The NCGA Dismount: Week 8

Recap 

The Big Storyline: In honor of senior night, UW-La Crosse came home with its second-straight 190-plus and two conference victories. The Eagles captured all four event titles in its second best showing of the season. Senior Emma Grant continued her dominance on beam while adding floor back to her repertoire. Tia Ravara continued to make her mark on the UW-Eau Claire beam lineup as well, sliding into the fourth all-time with a 9.700. The reigning WIAC gymnast of the week Bryce Stoltz put together another strong all around performance highlighted by a 9.625 on beam. The Warriors and Blugolds continued their steady improvements on bars with another season high on the event. 

Implications: Both Eau Claire and Winona State will move up slightly in the NCGA rankings for the time being. The question is, will these teams be able to hold on to their new positions through the end of the Sunday competitions. Rhode Island is within striking distance of Winona State, while Cortland is just over three tenths behind Eau Claire. UW-La Crosse has solidified the fourth spot, distancing itself from Ithaca College. However, the Eagles are over a point behind Whitewater at the moment. The beam team surpassed the 48 mark for the first time this season. Consistency on bars will be the goal moving into conference championship week. That’s the only way the La Crosse will be able to keep it close with Whitewater and Oshkosh.

Recap 

The Big Storyline: UW-Oshkosh claimed another away conference victory. The Titans deviated some from their 190-plus streak, but there were still things to celebrate. Buffington’s vault is still next level, Hammond reasserted herself as a threat on beam and Kennedy Springer made her official season debut with a floor event victory. Gustavus continued where it left off last meet, posting a vault and floor season high team total. Sophia Redding also returned to her rightful place at the top of the bar event podium. 

Implications: Oshkosh’s SAS will not improve this week, nor will it make any moves forward in the NCGA rankings. In fact, Whitewater will edge out the Titans this week after posting another 191-plus in its senior night. UW-Oshkosh will look to get the bar lineup back on track next weekend to contend for a conference title. Gustavus will be happy to no longer be counting any scores below 182 in its SAS. The Gusties tied their season high tonight but will be unable to move up in the rankings at the moment. Be on the lookout for Sophia Redding at the conference championship. She has an outside shot at a bars title, especially if she can hit all her handstands. 

Records: Gustavus’ 47.475 on vault marked a new program record.

Recap 

The Big Storyline: Whitewater’s vault and beam lineups led the way to another conference victory. Rachel Lewellen continued to dominate on vault, scoring a 9.800 for her Yurchenko tuck full. She has consistently led the event throughout the season along with Kara Welsh, the second member of the Warhawks’ dynamic duo. Despite posting a lower bars score today, Whitewater posted the highest total in the WIAC this week. UW-Stout put together a season high thanks to a team best 47.700 on beam. 

Implications: The other teams in the WIAC should be getting nervous. Whitewater seems to have the highest ceiling this year, especially if it can hit on bars. With this week’s performance, the Warhawks will move to first in the conference and second in the NCGA, only behind Brockport. Whitewater and Brockport are the only NCGA teams to surpass the 192 mark this season, so those two are the ones expected to contend for the national title this season. However, the Warhawks have had a few more consistency problems than the Golden Eagles. Anything could happen. Stout’s season high team performance will not be enough to move ahead of La Crosse this week in the rankings. With the fourth spot in the West, the Blue Devils have an outside shot of a team qualification to nationals. The team will need a little help from its competitors to stay in the mix, though. Either way, expect to see sixth-year Mikala Bugge advancing.

Recap 

The Big Storyline: In a still peaking NCGA-East conference, Cortland set new season highs for the overall team score as well as on beam and floor, as Kamyryn Rodriguez lead the Red Dragons. The Bombers found themselves back in their groove, with a new season high on vault and bounced back on bars after a low 42.050 last week—although beam proves to continue to cause trouble. While Brockport hasn’t quite found the success it had earlier in the season with scores in the 192 range, it did tie its own season high on vault and threw up a new season high on floor by over two tenths. Consistency on bars is the biggest hurdle for the Golden Eagles at this time. 

Implications: Brockport sits atop the NCGA and NCGA-East with UW-Whitewater a little under a point behind to add a little fuel to Brockport’s fire. The Bombers will continue its season in fifth place, just behind Brockport in the east. Cortland will stay situated between Rhode Island and Ursinus in what has proven to be a competitive conference. 

Records: For Cortland, Gracie Gallagher set a new personal best of 9.475 on beam. Lucy De Michele scored a new high of 9.275 on vault and Zoe Potamianos notched a personal best of 9.550 on floor. Sydney Schumaker tied for a program and personal record on vault for Brockport with a 9.825.

Update 2/24: Centenary was unable to travel due to weather.

Recap 

The Big Storyline: The Owls cruised to first place thanks to their consistency and new season highs, guided by Hanna Zebdi and Cassidy Girolamo. Springfield posted a new overall team season high, as well as on vault and floor. With several standout scores on floor, Springfield cleared its previous season high on vault and floor by nearly half a point, with just beam proving to hamper the team overall. Rhode Island also put together a record-setting meet, with Olivia Keyes and Emma tucker leading the Anchorwoman to a new season high. 

Implications: Southern Connecticut’s new highs puts added pressure on Cornell. With just a few weeks to go, Cornell could find itself overtaken by the Owls. With SAS coming into play, Springfield sits in third place, applying pressure to Ursinus as it continues through the season. Rhode Island sits just behind in fourth despite another record-breaking weekend in a tough NCGA-East conference.

Records: Southern Connecticut set a new team bars record with a 48.575. The Pride’s MacKenzie MacLeod set a new career high of 9.825 on floor, as did Sophie Parquet with a 9.775, Rae Anna Schutz with a 9.700, Devon Rosier with a 9.675 and Delaney LaViolette with a 9.625. On vault Anne Kiley set a new high with a 9.625 and Rae Anna Schutz with a 9.575. Emma Tucker and Olivia Keyes each set new program records, as Emma Tucker notched a personal and record high on beam with a 9.750, a mark previously set by Olivia Keyes. On floor, Olivia Keyes set a new program and personal record of 9.875, another record she had set with Kelsey Gates this season.

Recap 

The Big Storyline: The Golden Rams proved their consistency after scoring within a tenth of their Friday team score after scoring within a margin of just over a point since the first week of competition. Vault continued to be a hit or miss, with this week scoring a little lower than its average highs, but West Chester brought it home with its solid beam lineup including placing in the top four spots on beam. Ursinus topped a 188 for the second week in a row, continuing to peak with new season highs on both bars and beam helped by Alyssa DeLorme who set a new program record herself as well. With just vault as the Bears’ only event that dropped a few tenths from the week prior, Ursinus has found its groove in this second half of the season. 

Implications: With Penn and Yale continuing their own dominance, West Chester continues to sit firmly in third in the GEC, its consistency both its strength and a hindrance. A few high scores could help it to unseat Yale in second. Ursinus stays steady in third in the NCGA-East, although with a few more solid meets under its belt could put some renewed pressure on the Bombers sitting in second. 

Records: Alyssa DeLorme of Ursinus set a new career high on beam with a 9.800, bars with a 9.800 and a 9.750 on floor. She set a new high of 38.275 in the all-around as well. Abigal Schwedt set a new personal best of 9.625 on beam.