David F.P.

[Gymnastike Video Coverage] 

(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.)

(Note: Due to overlapping scheduling, this covers just the team finals, and all around competition friday night and not saturday’s event finals)

[Modest Image Gallery]

SPRINGFIELD, MA- As the first day of the NCGA (Division 3) championships drew to a close the lighting was changed to a more theatrical feel as the teams all marched into await the award presentations. It presented a colorful sites as representatives from nearly all of the teams in D3 stood arrayed waiting for news on how they had done. UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater, Winona State, and individuals from every other school in the WIAC had traveled to take on SUNY Brockport, SUNY Cortland, Springfield, and the various individuals from Ursinus, Wilson, and Ithaca. A maelstrom of gymnastics if there every was one.

UW La Crosse entered Blake Arena as defending champions, but they had recently been topped by UW Whitewater at WIACs, and Brockport remained atop the division rankings, with Cortland not far behind. Springfield and Winona had plenty of scoring ability as well entering the meet, and it was as expected, a close one. In the end La Crosse picked up their 14th NCGA title scoring a 186.775 to edge Brockport’s 186.200. Whitewater placed third with a 184.750, Cortland fourth with a 183.425, Springfield College 5th scoring a 182.425, and Winona sixth with a 181.950.

In the very close all around competition, Kira Oldham-Curtis of Ursinus picked up a 38.375, UW-Stout’s Meghan Hargens was second scoring a 38.050, Jessica Bolduc of Ithaca placed third with a 38.000, Justine Weyer of Whitewater was fourth scoring 37.975, Lauren Gildemeyer of Brockport scored a 37.825, and Courtney Gonzales of La Crosse finished 6th adding a 37.625. Four other gymnasts cracked 37 in the pursuit.

The other order of business was the first round of individual competition, with the top 14 scorers from each event advancing to finals. The results of Day 2 should be up on the Springfield website at this point as there was quite a few. But I will mention just a few of the high scorers from day 1 keeping in mind this was just a qualification round.

Gildemeyer had a 9.725 to lead all vault scorers, Weyer had a 9.7 for the second highest of the day, Chris Cate of Cortland added a 9.675, Springfield’s Jeanna Bradle, Cortland’s Jenn Najuch, and Ithaca’s Jessica Bolduc had 9.650s and Oldham-Curtis had a 9.625.

The top Uneven Bars scorer of the day was Meghan Hargens as she picked up a 9.700, Weyer was the 2nd highest scorer with a 9.525, La Crosse’s Hailey Sommer and Whitewater’s Annie Mix had 9.450s for the third highest Bars score of the day. Christina Baggetta of Brockport had a 9.425, Bolduc and Oldham-Curtis added 9.4s.

SC’s Audrey Lastra and UW-Stout’s Naomi Delara both hit 9.75s on the Beam, Christine Haungs of Cortland posted a 9.675 behind them, La Crosse’s Kelsey Matula added a 9.650, Danielle Schultzenberg and Oldham-Curtis had 9.575s as well.

On the Floor, Oldham-Curtis led the way with a 9.775 score, Gildemeyer had the second highest score of 9.650 along with Bolduc. Gabi Hooper of La Crosse and Mary Kate Young of Whitewater scored 9.625s, and Kaitlin Dewey had a 9.600.