Back Home - a Fresh Start
(by coach Miller-McEachern)
Cambridge, MA 2/9/08.....
After returning from all that fresh mountain air in Colorado, the team was excited to get back to their home gym and start to form a plan to make some adjustments. Up until this point we were averaging 8-10 stuck routines per meet but this week the captains were about to change
that. Under the guided wings of the seniors, the team followed in their determined footsteps and had an incredible week in the gym. The success of their competition was a direct reflection of how hard they worked this past week in practice.
A very energized and focused team welcomed Division III powerhouse SUNY-Brockport and well respected Division II, Southern Connecticut State University to DuPont Gymnasium. Our first event was the vault and the crowd watched freshmen
Becky Stavely (8.80) and Kristen Watkins (9.05), juniors Laura Kelly (8.925),
Alison Barnard (9.375) and Julia Zimmerman (9.475), and senior Sophia Harrison (9.45) stick 6 for 6 vaults and we were on a roll.
We moved onto the bars and started off with a bang as sophomore Gina Policelli had a great performance and finished the routine with a stuck double back dismount good enough for
a personal best 8.35. Barnard (8.65), Kelly (8.85) and Zimmerman (8.95) followed her lead with great routines. Senior
Sarah Trowbridge contributed with a great routine good enough for an 8.85.
Harrison rounded out the 6 for 6 routines with a great performance that earned her a
9.50. Trying her hand at bar line up as an exhibition was Becky Stavely who was able to post a respectable
8.40.
It seemed as though there was no stopping this team, however if there was one event that could challenge them, it most certainly would be their next….the balance beam. Traditionally, beam has been MIT's staple event for a few years now and this year is no different if you're talking about the team's skill level, however, staying on as a group is a whole other story. Of the 7 competitors, sophomore
Katie Mingo (9.25) and Harrison (9.50) were able to win the fight and stay on the "thorn in our side."
Taking nothing to chance we summoned assistant coach Lindsay Shaw to lead the group in some refocusing exercises during our bye before floor. After simple breathing exercises and some mental imagery this group was re-energized and ready to
go. It was great to have Watkins (8.85) return to the floor line up after a minor knee injury kept her out of the event for a couple meets. Finally standing up her last tumbling pass was
Trowbridge for a great score of 9.40. Mingo's personal best (9.525),
Harrison (9.625) and Zimmerman (9.75) finished floor with "authority" as they performed amazing routines.
Mission accomplished….19 stuck routines!! This success reflected in our scores as we posted our season high of 183.225. This was good enough for the 3rd spot in the ECAC this weekend as Ursinus and Brockport placed one and two respectively but Springfield, Ithaca, and Cortland trailed behind the Lady Engineers in the rankings for the week.
The team will prepare for their last home meet of the season next Saturday as we welcome Rhode Island College.
Complete meet scores