by David F.P.

[Gymnastike Video Coverage] [Modest Image Gallery]
(Scores from eyewitness account)

(Note: Coverage was filmed prior to terrible FloSports management decisions that started in 2014. All coverage filmed for FloGymnastics is their property by law. Linkage is not an endorsement of current FloSports management or management decisions. The reporting staff of FloGymnastics remains an excellent group however despite upper management failures.)

NEW HAVEN, CT- It may not have been a blizzard but it was a cold day at SCSU, though inside the warm confines of the Moore Fieldhouse numerous teams assembled including the host division 2 Owls, their rivals from down I-95, the Bridgeport Purple Knights, their neighbors from downtown, the Yale Bulldogs, and the division 3 Ithaca Bombers, part of the hotly contested ECAC D3 conference.

The result was a win for the reigning USAG Collegiate Co-Champions, the Bridgeport Purple Knights who posted a 189.600 in the victory. Yale took second with a 186.825 edging SCSU’s 186.750, and Ithaca picked up a 181.100.

In the All Around, Bridgeport’s heralded Lorraine Galow took 1st with a 38.675. Yale freshman Tara Feld, continues to make a major impact in her first collegiate meets, placed second with a 38.100, and UB’s Miranda Der was third with a 37.825. Yale senior captain Brigitte Kivisto’s 37.375 was good enough for fourth. ECAC Division 3 Gymnast of the Week Jessica Bolduc led Ithaca with her 37.175 to place fifth. Yale Freshman Stephanie Goldstein posted that mark as well.
Galow took Vault with a 9.775, Der had a 9.750, as did Feld. Kivisto posted a 9.650, former Olympian and current Purple Knight Monica Messalles flew to a 9.5, SCSU’s Rebecca Brady and UB’s Amanda Goodman had 9.475’s and Bolduc had a 9.425
Feld took the Bars win with a 9.7, Galow was second with a 9.650, her teammate and event specialist Carissa Huggins placed third with a 9.625. SCSU’s Uneven Bars ace Sarah Darst picked up a 9.575, and fellow Owl Justine Basley scored a 9.550, Kivisto and her teammate Freshman Lindsay Andsager a 9.5. Bolduc had a 9.475 for IC’s top score of the event.

Bridgeport’s Emily Repko was first on Beam by scoring a 9.675, SCSU’s Briana DiPinto had a 9.6, Galow posted a 9.550, SCSU’s Taylor Murray a 9.5, Yale’s Allison Mak 9.450, Der a 9.4, Messalles a 9.375, and Ithaca’s Kay Gordon, Jessica Bolduc, and Yale’s Stephanie Goldstein had 9.250s

Galow took the floor as well with her 9.7. Feld had a 9.650 for 2nd. DiPinto, UB’s Breanna Collins, and Yale’s Talis Trevino scored 9.55. Kailee Spusta had Ithaca’s best floor score of the day with a 9.325.
For Yale, next week they face the division 3 Springfield College Pride at home back in Lee Ampitheater. As team score’s go Yale will likely outscore SC, however the individual competition will likely be very close with each team fielding a whole array of high scorers.
Southern Connecticut spends the rest of the season on the road and next week will be at Cornell for the Big Red Invitational.
Bridgeport has one home meet (and also hosts ECAC D2 championships at the end of the year) so they’ll also be on the road for awhile. They will join SCSU at the Big Red Invitational next week in a continuation of their ongoing competition. The two teams have been trading ECAC D2 titles back and forth for years.
Ithaca will be back in their home city, but over at Cornell for the Big Red Invitational bringing three of the teams from this week together. Towson and of course host Cornell will be there in a very interesting mix of teams.
Yale, SCSU, and Bridgeport are always in the mix to possibly send individual gymnasts to regionals and USAG Nationals as well, though Yale’s realm is more in the Ivy League and ECAC Division 1 league standings. SCSU and Bridgeport have their ECAC D2 conference along with West Chester, but mainly try to get to the top of USAG standings and make the championships. Ithaca competes in the hard fought ECAC Division 3 conference against the likes of Brockport, Cortland, Springfield, and Ursinus (and at one time MIT) and also works towards D3 nationals.
Outside of the competition itself, Muriel Grossfeld, a gymnastics legend and three time Olympian, was on hand. A scholarship in support of women’s gymnastics has been created in her honor at SCSU.

It was also a senior day, due to the way Southern Connecticut’s schedule was set up, the team had only two home meets. The Owls have nine seniors this year and they have all played a role on the team throughout their time on the team. Caitlin Briere, Sarah Darst, Briana DiPinto, Nicole Fern, Michelle Guillerault, Taylor Murray, Michelle Steel, and Robin Underwood have all made many appearances in the lineup and many are the core of the Southern lineup this season as well.

Routines Lists
There will be video coverage up on Gymnastike of Ithaca, Southern Connecticut, and Yale. Bridgeport to be determined. Hopefully I will post a UB routines list up soon, depending on time available.