Trigger Warning: The Head Coach of SCSU at the time, Gerald Nelson, has been alleged to have been discriminatory towards gymnasts within his program.
By D.F. Pendrys (Scores from eyewitness accounts verified through Troester) [Photo Gallery]
NEW HAVEN, CT – The Southern Connecticut Owls honored four of their own this Sunday as seniors Erika Pysh, Krystie Tomlinson, Bethany Jeffords, and Brittany Otto were given a send off, two send offs in fact, in front of the home crowd at Moore Field house.
Pysh posted season highs of 9.825 on the Floor, 9.625 on the Beam (9.75 in 2006-2007 as well), 9.225 on Bars, and 9.5 on Vault this season in addition to numerous ECAC merits won throughout her career. Tomlinson had a season high of 9.175 on Bars this year and a 9.4 season high on Beam last season. Jeffords set season highs of 9.3 on the FX, 9.175 on vault, and 9.175 on Bars and last season had a 9.35 high on Vault, 9.4 high on bars, 9.4 on beam, and 9.525 on Floor. Otto had a season high 9.425 on the Vault.
Turning to the competition itself, both teams would reach season highs, for SCSU, their previous high of 187.575, set February 9th at MIT was eclipsed by today’s 188.6. Ithaca’s previous 183.1 high score set at Cornell on the same day was topped by nearly three points with a 185.925. SCSU set new season highs on the Vault, Bars, and Floor as well. Ithaca had new season highs on the Vault and Floor.
Southern opened on Vault and it was Justine Basley’s 9.55 that led the team and would be the top score of the meet. Briana DiPinto’s 9.525 was good enough for second among Owls and a tie for second place in the event as well. Seniors Erika Pysh and Brittany Otto contributed to the new season high team score with a 9.5 and 9.425 respectively. Carolyn Proulx picked up the team’s fifth highest score with a 9.2.
Ithaca’s vault rotation, a new season high score, would be led by Rachel Taylor’s 9.525, good for second place in the meet, and Lauren Marcoux’s 9.5, which was good for a tie for third in the meet with Southern’s Pysh. Frances Ente (9.35), Emily Graber (9.275), and Devon Birek (9.25) rounded out the counted scores.
SCSU’s Uneven Bars rotation was once again led by Sarah Darst who picked up a 9.6, which was good enough for a second place meet finish. Taylor Murray’s 9.425, Basley’s 9.3, Pysh’s 9.225, and fellow senior Tomlinson’s 9.075 were the five scores that went towards the new season high for the team.
For the Bombers from IC, Roxanne DeShaies had a meet and team leading 9.675, Birek swung to a 9.35, Graber a 9.075, and Ente and Whiffen rounded out the counted scores.
Murray’s 9.55 on the four inch beam would be the top score from either team that afternoon. Basley’s 9.475 was second among owls and the meet, as well. DiPinto’s 9.375, Pysh’s 9.1, and Guillerault’s 9.05 helped compose the rest of the team score, the lone event where Southern did not set a new season high, but there was still plenty of good news that day for blue and white.
Ithaca’s Beam rotation featured Brianne Sullivan and Lauren Marcoux picking up 9.425s, the third highest score of the meet on that event. Katheryn Kaiser’s 9.275, Lauren Ferrone, and Samantha Brawn provided the rest of the counted scores.
On Floor, the blue and yellow from IC had their best event, and a new season high. Kailee Spusta’s 9.7 was the top Bomber score, and the second highest FX score of the meet. Valerie Ierley’s 9.625, Jessica Oddo’s 9.525, Lauren Marcoux 9.325, and Sullivan and Taylor’s 9.2 constituted the team score.
For the Owls, there was a lot of good news. The season high was set led by Pysh’s 9.8 in her final home event of her career. This was preceded by DiPinto’s 9.65, and Basley’s 9.625 before that. Samantha Laraway put up a 9.6 in the third lineup spot, and Michelle Guillerault had a 9.55, following a 9.3 by Goodknight to open up the rotation.
Basley, Pysh, and Goodknight would all pick up solid all around scores with Basley just missing a 38, with a 37.95.
