MEET NOTES
WEST CHESTER, PA - West Chester University returns home for a tri-meet with Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) foe William & Mary and Centenary College in Louisiana. The Golden Rams finished third out of four at last weekend's quad meet hosted by Rutgers University. West Chester will look to rebound froma sub-par effort as it returns to the friendly confines of Sturzebecker Health Science Center on South Campus. It is the first of two meets this weekend as the Golden Rams get ready to travel up I-95 to Temple University on Sunday for a quad meet that will also include William & Mary, along with Long Island University. That quad meet will serve as Temple's Senior Day.
West Chester is winding down on its 62nd season. The Temple meet is the Golden Rams' final road trip of the regular season. The Purple & Gold will return home next Friday evening for a dual meet against GEC rival Cornell inside Sturzebecker. That will be the Golden Rams' Senior Day celebration. After that, it is off to the GEC Championships at Yale University in late March and then back home for the USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate Championships, which will be held in Hollinger Field House April 12-14.
WCU LAST TIME OUT
West Chester University scored a season-low 190.700 and placed third overall in a quad meet hosted by Rutgers University Saturday afternoon inside Jersey Mike's Arena.
Rutgers took first in the quad meet with a score of 195.325 while Cornell was second with a 193.975. Ursinus was fourth with a 189.725.
Lily McFarland (Baltimore, Md.) finished fourth on the balance beam with a score of 9.775 while teammate
Caroline Cascadden (Ashburn, Va.) scored a 9.75 to tie for fifth place.
Madison Whitaker (Lancaster, Pa.) was ninth with a 9.725 rounding out three Golden Rams in the Top 10 on the beam.
In the all-around category, junior
Kristina Rodriguez (Cincinnati, Ohio) placed second in the meet.
Jordan Coleman (Bowie, Md.) finished sixth on the uneven bars with a score of 9.7 while teammate
Hyla Betts (Shannock, R.I.) was ninth with a 9.6.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
CENTENARY (2-11)
Centenary honored its 2024 senior class following last Monday's meet - Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas), Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.), Roxanne Myers (Prairieville, La.), Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas), and Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.). Wedge highlighted the meet as she earned a new career-high 9.80 on floor in her final appearance in the Gold Dome.
The Ladies recorded their highest scores of the season on both bars (46.900) and floor (47.825). They finished with a 45.850 on beam and a 47.475 in vault. The Purple Knights posted a winning score of 193.025 as they finished with a 48.600 on floor, a 48.225 on vault, an a 48.100 on both bars and beam.
Centenary enjoyed a successful weekend on Feb. 9 and 11 in which it earned a season-best 189.150 in a pair of meets against Alaska Anchorage and Talladega College and then a quad-meet against Alaska Anchorage, Greenville University and Talladega.
WILLIAM & MARY (1-14)
The William & Mary women's gymnastics team posted its second-best score of the season en route to a fourth-place finish at a quad meet hosted by Maryland on Friday evening. Maryland claimed the team title with a 196.350 and was followed by George Washington (195.675), Central Michigan (195.450) and W&M (193.200). In addition to recording its second-best score of the 2024 campaign, the Tribe also earned a season high on bars (48.475). Caroline Blatchford highlighted W&M's individual performances by tying for third on bars with a career-high 9.800, while Madeline Frazier tied for seventh on beam with a 9.825. Also leading the Tribe were Sarah Kuper on vault (9.750) and Michelle Ngo on floor (9.750).
After posting an outstanding performance in the William & Mary women's gymnastics team's quad meet at Maryland last Friday, standout freshman Madeline Frazier was selected as the Gymnastics East Conference Newcomer of the Week.
Frazier's best performance came on beam where she posted the Tribe's top score and tied for seventh overall with a 9.825. Additionally, she tied for second on the team on floor with a career-high 9.700. The Midlothian, Va., native currently leads the team on beam with a NQS of 9.675.
WEST CHESTER IN THE SPOTLIGHT
West Chester University had two competitions air on the Big Ten+ Network his winter. Sunday's meet at Temple is set to air on ESPN+ as well. West Chester traveled to Rutgers for a quad meet on March 2 that was the second time on the BIG Ten Network. The Golden Rams' meet at Boise State in January was also on the Mountain West Network.
Last year, West Chester appeared on ESPN+ twice. It's meet inside the Palestra at University of Pennsylvania was televised on ESPN+ while it's quad meet at Temple in March also aired on the same network. Additionally, West Chester appeared on ESPN+ three times in 2022, including the GEC Championships, making it eight national television appearances in the last three seasons for the Golden Rams.
MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF AMONG THE GIANTS
West Chester University, which competes at the NCAA Division II level in all other sports at the school, has held its own against the mostly Division I institutions that make up the Gymnastics East Conference. The Golden Rams are a combined 15-0 in head-to-head competition against GEC schools in the regular season, and West Chester has taken third place in each of the first two GEC Championships (2022, 2023). Couple that with wins over Alaska-Anchorage a year ago and a victory against Bowling Green in 2020, and West Chester has represented itself rather well against larger schools with much more money and resources.
USA WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING TO WEST CHESTER
West Chester University has been chosen to host the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate Championships this coming April. It marks the first time that the Golden Rams have hosted the national tournament in school history. The six-team tournament format guarantees a spot for the host institution, which would increase the field to seven should West Chester not have a high enough National Qualifying Score (NQS) at the end of the regular season. To be eligible for the USAG national tournament, a school must offer fewer than six scholarships to its gymnasts.
