First Rotation
It's one last regular season road trip for the Tigers as Towson heads for Western Pennsylvania for a dual at Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House Sunday afternoon.

In The Road to Nationals Rankings
Towson remained into the top 25 on Road to Nationals as the site released its National Qualifying Scores (NQS) for the second time this season. Towson is 24th in the country with an NQS of 196.065. Pittsburgh is ranked 36th with an NQS of 195.600.

The Road Trippin' Tigers
After spending nearly a month at home, the Tigers make their second-straight road trip with a quick jaunt to Western Pennsylvania to take on Pittsburgh. Last week, Towson flew to Logan, Utah for a pair of meets at Utah State.

Four Tigers average a 9.700 or better on vault, paced by Lauren Bolen (9.803). Camille Vitoff (9.797) and Mia Davis (9.756) are second and third with Elise Tisler (9.752) and Nikki Borkowski (9.712) making fourth and fifth.

Grace Vaillancourt (9.800) leads Towson's bars efforts while four other Tigers are north of a 9.700 average: Lauren Keener (9.787), Sarah Girot (9.785), Steph Macasu (9.781) and Clara Hong (9.775).

Towson's Beam Team is currently ranked 17th in the country thanks to three regulars with averages better than a 9.800: Hong (9.825), Jenna Weitz (9.800) and Steph Macasu (9.800). Emerson Hurst is just shy with a 9.798.

Amy Stewart leads Towson on floor with a 9.833 with Hong (9.788) and Bolen (9.760) in second and third.

Hong (38.950) and Bolen (38.050) are the only Tigers with an all-around credited this year.

Scouting the Panthers
Pittsburgh is ranked 36th in the country with an NQS of 195.600. The Panthers' bars group is ranked 23rd.

Sidney Washington (9.816) leads the way on vault, followed closely by Katie Chamberlain (9.789) and Hallie Copperwheat. (9.769)

On bars, Pittsburgh has two gymnasts averaging better than a 9.800: Copperwheat (9.841) and Chamberlain (9.822). Ciara Ward is third with a 9.750 average.

Copperwheat leads the Panthers on beam with a 9.831 average, with Chamberlain close behind at 9.806. Kiley Robatin is third with a 9.703 average.

Washington is the lone Pittsburgh gymnast with a floor average over a 9.800, scoring a 9.822 per meet. Olivia Miller and Jordyn Ewing are tied for a close second at 9.794.

Three Panthers have all-around scores this year: Copperwheat leads with a 39.131 average while Ewing is second with a 39.000. Washington averages a 38.700 per meet.

Tigers Go West
Towson made one of its longest road trips in recent memory this weekend, heading the furthest-west the Tigers have been since at least 2013. Since that season, the furthest west Towson has been was a 2015 meet at Texas Woman's College, located in Denton, Texas. Towson hasn't been west of Pittsburgh since the 2019 season when the Tigers made the trek to Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Furthest West by Season
2013: Morgantown, W.Va. | 2014: Pittsburgh, Pa. | 2015: Denton, Texas | 2016: Iowa City, Iowa | 2017: Ames, Iowa | 2018: Pittsburgh | 2019: Kalamazoo, Mich. | 2020: Pittsburgh, Pa. | 2021: Pittsburg, Pa.
2022: Logan, Utah

Are We Rivals Yet?
The 2021-22 academic year seems full of Towson vs. Pittsburgh clashes. Sunday's meet will be the second time this year the Tigers and Panthers meet as the pair competed at a tri-meet hosted by UNC back on January 28. In December, the Towson women's volleyball team competed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center while just three weeks prior to that, the Towson men's basketball team nearly clipped the Panthers, falling 63-59. In September, the women's soccer program dropped a 2-0 loss at Pittsburgh.

The Friendly Confines of SECU Arena
Towson has been nearly untouchable at home this season, sporting a 10-1 record at SECU Arena after last weekend's meet. Most recently, split a meet with West Virginia (L, 196.525-196.575) and Ursinus (W, 196.525-185.175) at the George McGinty Meet

The 10 wins at home this season are already a program-best under head coach Jay Ramirez, besting the previous mark of 5-1 in his rookie season at the helm in 2020. The last time the Tigers won at least 10 meets at home was during the 2018 season as the Tigers went 11-7 at SECU Arena.

