Gymnastics Strong in Home Opener

Gymnastics Strong in Home Opener

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore Eleanor LaFountain's first-place routine on the floor exercise highlighted the Ursinus College gymnastic team's home opener against West Chester on Sunday afternoon.

The Bears tallied a team score of 186.800, nearly two full points better than their tally in the season lid lifter at West Chester last weekend.

Senior Amanda Palladino was again a standout for Ursinus, claiming third place on both the bars and beam with a pair of stirring routines. The Bears were exceptional on the floor, totaling a 47.850 to land a full point ahead of their output on any other event. Ursinus scored 46.825 on vault, 46.800 on beam, and 45.325 on bars.

The Bears started on the vault, where seniors Heather Brubaker paced the squad with a 9.475 to place fifth overall. Fellow senior Kelsey Stewart was sixth at 9.375.

Junior Lindsay Rush, senior Kelly McLaughlin, freshman Danielle Terrenzio, and senior Alexandra Puryear all scored 9.325 on the vault in a four-way tie for eighth place. Rush and Terrenzio each netted personal bests in the process.

Palladino was a bright spot for Ursinus with a rousing bars routine that landed her a 9.700, including a 9.80 from one judge to serve as the highest single score of the day for the home side. It was a massive improvement from her performance on the event last week, when she scored just 8.925.

Stewart earned a 9.325 on the bars and Rush a 9.125, but the three other Bears who competed were all at 8.650 or below.

Palladino sparkled on the balance beam, collecting a 9.675 for her second third-place performance; the senior garnered a 9.700 in the season opener. Junior Matisen O'Brien nabbed an even 9.500 for fifth place and a personal record, and sophomore Autumn Snape took sixth at 9.450.

LaFountain was the last of six official Ursinus entrants on the floor and saved her best for it, getting a 9.75 from each judge to edge West Chester's Jessica Meakim (9.725) for the top prize.

Brubaker's 9.600 was enough to place her in sixth, with Stewart (9.575) and Puryear (9.550) right behind in a strong floor effort for Ursinus. Sophomore Skylar Haas garnered a 9.375.

The gymnastics team returns to action on Friday, January 26 at Towson. The Bears will compete against an All-Division I field that also includes Yale and North Carolina.