February 17th, 2004 - e-Newsletter No. 3

Greetings to everyone...

Things are starting to heat up in the NCGA and the race for qualification to the National Championships in April at MIT. Even though the Regional meets are still 5 weeks away, most teams stepped it up a couple of notches already.

In the East coast, four teams have set new school records over the last 2 weeks with Ithaca College's 188.85 setting a new high for NCGA standards. At the same competition, Cortland set a new school record of 187.925 and Brockport reached a 187.50. Ursinus College is the other school who went back to back weekends with an identical 186.225 with their top two all-arounders taking turns setting school all-around records of 38.10 (Jessica Furman) and 38.225 (Kristen Grimmel). Who would have thought that just 4 years ago, the NCGA was still just counting the top 4 scores per event for a team total thinking that our teams were just not deep enough to count the top 5 scores? In those four years, SUNY-Brockport went from the bottom of the NCGA rankings at a (top-4 score) SAS of 129.325 to currently leading the rankings with an SAS of 185.075. The Golden Eagles are enjoying a spectacular season so far from senior Carrie Santore who is leading the all-around rankings with an SAS of 37.8375 and who, more impressively, has competed the first tsuk-full on vault  in NCGA history as well as a full-in, back out on floor. Couple that with first-year teammate Sarah Bulka making a big splash and it is easy to understand why the team is doing well. Cortland enjoyed a terrific all-around winning performance this weekend by their senior Danin Squires 38.075 and there is a good reason why Red Dragon Colleen Shanahan is leading the rankings on floor, she is tumbling tough skills and making them look easy. Ithaca is being powered by newcomers Kelly Stevison and Crescent Danziger.

Not to be outdone, the schools in the Midwest are also making some noise. Golden Gustie Amanda Parker is leading the rankings on both beam and bars which is really saying something since she is just ahead of La Crosse's Nina Schubert who swings an exceptional routine on bars. A cast of usual suspects are again having tremendous seasons this year - from UW-Eau Claire, Alison Eagles and Lynn Morris, from UW-La Crosse, Angela Erato and Jennifer Houle, from UW-Oshkosh, Brianna Lentz and Gustavus' Alyssa Cox. Hamline University is leading the region though on the strength of first-year students Brittany Ehlis and Caitlin Goodin. It appears to be a 5-team race in the Midwest for the 4 qualifying spots to nationals with Hamline, La Crosse, Gustavus, Eau Claire and new NCGA member Winona in the mix.

Weekly updates on the NCGA website are being posted as well as awards and recognitions for our athletes from InsideGymnastics magazine who has been choosing a Division III athlete of the week in their NCAA recap. This week's choice should be very difficult.

The latest NCGA rankings are also up here so feel free to check them out and keep up with your team. Get out and watch a meet, there is some very impressive gymnastics going on at Division III and it only promises to get better down the stretch.

Eduardo

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship
of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."
Robert Southey