Under Ramirez, the Tigers are 18-8 at SECU Arena. Towson has one more home meet during the regular season as the Tigers welcome George Washington and Maryland to town on March 11 for a 6 p.m. meet.

George McGinty Award Winner
Following Towson University gymnastics' second-place finish at the George McGinty Alumni Meet on Saturday, junior student-athlete Lauren Bolen was honored with the program's George McGinty Award.

The George McGinty Award recipient is honored for their hard work, dedication, compassion, kindness, encouragement and empowerment for the team and coaches.

Bolen has been one of Towson's many consistent performers this season. She currently ranks second on the team in vault average (9.794), posts 9.681 average score on beam and is third on the team with a 9.756 floor average. Bolen recently posted her first all-around effort. The junior has six podium appearances this season, including two first-place finishes on vault. In last weekend's tri-meet with West Virginia and Ursinus, Bolen tied with teammate Camille Vitoff for first with a 9.850 on vault.

The 90s Called; They Want Their Leos Back
Last weekend, the Tigers broke out their brand-new 1990s inspired leos for the tri-meet with Ursinus and West Virginia.

The black, full velvet leos caught the attention of the Gymternet, including College Gym News for the Leotard Rankings: Week 7. Towson's 90s inspired leos were ranked fifth by College Gym News last week, scoring a 7.000. CGN editor Claire Billman scored Towson's Quatro leos, which featured a gold sequin flower design on the front, at 9.200.

Previously this season, Towson has had leos ranked by College Gym News: Week 5 Third at 7.400 (gold bodice), Week 3 Eighth at 5.850 (black bodice, flame design) and Week 1 First at 7.575 (black bodice, while sleeves with TOWSON on left arm).

Super Bowl Sunday
The February 13 dual meet with Penn was be the sixth time since the 2000 season that the Tigers competed on Super Bowl Sunday and just the second time in that span the Tigers hosted an event on the same day as the Super Bowl.

Since 2000, the Tiger are 8-5 on Super Bowl Sunday, most recently with a 195.950-195.375 win over Penn as the Los Angeles Rams went on to win Super Bowl LVI.

Super Bowl Sunday Scores
Feb. 2, 2014 - 192.425 - Tri-Meet at West Virginia with George Washington (1-1)
Feb. 1, 2015 - 194.125 - Quad-Meet at Texas Woman's with Centenary (LA), San Jose State (2-1)
Feb. 7, 2016 - 194.575 - Quad-Meet at UNH with Bridgeport, Brown (2-1)
Feb. 5, 2017 - 194.950 - Quad-Meet at George Washington with UNH, Ball State (1-2)
Feb. 3, 2019 - 193.525 - Dual Meet with West Chester (1-0)
Feb. 13, 2022 - 195.950 - Dual Meet with Penn (1-0)

The 49.000ers
Last weekend, Towson racked another set of 49.000s or better in a tri-meet with Ursinus and West Virginia. Towson went 49.025 (VT), 49.150 (UB), 49.325 (BB) and 49.025 (FX) for a 196.525, tied for the fourth-highest score in program history.

Just three times in program history have the Tigers scored four 49.000s or better at a single meet and it's the second time this season. To date, Towson has 14 49.000s in 2022, trailing only the 16 49.000s scored by the 2001 team.

Three of the four rotations saw the Tigers post program top-10 scores: vault, bars, and beam.

Adding Opponents
For the Tigers' regular season finale, Souther Connecticut State will join the rotation as Towson hosts George Washington, Maryland and the Owls at SECU Arena for a March 11 showdown with a 6 p.m. start.

Week Eight Standings: NQS Part Deux
- In the Week Eight Road to Nationals NQS Standings, Towson is ranked 24th behind a 19196.065 National Qualifying Score. Towson was ranked 23rd in the RTN NQS last week.
- Towson is 32nd in vault with a 48.975 NQS, 28th on bars (49.010), 17th on beam (49.090) and 38th on the floor (49.040).
- The Tigers are second in the South East region in NQS, trailing only Florida (197.715) Towson leds the EAGL standings with its 196.065 over NC State's 195.940.

