by David F. Pendrys

NEW HAVEN, CT- The Yale Bulldogs hosted the Springfield College Pride Saturday afternoon at Payne Whitney Gymnasium on senior day. The result was a 188.650 for the home blue and white, while Division 3 SC picked up a 184.250.

Springfield’s Abby Clark won the All Around with a solid 37.85 edging Yale’s Morgan Traina and her 37.550. SC’s Lauren Pocius was third scoring 37.425

Yale’s Camilla Opperman placed 1st on Vault, Traina was second acquiring a 9.6, and Marissa DeAngelo of Springfield anchored her team’s rotation and took third flying to a 9.525. On the Uneven Bars, Yale’s Joyce Li led her team and the meet swinging to a 9.675. Teammate Tatiana Winkelman was second with a 9.625, and fellow Bulldog Allison Bushman tallied a 9.6.

On over on the Beam Brittney Sooksengdao and Traina took first for Yale with 9.775’s. Anna Merkuryev also of the home team was third, landing a 9.625. On Floor, Opperman flipped to a 9.775 for first, Nicole Silva of Springfield was second putting up a 9.625, and Clark placed third earning a 9.6.

Yale scored the best on Vault posting a 47.525 in total. Their floor score was a 47.225, Bars 47.00, and Beam 46.9. In addition to the top scorers, Anella Anderson contributed a 9.575 on Floor, and Katherine Lucas a 9.5. Springfield had their best day on Vault of the four events scoring a 47.350, they also outscored Yale on Floor with a 47.275, but had rougher times on Bars (44.900) and Beam (44.725).

Clark was Springfield’s second best vaulter of the afternoon with a 9.5 and Connecticut’s own Lauren Pocius had a 9.55 to pace the team on the Uneven Bars. On Beam Clark also led the Pride with her 9.6 when the team had to count numerous falls. Pocius had an impact with a 9.5 on the Floor Exercise in addition to Silva and Clark placing.

After the meet Yale honored their senior class of Chrisman, Li, Lucas and Traina.

Routine Video Playlist

More highlights described

Yale Vault.

Brianna Chrisman had a front entry into the vault and a front tuck off with great power and speed. There was perhaps too much force as she stumbled on the landing. Morgan Traina did a handspring on before twists in her salto and landing with a slight step. Katherine Lucas did a handspring on as well, but back layouts off, and also had a step on her landing. Joyce Li had a similar vault, with as light step upon impact with the mat. Camilla Opperman leapt from the springboard forward, flipped, twisted and STUCK her landing. Anella Anderson did an exhibition vault which featured a handspring on, layout off with a step on the landing.

Yale Bars

Tatiana Winkelman had a stable routine, before she backed tucked off and stuck the landing. Joyce Li wasted no time getting to her Tkatchev release. She turned a bunch on her pre-dismount swings then launches into tucks, only stepping on the landing. Allison Bushman began by flying over the front bar in a straddle leap to the high bar. She quickly set up her Piked Jaeger and hit though her legs came apart in the swing prior. She transitioned to the low bar and held the handstand before returning eventually to the high bar and dismounting in layouts. She took a small step as well on the mat.

Yale Beam

Morgan Traina immediately split at beam level on the mount. Her style was matter of fact and she hit the first tumbling pass cleanly, with only the slight appearance of a hiccup on a spin later. Her split leap into a sheep jump combo went splendidly, as did her aerial cartwheel. A spinning wolf required only a slight balance check and soon she back tucks off twisting and sticks the landing.

Brittney Sooksengdao mounted to a lot of beam level dance prior to the first pass. She landed both powerful layout step outs cleanly. Her splits and turning leap was also landed as if the beam were the floor. She wrapped things up with a handspring into a twisting dismount and stuck it.

Anna Merkuryev wasted little time before a entering her back layout step out. Some jumps went solidly before a slight check was needed on a turn. She landed a split leap back salto combination pretty solidly eventually also completing an aerial cartwheel with just slight adjustments. She dismounted her back pike well.

Anella Anderson had a balance check early after some pre-tumbling jumps. Her eventual front saltos were successful with the second finishing in a scale for a nice effect. Her back pass was powerful but needed a check at the end. Eventually her dismount was a high flying back handspring into some energetic twists which she landed ably.

Kacie Traina did an exhibition and landed her tumbling but had to adjust her balance at the end of it. Later she hit a front flip but also had to tweak after landing. Her dismount was a back twisting effort which she landed with a slight step.

Yale Floor

As music played with almost a samba beat, Katherine Lucas opened with and stuck a double back. Fast drums took over as she lines up for pass two with a twist and layout. She keeps the energy up in her dance and pass three results into a twist then another layout unfortunately which carried her out of bounds. She closed with some spinning wolf jumps before the final pose was struck.

