Nice full turn into a double tuck dismount with her chest down. 9.225.
- Kutcher: Great handstands! Catches the Gienger well. Some legs on the bail. Slightly cowboyed double tuck but looks like it was a stick!
- Girolamo: She has great lines. Handstands a bit short but she has a variety of pirouettes in the routine which is good to see. Missed the dismount but it looked good! 9.550.
- Macias: Nice power bars. Full pirouette into a stuck double tuck. SCSU killing the landings tonight! 9.575.
- Stahlbrodt: OMG a hugeeee Jaeger. Nice toe-on too. Stuck double layout, also gorgeous. Is she on your fantasy team yet??? 9.800…biggest score by a lot and it’s so deserved.
- McCormack (EXO): Didn’t catch all of it but she had to come off.
After 1: WCU 47.725 / SCSU 47.675
Thankfully I’m right next to the announcer because scoring is justtttt a little difficult to make out otherwise.
Rotation 2: SCSU Vault / WCU Bars
Oops, important update I didn’t share: the SCSU stick item is angel wings.
SCSU Vault
- Peloquin: Handspring front tuck. Really nice landing, only crunched the knees a bit. 9.400.
- Dawkins: Yurchenko layout with the slightest step. Another nice landing. 9.525
- Lanata: Handspring front tuck. Very high but she bounces out of it too far and stumbles to her hands. 8.975.
- Stahlbrodt: Tucked Yfull. Good landing, she smiled as she did it. 9.500.
- Girolamo: Another tucked yfull, this one with the legs a little crunchy.
- Coleman: Nice handspring front tuck. 9.400.
- Antonangeli (EXO): Knees super bent on the handspring front tuck but she doesn’t sit it. 9.250.
WCU Bars
- Miranda: Bent knees on the Jaeger but it’s caught. Short on these handstands. Stuck double tuck dismount. 9.600.
- Nodarse: Wow, hit her leg on the Jaeger but she stayed on. Impressive save. Finished the rest of the routine well.
- Onderko: Tkatchev caught. Pirouette into the bail was good. Double tuck with a tiny step. 9.450.
- (slight mistake- this is actually Nodarse competing now): Bail, very nice handstands and toe point. DLO a little piked but only a tiny step on the landings. 9.700.
- Wojewoda: Very nice piked Jaeger. Missed dismount but team was excited so…stick?
- Marshall: Toe-on very powerful. Tkatchev between the bars, another unique skill. Just barely sticks the front tuck. 9.725.
Thank u, next playing in the arena. Thank u, next…rotation.
After 2: WCU 96.075 // SCSU 94.750
Rotation 3: WCU Beam // SCSU Floor
WCU Beam
- Wojewoda: Triple series in the leadoff, nice! Front full lovely. I like her choreo, very elegant. Sissone + wolf jump full combo. Honestly this is a tricky routine to start the rotation and I support it. Gainer pike with a little hop. 9.725.
- Miranda: Another triple series! She has to really check herself on the landing but she stays on. Excellent save. Split jump to back tuck, perfect. Stuck Gainer full dismount. This beam lineup is coming for you!! 9.550.
- Meakim: Standing LOSO, leg slightly bent. BHS LOSO a tiny check but good. Side leap another check. Front full leans over but saves it. Good leap positions in general. Nice 1.5 dismount. 9.475.
- Hageman: Standing LOSO with a little check. BHS LOSO and she’s off. Right back on, fakes the wolf turn choreo. Thank you!! Front full spin pretty. Gainer pike with a little hop.
- Nodarse: She’s coming off a school-record tying performance last week! Punch front great. Same with her series. Stuck the back 1.5 dismount. It’s another 9.875 so she ties it again!
- Boyd: Beautiful series. Scorpion pose is amazing choreo. Gainer pike with the tiniest step. Nice way to end. 9.775.
- Fanara (EXO): BHS LOSO, looked like a solid landing but she has to hop off. Switch leap. Good aerial to side leap. Punch full dismount with a small hop.
