WEST CHESTER, PA – What seems like an eternity to most of the collegiate gymnasts, and has been 674 days to be exact, will come to an end this Sunday when West Chester University opens its 2022 women's gymnastics campaign with a quad meet at Yale University.
"I'm cautiously optimistic," said a nervous WCU head coach Barb Cordova this week. "With COVID rebounding, we aren't sure that the meet will go off."
The Golden Rams saw their 2020 season cut short and their 2021 campaign cancelled altogether. Through virtual meetings and individual workouts at the height of the pandemic, to the limited in-person instruction this past spring, the continuity and repetition required to stay at the top of your routines in the sport of gymnastics has been difficult. However, Cordova and her 2022 roster put together what most would consider as normal a preseason as could be expected in preparation for the upcoming slate.
"They are ready," Cordova assured. "They trained hard this fall. We held our annual intersquad in December, and we even had a modified scrimmage as well. So, yeah, they're ready. Luckily, most of the teams we will be competing with in our new conference are in the same boat."
Right. Did I forget to mention that the Golden Rams and seven other regional schools combined to form a new conference? The Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) begins its inaugural season this weekend as well.
"We are super excited about the new conference," Cordova explained. "I've wanted the ECAC I and II to combine for a couple of years now. Most of us compete against each other at nationals. So, it just made sense to form our own conference. Our goal is to be in the top four, which certainly will be difficult."
To reach that goal with nearly a two-year hiatus from any collegiate competition takes a great deal of leadership. That will be the key for the Golden Rams in 2022.
"You depend on your upperclassmen so much," Cordova said. "I'm grateful (grad student
Jessica Meakim) came back for her fifth year. She reiterates everything that (Assistant Coach Steph Plaugher) and I say in practices. I am so proud of all of my seniors through this whole thing."
What Cordova means is that she brings her largest roster ever into the season (24 gymnasts), and of them, 14 have not competed in a college meet.
That's where Cordova's leadership model kicks in. Each class year has a representative on a leadership council. That gives every class a voice in decisions and lets Cordova know what is going on within each class. Those leaders can still lead whether they are competing, or not. Injury or illness doesn't take a person out of that role in the program.
As for the gymnasts … well, eight returnees with significant college experience are back, including two U.S. National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics All-Americans. The Golden Rams should have a great deal of depth in three of the four events as a result. The seniors Cordova talked about:
Annie Bailey (Chelmsford, Mass.), Sara Bell (Moon, Pa.), Rose Fanara (Fredricksburg, Va.), Brashlyn Johnson (Aynor, S.C.), McKenna Kissinger (Chambersburg, Pa.),
Jessica Meakim (Downingtown, Pa.) share a ton of that experience up and down the lineup in all four events.
VAULT
An event that has been a weakness for the Golden Rams in the past, may wind up being one of its strongest this winter. Cordova hit the recruiting trail hard on vault and has a deep and talented group coming in.
"They have the potential for being the best vaulters we have ever had," Cordova lauded. "They will begin with some of the highest start levels WCU has seen. We just have to see how they hold up."
West Chester returns its top three vaulters from 2020 in Meakim and seniors Bailey, Kissinger and
Brashlyn Johnson and finally junior
Kiah Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa.). Kiah was the star of the group earning All-ECAC and All-America honors on vault. Meakim, an All-American in the all-around two winters ago, with Brash and Kissinger are all excellent vaulters as well. Those five made up WCU's top vaulters at most meets in 2020.
Sophomore
Kiley Fred (Highland Mills, N.Y.) is another strong vaulter expected to play a larger role. She will also factor in on the balance beam and the floor exercise.
BARS
Meakim and sophomores
Sam Kelly (Mullica Hill, N.J.) and
Sammy Gill (San Clemente, Calif.) return on bars. Freshman
Jordan Coleman (Bowie, Md.) has also really impressed Cordova early on.
"I haven't seen anyone swing bars like her."
BEAM
Meakim and Fanara were mainstays on the beam in 2020. Cordova must replace the team's top three beam performers. So.,
Lily McFarland (Baltimore, Md.) is also strong competitor on vault and floor, and Fr.,
Natalie Marshall (Bolton, Mass.) should help.
Kiah Johnson picked up experience on the beam as well towards the end of 2020 and is expected to perform on beam more often this time around.
FLOOR
The upperclassmen dominate the floor exercise where Meakim, Kiah and
Brashlyn Johnson, Fanara and Bailey all return to perhaps the deepest field of events for the Golden Rams. Several of their routines begin and end with a double back. Meakim was an All-American on the floor and in the all-around.
NEWCOMERS
Coleman should certainly help on bars.
Korryn Wingertsahn (Bentleyville, Pa.) should help on vault and bars. Fellow freshman
Kristina Rodriguez (Cincinnati, Ohio) enjoyed a great all-around performance during the team's intersquad as well and looks to be a key performer. Freshman
Bridget Sullivan (Watertown, Mass.) is coming off an injury, but looks ready to go on the vault.
Sophomores
Hyla Betts (Shannock, R.I.),
Caroline Cascadden (Ashburn, Va.),
Tiara DeTomasso (Denville, N.J.), Maggie Storz (Birdsboro, Pa.),
Madison Whitaker (Lancaster, Pa.) and
Lauren Wicker (East Berlin, Pa.) could all make their college debuts this winter. Betts is strong on the bars and beam while Cascadden is very strong on the beam and floor exercise. Storz should compete on the vault and bars, and Whitaker on the vault, beam and floor exercise with beam being her strongest event. Wicker shines on the bars.
Freshman,
Shannon Carroll (Kingston, N.H.) is strong on vault and floor exercise also compete bars, and
Caitlyn Allen (Forest Hill, Md.) is one of two freshman all-arounders who will compete for time and add depth in a number of events. Rodriguez is the other freshman all-arounder.
The Golden Rams' opener at Yale gets under way at 1 p.m. West Chester will join Long Island University and fellow GEC charter member, Brown University, in the John J. Lee Amphitheater for that season lid-lifter. After traveling the first three weeks of the campaign, West Chester opens its home slate on Jan. 29 with a dual against Ursinus College.
