By David F. Pendrys (Eyewitness account augmented by official releases.) (Full score sheet.)

NEW HAVEN, CT- In the ECAC Championships held at Yale,William & Mary won the title scoring 194.375 edging the Brown Bears despite Brown’s season high 194.150. Brown had struggled on Beam but rebounded in the other three events for second. Yale’s 193.575 put them third. Penn had a 192.8, Temple a 192.075, and Cornell a 191.225 to round out the six teams. Video coverage filmed for the Gymternet and this site can be seen here: (Editor’s note, focus was on the five teams other than William & Mary due to proximity and due to W&M posting all of their routines on their own platform.)

Brittany Stover (W&M) won the All-Around, Vault, & Beam titles, though she shared the Vault win with Brown’s Caroline Morant. Camilla Opperman of Yale won Floor and Brown’s Diana Walters won the Bars. Stover was ECAC Gymnast of the Year, Anna Merkuryev of Yale was Rookie of the Year, Maggie Lundeen of W&M was Specialist of the Year. John Ceralde of Penn took home Head Coach of the Year honors, and Temple Acting Head Coach Deidre Bertotti was named Assistant of the Year.

Yale had a good day overall but had the most success on Floor and the points black hole that is Beam. In addition to Opperman’s meet leading 9.9, Anella Anderson, Morgan Traina and Sloane Smith all had 9.725s. Anna Merkuryev’s 9.675 added to the overall score as well. On the Beam, the stalwart senior Morgan Traina led the team with a 9.85, Brittney Sooksengdao had a 9.775, Kacie Traina a 9.75, Anderson a 9.7, and Merkuryev’s 9.575 to wrap up five solid counted scores.

On the Bars Traina led the team a swell swinging to a 9.8 from the anchor position. Tatiana Winkelman was second among Bulldogs with a 9.725, and Joyce Li had a 9.65. Allison Bushman contributed a 9.525 as well. Vault was actually the lowest total event, but Merkuryev added to her rookie success flipping to a 9.75. Traina’s 9.625 was second on the team. Sloane Smith had 9.6, Opperman and Li each added 9.525s. Traina actually only lost to Stover in the All Around by 1 point as she posted a 39.

Brown excelled on Floor putting up a 49.025 on the event led by Caroline Morant and Jorden Mitchell each scoring 9.875s. Brooke Williams was third on her team scoring a 9.825 and Anya Olson and Diana Walters each added counted scores of 9.725. On Vault in addition to Morant’s meet leading 9.85, Mitchell acquired a 9.8, Walters flew to a 9.775, and Corey Holman had a 9.7. Williams added a 9.6.

The Bears finished the meet strong on Bars as Walters set the pace with her meet leading 9.825. Alexandra Chretien and Maggie McAvoy each scored 9.75s to solidify the rotation building on Mitchell’s 9.675 and Claire Ryan’s 9.6.

Beam was the rough event for Brown as they had to count two falls, however despite that Claire Olson held steady with a 9.7, and Olson and Morant posted 9.775s. Mitchell was the team’s best All Arounder with her 38.675.

Penn found success in many places. On Floor, Carissa Lim led the team scoring a 9.775. Kaitlyn Reszkowski and Megan Finck weren’t far behind salto’ing to 9.725s. Morgan Venuti and Kyra Levi’s 9.675 and 9.6 respectively rounded out the counted scores.

On Beam, Amber Hu was tops holding steady for a 9.85. Teammate Amber Woo had a 9.8 and Emily Shugan’s 9.75 was third best among the red, white, & blue. Vault was less auspicious but Venuti still flipped a 9.725, Levy had a 9.65 and Lim a 9.6.The team’s lowest scoring event was Bars but Elyse Shenberger and Emily Shugan still posted solid 9.625s.

Temple put together an excellent Floor rotation led by Lauren Capone and her 9.85. Michaela Lapent, Stephanie Verry, and Alexandra Forcucci all had 9.725s and Kerry Arone a 9.7 to give the Owls their 5 counted scores. On the Vault, the Owls also flew high as Capone and Jasmine Johnson had 9.775s, Arena a 9.65, Victoria Reggiani a 9.625, and Briana Odom a 9.6.

On Bars Arone’s 9.7 anchored the rotation, bolstered by Victoria Reggiani’s 9.65 and Hannah Popper’s 9.6. Beam had its ups and downs but Lapent was steadfast putting up a 9.775. Verry’s 9.675 and Arone’s 9.65 contributed as well.

Cornell put together it’s best rotation on the Beam of all things, and Joy Gage put up the best score of 9.825, followed by Christine Wong’s 9.775. Anna Huang’s 9.725, Maia Vernacchia’s 9.7 and Kaylie Cronin’s 9.675 cemented the scoring. Gage took the team’s best Floor score as well flipping to a 9.8, followed by Elana Molotsky’s 9.75. Julohn Teixeira and Samantha VanderPutten added 9.675s to the effort as well.

On Bars, the Big Red only put up 5 gymnasts and Molotsky’s 9.675 was the best of them. On the Vault, Sara Schupp flipped to a team leading 9.75, Alexandria Bourgeois was right behind with a 9.725, and Alicia Bair’s 9.675 helped build the score.

William & Mary got to their championship led by Stover’s 39.1 in the All Around. On Floor Lundeen set the pace scoring a 9.875. Stover had a 9.85 and Larson Lasek a 9.825. Stover’s event winning 9.9 naturally led the team on Beam trailed close behind Bri Gironda’s 9.85, Lasek’s 9.825, and Brandy Stover’s 9.8. Brittany Stover topped the team scoring while co-champ of Vault flipping to a 9.85. Lasek’s 9.775, and Livi O’Connor’s 9.75 were other top scores. Bars was the team’s weakest event though O’Connor still posted a 9.675 ahead of Gironda’s 9.625.

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