Tribe Splits at ECAC Meet

Senior Tricia Long Records Career-High All-Around Total

03/15/08 11:35PM

Towson, Md. - The William and Mary women’s gymnastics team split in a three-team ECAC meet at Towson Saturday night, finishing second. The host Tigers tallied a total team score of 193.300 to earn a first-place finish. Just three days after scoring a season-high and defeating Towson at Kaplan Arena, W&M kept the momentum going with another outstanding performance to finish second with a total score of 192.025 and defeat Yale (190.725).

Senior Tricia Long (Humble, Texas) highlighted the individual performances for the Tribe, turning in another terrific outing. Long recorded a career-high all-around total of 38.625, which included a career-best 9.800 on floor and career-high tying 9.700 on beam. Long was second in the all-around and tied for second on floor.

Fellow senior Stevie Waldman (Downingtown, Pa.) was also impressive Saturday night, earning a second-place finish on bars (9.775).

The Tribe started on bars in the first rotation, and behind Waldman the line-up gave the squad an early boost by posting a total of 48.325. Sarah Jacobson (Brecksville, Ohio) led off and hit her routine for a season-high 9.475 to get things started. Sophomore Jen Stack (Enfield, Conn.) kept her hot streak going on bars with another fine performance and score of 9.675, while Long started night strong as well with an identical 9.675, good enough for a season-high for the senior. Sophomore Ali Medeiros (Hudson, Ohio) also recorded a season-high on bars with a 9.725.

In the second rotation, W&M moved over to beam and the success continued, as the Tribe topped 48 (48.100) for third time this season. Long was the catalyst, leading off with a career-high tying 9.700. Freshman Melissa Cream (West Windsor, N.J.) followed with another solid routine and scored a 9.700. Junior Lauren Jackson (Westwood, Mass.) continued her resurgence in the event as well, adding a 9.500 to the team total, but it was sophomore Stephanie Bevan (Bridgewater, N.J.) who stepped up next and nailed her routine with a career-high 9.725 to place third. Medeiros rounded out the team total with a 9.475.

The Tribe kept rolling into the third rotation and after setting a season-high on floor just three night earlier, W&M topped the mark again on floor with a 48.450 on the strength of Long’s second-place finish. Junior Becca Bacharach (Lancaster, Pa.) jump started the line-up with a nice 9.575, before Bevan once again stepped up and hit her floor routine for a career-best 9.675. Not to be outdone, freshman Dina McNaughton (Stoneham, Mass.) was on the mark in her routine as well and followed with a career-high 9.675. It was Medeiros’ turn next, and the sophomore also recorded a 9.675, matching her season-high. Waldman added a solid 9.650 to round out the team’s season-high total.

In the final event, the Tribe took to vault, and although W&M turned in a solid team score (47.150), it was Towson’s 48.800 on floor in the fourth rotation that allowed the Tigers to come away with the victory. Stack also continued her impressive streak on vault Saturday, leading the team with a 9.600. Bacharach added a 9.475, and Long completed her career-best all-around performance with a solid 9.450. McNaughton was steady on vault as well with a 9.375, and Waldman capped the team score with a 9.250 and finished with an all-around score of 37.925.

The Tribe will host its regular-season finale on Friday night, as ECAC rival foe Rhode Island makes the trip to Williamsburg. The meet will also serve as the team’s senior night, as Long and Waldman will be honored prior to the competition.

Complete Results (PDF)