SCSU Floor
- Girolamo: Double pike a bit low. Front 1.5 with a step. Missed a lot of this because I was filming but it was really nice. 9.525.
- Macias: Front double full more elegant music, this is lovely. Front 1.5. Straddle leap combo not totally 180 but good. Front full to front tuck, looks like she hops out. 9.225.
- Lanata: Double tuck chest a little down. Fun choreo here. Front full to front tuck, decisive. Nice wolf jump full. Front full to front tuck, barelyyyy doesn’t sit it down. Close one. 9.325.
- Peloquin: Bridget Sloan’s 2016 music! Back 2.5 to front tuck, amazing. Front double full to front pike, just as great. Really solid tumbling. Sticks the Rudi to end. Wow! 9.700.
- Brothers: Rudi to back LOSO. Love the music, Fifth Harmony and Beyoncé. Front full to punch front. Nice last pass. 9.650.
- Stahlbrodt: “bailar” my fave floor music!! They’re killing it tn. Nice double pike. 1.5 to straddle, a little crazy with the last part. Straddle leap series is perfect though. Whip to back full to end.
- Antonangeli (EXO): Double tuck, so high but her chest down a little. Straddle leap combo not quite extended. Lovely back full, almost looked like it was in slo-mo. Last combo pass nice too. 9.375.
I was so impressed with both those rotations, WCU for the difficulty and SCSU for the gorgeous choreo and routines. Props to both teams!
So we just…didn’t get those final scores. I’ll try to calculate for you guys.
Rotation 4: WCU Floor / SCSU Beam
SCSU Beam
- Dawkins: Full spin, really attacked it. Some bent legs on BHS LOSO but it’s bang on. Good straddle leap combo, some flexed feet. Side aerial, big check but she stays on. Good Gainer pike. 9.425.
- Macias: Beautiful full turn. Slight check on the aerial, good back LOSO. Unique leap combo, pike jump to sissone. Side aerial to back full dismount, stuck!
- Gatewood: Front aerial to back LOSO. Good position on the sissone but hesitates before the side leap and it’s not quite extended all the way. Back tuck full dismount. 9.700.
- Loughlin: Front walkover is simple but elegant. Check on the full turn but she stays on. Very dynamic Gainer pike dismount, and it’s stuck!
- Stahlbrodt: Lovely full turn to start. Wolf jump to straddle full. BHS LOSO right on. Such elegant presence. Nice leap combo there too with the amplitude. Side aerial with the tiniest check. Sticks the double twist dismount!
- Peloquin: Front full was perfect. Aerial with a big check but she saves it. Another aerial to back LOSO. Lovely side aerial. Didn’t catch the dismount, but seemed great other than the first check. 9.650.
WCU Floor
- Hageman: Wolf jump full to start. Double tuck, sits and bounces out of bounds. If you have to fall, make it comical, right? Front 1.5 to front lay, good. Oooh, they all say R-A-M-S and hold up these paper letters on the side. Back 1.5, good ending. 8.925.
- Nodarse: “Jaws” floor music into a techno beat. Hysterical. Double pike a bit low but good. I guess this is a horror movie theme? Whip to back 1.5 little hop forward. Double tuck chest slightly down. 9.700.
- Kissinger: Front 1.5 to back LOSO, nice. I love this music too. 9.500
- Boyd: Standing ring jump full to start. Love! Front full to the edge but I think she stays in. Front 1.5 stumbles a tiny bit but she stays in. Good ring leap. Back 1.5. Great choreo right at the end. 9.650.
- Fanara: Highest double pike of the competition thus far! Back 1.5 to front tuck. Another really high pass with the double tuck and a dramatic finish.
- Meakim: Double pike. Second Beyoncé routine of the night. Great leap amplitude. FHS to front full to front lay. We have full marching band music now. It just got LOUD over here. Back 1.5 nice to end. 9.825. Huge!
Okay, waiting on these final scores!!
FINAL: WCU 192.000 / SCSU 190.875
Live blog by Katherine Weaver
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