NEW HAVEN, Conn. ? Entering the final rotation at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship meet at Yale University's John J. Lee Amphitheater, the Tigers' prospects for winning a fifth straight ECAC championship were very much in doubt.
The Tigers, who were competing on floor exercise in the final rotation, knew they needed one of their top performances of the season to win the championship. Cornell University had completed its final rotation and the Big Red earned an impressive 48.45 vault score and finished the meet with a 193.050 team score.
As Towson warmed up on the floor exercise, Coach Dick Filbert calculated that the Tigers needed to average a 9.725 on their floor routines to win the title. Towson trailed Cornell by 48.525 points entering the last rotation.
“Right before we started on floor, we told the girls that this is what we need to do,” recalled Coach Filbert. “When everyone realized that we were very capable of averaging 9.725 on floor, a wave of confidence came over our gymnasts. We all realized that we can do this.”
Faced with a pressure situation, the Tigers delivered as they posted a 48.80 team score to win their fifth straight ECAC title. Towson's 193.325 team score enabled the Tigers to edge Cornell by 0.275 points and win the title.
“It was a very scary situation for us,” said Filbert. “Cornell was finished with its competition and they were sitting there watching us. But, our gymnasts delivered one solid routine after another. After each of our routines, you could see the enthusiasm of the Cornell gymnasts diminish.”
After freshman Lindsay Poplaski (Bricktown, N.J.) earned a 9.675 and freshman Avis Hixon (Leesburg, Va.) had a 9.625 on floor, the Tigers delivered four outstanding performances in a row. Freshman Kady Sullivan (Walpole, Mass.) delivered a career best 9.75 score and freshman Alyssa Dittman (Bechtisville, Pa.) earned a 9.775 score, a mark that was just shy of her career high score.
Then, sophomore Megan Wooden (Baltimore, Md.) earned a 9.75 score to keep the Tigers' hopes alive. The final gymnast of the meet, Alise McDonald (Woodstock, Md.), matched her career high with a 9.85 score that clinched the championship for the Tigers.
“Even though Alise had the routine that put us over the top, everyone delivered for us on floor,” Filbert added. “Kady Sullivan's score gave us quite a lift. She really gave us a shot of confidence with her performance.”
Filbert explained, “There is so much pressure on us when we come into this meet every year. We have won the ECAC meet so many times and I'm sure the other teams are tired of seeing us win. If I were one of them, I'd feel the same way.
“It was very gratifying for us to be in such a pressure situation and deliver one routine after another.”
In their quest for their fifth straight ECAC title and their 13th overall championship, the Tigers started the meet on vault and did very well. Led by freshman Kacy Catanzaro (Belleville, N.J.), Hixon and McDonald, the Tigers earned a 48.525 score to take an early lead in the meet. Catanzaro, Hixon and McDonald each earned 9.775 scores to tie for second place in the meet. Wooden earned a 9.75 score to tie for fifth in the meet. On vault, the Tigers placed four gymnasts among the top six. Kerri Lavallee of Cornell won the vault competition with a 9.85 score.
However, the Tigers struggled on their second event, the uneven bars. Despite a first place finish from junior captain Jackie Schweitzer (Hicksville, N.Y.), the Tigers had a 47.55 score on bars. Schweitzer earned a 9.775 score to finish first on bars while sophomore Emily Hill (Great River, N.Y.) tied for fifth place (9.60). Catanzaro added a 9.525 score as she tied for 12th place.
Despite their problems on bars, the Tigers owned a slim lead at the midway point of the meet. Towson had a 96.075 team score as the Tigers led Temple (96.025) and Cornell (95.85) halfway through the meet.
On the balance beam, the Tigers remained in contention with a 48.40 team score. Schweitzer led the Tigers' performance as she earned a 9.80 score to tie for third place with four other gymnasts. Two of the Tiger freshmen, Catanzaro and Poplaski, delivered clutch performances on beam as they each had a 9.75 score to tie for 11th place. McDonald added a 9.65 on beam while Wooden contributed a 9.45 score.
McDonald and Schweitzer were individual champions for the Tigers. While McDonald finished first on floor (9.85), Schweitzer was the ECAC champion on bars (9.775).
In the all-around competition, McDonald took second place with a 38.575 score, just behind Alina Liao of Yale, who won the title with a 38.60 score. Wooden finished seventh in the all-around with a 38.35 score.
“Considering the fact that we were relying on so many freshmen, winning this championship was very gratifying,” said Filbert. “I'm sure the other teams thought this was the year that they would take the title away from us. But, we pulled together and we won it with a total team effort.”
ECAC Championship Meet
Team Scores: 1. Towson 193.325; 2. Cornell 193.050; 3. Temple 191.475; 4. William & Mary 190.125; 5. Pennsylvania 190.075; 6. Brown 188.175; 7. Yale 184.450.
VAULT: 1. Kerri Lavalee (COR), 9.85; 2. Kacy Catanzaro (TOW), 9.775; Avis Hixon (TOW), 9.775; Alise McDonald (TOW), 9.775; 5. Kaity Watson (TEM), 9.75; Megan Wooden (TOW), 9.75.
UNEVEN BARS: 1. Jackie Schweitzer (TOW), 9.775; 2. Jennifer Stack (W&M), 9.750; 3. Maddie Pearsall (CORN), 9.650; 4. Alina Liao (YALE), 9.625; 5. Emily Hill (TOW), 9.600; Lizzie Lowe (PENN), Marissa Rosen (PENN), 9.600.
BALANCE BEAM: 1. Katie Canning (TEMP), 9.850; Allison Mak (YALE), 9.850; 3. Melanie Standridge (CORN), 9.800; Stacey Ohara (CORN), 9.800; Corrine Williams (TEMP), 9.800; Jackie Schweitzer (TOW), 9.800; Alina Liao (YALE), 9.800.
FLOOR EXERCISE: 1. Alise McDonald (TOW), 9.850; 2. Winter Sneed (TEMP), 9.825; 3. Emily Santoro (CORN), 9.800; Kerri Lavallee (CORN), 9.800; 5. Alyssa Dittman (TOW), 9.775; 6. Emily Lenik (CORN), 9.750; Kady Sullivan (TOW), 9.750; Megan Wooden (TOW), 9.750; Jordan Brewer (PENN), 9.750.
ALL-AROUND: 1. Alina Liao (YALE), 38.600; 2. Alise McDonald (TOW), 38.575; 3. Maddie Pearsall (CORN), 38.525; Kaity Watson (TEMP), 38.525; Kristin Milardo (W&M), 38.525; 6. Katie Canning (TEMP), 38.425; 7. Megan Wooden (TOW), 38.350.
