MIT Season Opener
Yale
Yale’s meet report was quick to point out that the Bulldogs were facing injuries and illness which can certainly hurt a team’s performance, but even so the team put together solid Floor, and an incredibly solid Beam score all the same. The team only had 5 starters per event though which is a serious liability for any team having to count all scores no matter what. They still put up a 182.8 for the day and to win the multi-team meet. (Scores from Troester.)

On Vault it was tough scoring but Lauren Tatsuno picked up a 9.425, and Alina Liao a 9.35. Allison Mak and Sherry Yang were right below the 9 mark and Micaline Tomeo debuted as well.

On the bars it was also rough although Liao hit a 9.7, and Sarah Hughes had a 8.85 and Mak a 8.7. Hughes and Mak aren’t usually on that event. Newcomers Claude De Jocas and Margaret Greenberg also debuted on that event.

Beam would be a breath of fresh air which is ironic considering how nefarious the apparatus is. Liao hit a 9.825, Mak and Tatsuno had 9.775s, and Brigitte Kivisto had a 9.675. Sherry Yang rounded things out with her 9.15.

On Floor Liao hit a 9.7, Kivisto a 9.6, Tatsuno a 9.475, Yang a 9.3, and Hughes a 9.2 for a very solid rotation.

MIT
MIT’s new look lineup took to the floor at home filled with a mix of newcomers and veterans and scored a 174.575. On the Vault Julia Zimmerman led the way with a 9.475 followed by newcomer Leanna Morinishi’s 9.3, fellow newcomer Karis Stevenson’s 9.1, Elizabeth Stavely’s 8.95, and her sister’s Rebecca Stavely being the 5th score. MIT also competed only 5 on 3 of 4 events which is also quite a feat.

On the Uneven Bars, Zimmerman had a 9.45, while Morinishi had a 8.8, and Alison Barnard, Rebecca Stavely, and Stevenson competed as well on what was a tough scoring event but that was pretty much true no matter what team was competing throughout the New England region.

On Beam Morinishi made her presence felt with a 9.55, Zimmerman followed with a 9.525, and Marie Heglund, Katie Mingo, and Karis Stevenson all had 8.75s. If this keeps up this could be a big apparatus for MIT this year.

Finally on Floor, Zimmerman set the pace with a 9.2, which she can top definitely, Mingo had an 8.85, newcomer Rachael Holmes was third among Engineers, and Morinishi, Elizabeth Stavely, and Stevenson also competed.

Ursinus
For the visiting ECAC D3 Champions Ursinus it was also a day of ups and downs on their way to a 180.525.

On Vault Erin Slaunwhite had a 9.325, but the rest of the team couldn’t break the 9 plateau. On the Uneven Bars, Kira Oldham-Curtis set the pace with a 9.45, Danielle Chmelewski had a 9.4, and Jackie Clymer a 9.15. On the Beam, Oldham-Curtis led the team with a 9.7, Slaunwhite scored a 9.625, Danielle Michielle had a 9.425, and the others were close to 9 in the team’s best event. It was ironic that a ton of teams had beam as their best event of the day across gymnastics. Finally on Floor Oldham-Curtis picked up another 9.7, Amy Eddy had a 9.1, and in an event the team could only put up 5 gymnasts the others were close to 9.

SUNY Cortland
(Still waiting on the Cortland results.)

SCSU in Springfield

The Southern Connecticut State University Owls were up at another SC this weekend and put up a 185.075 in their first meet with their new lineup devoid of five of their starters from last season. (Scores from Troester.)

Vault started out strong with Taylor Murray setting the pace with a 9.525, Briana DiPinto and Justine Basley continued their scoring ways with 9.45s, Michelle Steel joined in with a 9.3, and Samantha Pernal had a 9.15. Steel, Pernal, and 6th competitor Taylor Wierzba are newcomers to the starting roles.

Bars was the roughest event of the meet, though not cataclysmic, as Sarah Darst picked up where she left off last year and scored a 9.575, Basley had a 9.525, and Murray a 9.325 with the other three gymnasts scoring below 9, which is certainly not the end of the world as gymnasts from division 1 to division 3 were doing the same across New England just to keep things in perspective.

On Beam, DiPinto struck gold with a 9.725, and Murray was behind her with a 9.5. Newcomer Jessica Kiback picked up a 9.25, and fellow newcomer Alanna Laecca just missed 9 on the four inch menace of an event. The other competitors also finished below 9 but once again they were in good company.

Floor was solid, though it’s likely that score will rise as the season goes on. Basley set the pace with a 9.475, DiPinto had a 9.45, Darst a 9.375, Wierzba a 9.175, and Michelle Guillerault was close to 9.

It was certainly a good start for the Owls, but if last season is any indication they’ll be higher scores to come and it looks like some of the newcomers are already making their mark.

It was storming across the region and first meet jitters seemed to come with the wind and snow. Can’t wait to see how the teams do next week!