More History
- Towson continued making history on Feb. 4, 2022.
- The Tigers registered a 196.700, the second-best score in program history and a SECU Arena benchmark for Towson.
- Towson also scored four 49.000s or better in the quad-meet
- The Tigers tied a program-record on vault (49.250), scored a 49.025 on bars, a 49.175 on beam, third-best in program history, and a 49.250 on floor thanks to a 9.95 from Amy Stewart.
- Emerson Hurst posted a 9.925 on beam, grabbing a 10.0 from the head judge on the apparatus.  Stewart had a pair of 9.95s on floor.

Chapel Hill: The New San Francisco
- Like the Gold Rush in the 1800s, Towson became 49ers in Chapel Hill.
- For just the fourth time in program history, the Tigers dropped in at least three 49.000s or better during the tri-meet at UNC.
- Towson won the vault with a 49.100, the only team above 49.000.
- The Tigers also landed a 49.050 on bars, again the only team at that mark.
- Towson hit a 49.150 on beam, edging out host UNC's 49.125.

Wealth of Experience...
- Nearly every Tiger that competed for the Black and Gold at the 2021 NCAA Regional Meet in Morgantown, West Virginia is back this season.
- Five of six competitors from vault: Jenna Weitz, Nikki Borkowski, Amy Stewart, Lauren Bolen, Camille Vitoff.
- Four of five bar scorers: Lauren Bolen, Camille Vitoff, Amy Stewart, Grace Vaillancourt.
- Five of six competitors from beam: Lauren Bolen, Camille Vitoff, Jenna Weitz, Emerson Hurst, Cassidy Stuart
- All six competitors from floor: Lauren Bolen, Jenna Weitz, Camille Vitoff, Nikki Borkowski, Amy Stewart, Paige Casper.
- Both All-Around scorers: Lauren Bolen, Camille Vitoff.
- Bolen finished fourth in all-around (39.00) while Vitoff took fifth (38.900)

...But Starting a Youth Movement
- Towson had a lot of youth in its lineup opening weekend at UNH.
- Mia Davis and Elise Tisler made their collegiate debut in vault, Clara Hong, Lauren Keener and Steph Macasu all appeared in a college meet for the first time on bars and beam.
- Hong also made her first college appearance on the floor and was a vault shy of going all-around.

EAGL Rookie of the Week: Clara Hong (Jan. 19, 2021)
- Freshman Clara Hong was named EAGL Co-Rookie of the Week on Wednesday, January 19.
- Hong is the second freshman to win a weekly honor from EAGL, joining classmate Steph Macasu's Jan. 12 Specialist of the Week plaudits.
- In her first collegiate all-around, Hong posted 38.950 points to finish second during a quad meet with West Virginia, West Chester and William & Mary.
- The Sugarland, Texan won the bars, landing a 9.825 to lead a Tiger sweep in the event.
- Hong tied for fourth in beam (9.800), and tied for the team lead on the floor (9.800).

EAGL Specialist of the Week: Steph Macasu (Jan. 12, 2021)
- Freshman Steph Macasu was selected as the EAGL Specialist of the Week action after the opening weekend of action.
- It is Macasu's first weekly award from the league office, which made the announcement on Wednesday, Jan. 12.
- Macasu landed a 9.850 on bars before scoring a 9.800 on beam in her first collegiate meet.
- The rookie waited 90 minutes between routines as Towson competed in bars, vault, floor, beam in the 194.000-192.250 win at UNH.

It's Becoming a Theme
- Prior to winter break, the Tigers announced this season's themes for Towson's six home dates
- January 14: Pink Meet (West Virginia, William & Mary, West Chester)
- February 2: TUCAN night with TUAIDE (William & Mary, George Washington)
- February 4: Pride Meet (LIU, Eastern Michigan, Temple)
- February 13: Shelley Calloway Meet/Domestic Violence Awareness Meet (Penn)
- February 19: George McGinty Alumni Meet/Choose Your Own Cause Meet (Ursinus)
- March 11: Senior Night/Own Your Roar Meet (George Washington, Maryland)