Camilla Opperman’s techno music was timed to punctuate her back pikes being stuck during the first pass. She twisted in her second pass before snapping into a front tuck. Her dance sequence included the moonwalk and was high energy as she readied for pass three which added the exclamation of double back tucks which she also nailed.

Brittney Sooksengdao’s music opened with some slow rock before what sounds like the melody to “we run this” accompanied her first pass. She landed the double pike with a smile and did her various split leap variants into the corner, before setting up a pair of front layouts in pass two as the music switches, before returning to a drum background. A pirouette serves as a prelude to her final pass where she twists and lands. There were some slight checks on some of the landings it seemed.

Anella Anderson had a lively salsaish feel to her music as she used the back tuck for pass one. With that settled, the music became more dramatic and techno based amidst the dance leaping. Pass two resulted into two snapping layouts, and another music change this time slower. The lively music kicks in again though as she twists and lands nicely to close things out.

Sloane Smith had a fast paced exhibition routine, with music seemingly out of bollywood. She let loose a double back tuck but stepped out of bounds before going into leaps. Her second pass featured two layouts before she rushed back with a leap to line up the third pass consisting of a twist into one front tuck.

Springfield Vault

Madison Bowen used a handspring entry, and back layouts before landing. She needed a step and to lean in for stabilizing. Nicole Silva leapt off the springboard forward but turned on the horse and flew off in back layouts landing solidly. Marissa DeAngelo use a handspring to get on, and back layouts off getting great distance though needing a step after touch down. Lauren Pocius had some power in her handspring on, layouts off vault, she needed a step after flying a good distance. Kristen Feliu leapt forward off the spring and front tucked far away from the vault, resulting in some stumbles to stay up after a really powerful flight. Abby Clark used a handspring on and back layouts off, but also needed a step on the landing amidst a relatively clean vault. Gabby Christ’s exhibition vault had a front entry before a turn and back pikes off in a quick blast of a vault. Hops were needed on the landing.

Springfield Bars

Brianna Kerr got gets through the opening transitions back and forth competently before back tucking off and sticking the landing. Clark mounted to the high bar and cleanly moved from low to high and back, while needing a few checks in the later part of the routine, but she back tucked off handily with a step on the landing. When Pocius begins within seconds she is on the high bar, changing grips with her swings into a fluid Gienger. She soon is flying back to the lower bar, only to return quickly to the high bar, turning some more then back tucking off for a strong finish, with a slight step on the landing. Meri Moreau’s exhibition routine was less flashy but delivered capably and without a fall.

Springfield Beam

It was not the best of days for the Pride on Beam, but Abby Clark had a slight stumble on her first tumbling pass but held steady through the rest of her routine. Her various leaps mid routine were clean and potent including a split leap right combination into a turning jump. Her pirouette looked easy despite its precarious nature. She ended it with a back pike off with a minor step on the landing.

Springfield Floor

With some fast drums accompanying her Lauren Pocius twisted and then front tucked during the first pass. A dramatic tone was struck as she leapt to the second corner, and brought out a second of pass ending with front layouts in succession. The electronic music slowed as she dances low, but swells as she leaps around the mat. The final pass came as she changes direction from front to back on her run, and then twists forward to end with a front tuck in a complicated looking sequence as the drums kicked back in. She elected to do a clean turning handstand before her finishing pose.

As dramatic music booms, Abby Clark opened with a double back, before dancing and spinning into the corner to set up pass two ending in layouts. Two turns eventually led into a shorter final pass, before she added in more leaps prior to a double turning stag leap and the conclusion.

Ominous music followed Nicole Silva through her various dances at floor level. She got in some turning leaps before launching into pass one. Her back pikes were landed as the music was timed well to augment the elements. The accompaniment slowed as she readied for the next tumbling run. She twisted and then launched a front layout with a little form break. Pass three soon followed, and she twists before a front tuck and a booming finish.

Jenna Crouteau opened with slow dramatic music as backdrop. She twisted and did a front layout successfully as the tension builds. Her dancing was direct as she pulled into the corner as an orchestral version of “Rock you Like a Hurricane” overlaid her efforts. Two front layouts would follow. The slow refrain now a familiar sound to meet attendees continued as moved into the corner, ran and twisted and landed a front tuck (though with a slight check) and that was that.

In one of the most energetic routines of the day a lot of dancing opened Kelsi Levesque’s exhibition routine. The music picked up and she changed direction multiple times on her first pass. She got great height on her split leap. Her second pass of front layouts resulted in a smile as she landed. The smile remained as she enters a robotic slower segment of the routine, even stopping as the music stopped briefly. Soon she lined up pass three though stumbled on a twist portion before ending.