Women's Gymnastics Opens 2024 at Maryland Friday

MEET NOTES

COLLEGE PARK, MD - West Chester University opens its 63rd year of varsity intercollegiate gymnastics with a tough road test against nationally ranked Maryland in the Xfinity Center Friday night. The Terrapins lift the lid on their campaign ranked 25th in the country. It marks the first of four consecutive opponents, which will carry a high national ranking into the meet against West Chester. Next weekend, the Golden Rams travel to Boise State to take on the Broncos, along with Air Force and San Jose State. All three of those opponents are ranked as well.

Friday's season-opener can be seen on the Big Ten+ Network by clicking HERE. That broadcast is a Pay-Per-View spot. Live stats of the event are also available HERE.

West Chester returns six All-Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) performers from a year ago, including a pair of runner-ups in the individual competition. A pair of Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) regular-season All-Americans are back as well in Kristina Rodriguez (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jordan Coleman (Bowie, Md.). Since the inception of the GEC in 2022, West Chester is a perfect 15-0 against fellow GEC members in head-to-head regular season competitions.
 
Senior Lily McFarland (Baltimore, Md.) and sophomore Sarah Eskew (Pittsburgh, Pa.) were runner-up on the balance beam and on the vault, respectively, at the 2023 GEC Championships. In fact, the Golden Rams put three gymnasts in the Top 10 on the beam at the conference meet a year ago. Other returning all-conference performers include: Caitlin Allen (Forest Hill, Md.), Coleman, Madison Whitaker (Lancaster, Pa.) and Rodriguez. Natalie Marshall (Bolton, Mass.), one of the three Top 10 performers on the balance beam at last year's championships, is also back for her junior year. Sophomore Anna Lacey (Bethlehem, Pa.) is someone to watch on the balance beam and floor exercise.

"We are excited for a new season," 16-year mentor of the gymnastics squad, Barbara Cordova said. "Though we are starting the season with a couple of injuries, I think we have a lot of strong athletes, and I am excited to see what they can do. We want to focus on what we do well these first few weeks and not worry about the scores as compared to the other teams. We want to see who will step up."

The balance beam once again should be one of West Chester's top events with McFarland leading the way. Whitaker will also provide support with Caroline Cascadden (Ashburn, Va.) a big contributor in the lineup as well. Three of the six expected to perform on the balance beam are seniors in Cordova's lineup while Marshall is a junior. Cascadden, Marshall and Whitaker are specialists on the beam while McFarland and Rodriguez will compete in three and four events, respectively.

Sophomore Eskew is another multi-event gymnast. Her main event may very well be the vault where she anchors that lineup. However, she is also very good at the uneven bars. Coleman provides the anchor on the bars while a few new faces may crack the lineup. Sophomores Macarthy Keane (Trumbull, Conn.) and Melina Ringas (Glen Allen, Va.) and freshman Hannah Shelton (Nokesville, Va.). Senior Lauren Wicker (East Berlin, Pa.) also returns to provide depth and college experience to the bars. Senior Hyla Betts (Shannock, R.I.) is back to lead off on the bars. She is a specialist in that event.

"We are looking pretty good on the bars," Cordova mentioned. "Ringas and Keane show a lot of potential. Hopefully, we will be able to put it all together consistently."

The floor exercise, which has been a big event for West Chester over the years, has gotten a bit of an overhaul both with new gymnasts and with new routines. Senior Kiley Fred (Highland Mills, N.Y) and Cascadden anchor the floor while McFarland brings a new routine into the mix.

"Lily has a new routine this year," Cordova revealed. "She is looking really good with that. Her middle pass was something she struggled with in the past. So, we moved her to a two-pass routine which is a trend in college gymnastics. Lily does a tougher first pass where she goes from a front tuck through to a round-off back hand-spring double back, and then she ends with a double pike."

Eskew, who is a potential all-arounder, also moved to a two-pass routine. She has new music and a new routine, after not really competing on the floor her freshman year. She may not be on the floor this weekend, but could get in the lineup down the road. Freshman Corinne Gruber (Barto, Pa.) has impressed the coaches with her floor routine. Junior Shannon Carroll (Kingston, N.H.) will lead off on the floor in Maryland. She is also strong on the vault with junior Bridget Sullivan (Watertown, Mass.). Both Carroll and Sullivan can compete on the floor and the vault.

Eskew will be the team's top vaulter. Though, Rodriguez plans to upgrade her vault. This event has been a struggle area for West Chester in the past. However, Cordova feels like the Golden Rams have made steady improvements. Gruber is another that will vault and do the floor.

Sophomore Karah Vargo (Fort Myers, Fla.) will exhibition in three events at Maryland. She is a newcomer to the squad that Cordova feels may be able to help the Golden Rams. She will exhibition in everything except the floor, where she will not compete in Week 1.

"The conference is just getting tougher and tougher," Cordova admitted. "Our mission is challenging this year. I tell the (gymnasts), 'This is where we are today. So, let's build and get a little bit better each day. That's our focus - build on what you have."

At the end of the season, West Chester University will have an opportunity to host the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate Championships in Hollinger Field House for the first time. It's an opportunity that Cordova does not take lightly. She believes West Chester University can give all of the gymnasts a first-class experience in April.

"West Chester is just an amazing area. To be able to bring people from all over the country to this great town is wonderful," Cordova beamed. "It's going to be fun to be in Hollinger, and it's going to bring a lot of people in, and give us a chance to showcase just how good our gymnastics program is at WCU."