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 account and Troester.) [Image Gallery.]
Note: This report will lean towards more coverage of URI due to the circumstances.
Commentary
Before I begin the report itself, I am forced to admit this is the hardest report I will probably write for some time. This is due to the fact that I cannot help but be continually bothered by the circumstances that have brought about the destruction of the University of Rhode Island gymnastics team. URI was a school that I owe a great deal to. They were the first to grant me permissions to write reports integrating their press releases, they were the first to treat me like an actual media agent, even though I can only attempt to rise that standard, and doubt I’ll ever reach it. I have enjoyed visiting the campus and seeing the team at home and away and have tuned in to other URI sports throughout the past few years, but yet now I am angered. Angered at the decisions of people who apparently did not even try to save the program, but announced it’s ending suddenly and without hope of compromise (except perhaps the slight glimmer of the hope of one more year of competition.) I ask myself why couldn’t they have gone to the community first and asked for help, what was stopping them? Why did they act as if the gymnastics team was just an old toy they had to throw away to make room for a “newer, better” plaything? What does it say about the future of college athletics is that is the kind of decision being made? I don’t know any of these answers. All I know is that in the end it’s not me being hurt, it’s not the athletics staff at URI, nor its President, it’s a group of athletes who devoted themselves to a sport for most of their lives, who have felt the pain of this decision, and what reward was worth putting them through that?
End Commentary
On Friday March 7th, it was about to rain, three buses moved into the parking area in front of the athletics complex at the University of Rhode Island and from them emerged three teams, MIT’s Engineers, Yale’s Bulldogs, and SCSU’s Owls, potentially the last gymnastics teams every to visit Mackal Fieldhouse and take on the Rhode Island Rams. The warm ups proceeded as various fans arrived to fill the stands, most clad in URI colors, some in those of the visitors. Under normal circumstances this would be a celebratory night, a send off for the senior class, but tonight it would be more than that, but even so business proceeded as normal.
When competition time came MIT, SCSU, and Yale moved to the mat and lined up and the Rams followed accepting the home crowd’s applause as they arrived. Rhody’s Jamie Reyell would sing the national anthem and received a fitting ovation at its conclusion. Some tears began to fall and the meet began…
It was a packed house…
For all four teams this meet would have its setbacks, URI would win with a 189 to Yale’s 185.775, SCSU’s 182.575, and MIT’s 177.225, but the victory would come with its own tribulations. Nonetheless URI started out with an enthusiastic vault rotation. The Vault, due to its brevity, is perhaps the best event to pump up the crowd at the start of the meet. Rhody’s six gymnasts, Kara Machado (9.325), Lindsay Diamond (9.4), Lauren Wasilewski (9.525), Danielle Riportella (9.65), Erica Heaney (9.2), Ananda Fraser (9.7) all received cheers as they hit the mat, and Casey Pereira exhibitioned with a 9.5 to keep the cheers coming.
Rhody was on Bars next and Reyell led off with a 9.3, followed by Kelsey Thompson’s 9.175, Fraser’s 9.475, Heaney’s 9.5, Riportella’s 9.7, and Rinaldo’s 9.5, another solid rotation for the Rams. Krista Dominici and Kerry Cutler also exhibitioned on the event
Turning to Rotation 3 and the Beam, Alex Tirado led off with a 9.5, Heaney followed, Pereira was third up, Jordana Ginsburg picked up a 9.075, Danielle Lee scored a 9.65, and Bridget Murphy had a 9.05. Erika Sloan also performed an exhibition routine as well. The Beam was a tough event for all four teams in the meet producing its share of falls and missteps, which is the event’s reputation.
Finally on Rotation 4, Kara Machado led off with a season high 9.5, followed by Pereira’s 9.075, Reyell’s season high 9.575, Diamond’s season high 9.575, Lee’s 9.175, and Fraser’s season high 9.825.
For second place Yale it was a lower than usual scoring meet, but still had its high points. On the Vault Brigitte Kivisto led the way with a her 9.5, followed by Allison Mak and Lauren Tatsuno’s 9.35, Alina Liao and Kristen Campbell’s 9.325 and Laura Lombardi’s 9.275.
On the Bars, Lombardi picked up a 9.525, and Kivisto had a 9.425. Sherry Yang was third among Bulldogs with her 9.025. On the treacherous Beam, Kivisto had a season high 9.75, Campbell scored a 9.45 for second place among the blue and white, Lombardi and Tatsuno scored 9.175s and Liao had a 9.1.
Finally on Floor, Liao’s 9.675 was the highest Bulldog score, Kivisto had a 9.625, Tatsuno a 9.55, Campbell a 9.475, Mak a 9.075, and Katherine Yao had a 9.025.
For third place Southern Connecticut, the score represented unfortunately their lowest of the year, but every team has to have a season low at some point so it’s likely just a blip of some kind. The team still turned in a vault rotation featuring Justine Basley’s 9.5, Erika Pysh’s 9.425, Brittany Otto’s 9.325, Briana DiPinto’s 9.3, and Samantha Laraway’s 9.2. On the bars, Sarah Darst continued to lead the team with a 9.575, Basley had a 9.525, Taylor Murray picked up a 9.175 as well. The Beam brought Basley a 9.65, Pysh had a 9.625, and Krystie Tomlinson scored a 9.25. On Floor, Basley had a 9.575 in what may be an anomalous rotation, for what in general is an SCSU team that kicks proverbial behind on the FX.
For MIT there was good news and bad news. The good news though came in Julia Zimmerman’s 9.55 vault as well as Alison Barnard’s 9.475, Elizabeth Stavely’s 9.225, Sarah Trowbridge’s 9.15, and Rebecca Stavely just missed 9. On the Bars, Sophia Harrison scored a 9.525, and Zimmerman had a 9.275. The Beam caught its share of Engineers this meet as well, but Zimmerman picked up a 9.475. On the Floor, Harrison picked up a 9.075, and Zimmerman had a 9.55.
Kivisto would win the all around with a 38.3 over Basley’s 38.25, and Zimmerman’s 37.85.
Following the meet, a ceremony was held to honor the URI team as a whole and also recognized the seniors from the three other teams visiting as well. The crowd showed its appreciation of the team and its coaching staff as well. A large storm had rolled in during the meet pelting the area with rain, perhaps it was a sign of something deeper than this report can cover.
