The Ursinus College gymnastics team will host a pair of culminating events over the next two weeks, with a Red & Gold Intrasquad meet taking place this evening before the program pays tribute to its five seniors with a Senior Day meet next Saturday.
Tonight's Red & Gold meet brings full circle a difficult year, marking exactly 365 days since the Bears' promising 2020 campaign was cut short due to the pandemic. A year ago, coach Kim Valenti's squad had crossed the 188-point threshold in two of its four February meets, and after wrapping up the regular slate with a dual at Temple, the Bears were eager to fulfill their potential at the NCGA East Regional championship the following weekend. But the COVID-19 outbreak shut the sports world down, and with it went Ursinus' season.
Though devastated by having their championship hopes dashed, the Bears channeled their heartbreak into a remarkable display of perseverance. The team penned a statement, wishing luck to those programs that were able to compete this winter, expressing their appreciation for their health and the opportunity to practice together, and resolving to show their resilience in the seasons to come.
Throughout the fall and spring semesters, the Bears continued to train together, practicing with the intensity of preparing for a competitive campaign. A pair of in-house mock events was a natural culmination to a year spent making the best of a challenging situation.
Tonight's Red & Gold meet gives the squad an initial taste of competition, splitting the team into two with seven student-athletes on each side. Highlights from projected lineups include juniors Kaylin Knapsack and Taylor Cusick returning to action after shoulder surgeries; a first look at the team's three first-years, with Ashley Cromer competing in three events; and seniors Hailey DiCicco and Abigail Schwerdt each taking on three events.
The Bears will reconvene the following week for a Senior Meet celebration on March 20th honoring Olivia Byrne, DiCicco, Schwerdt, and Danielle Terrenzio alongside undergraduate assistant coach Sam Aguirre, who has made invaluable contributions to the program. Lineups are likely to look similar to the Red & Gold meet with the potential of seeing some upgrades and more difficulty.
Both meets are closed to spectators. However, the Senior Day meet will be streamed live (likely via Facebook Live), beginning with the team's walk-out and senior ceremony and continuing throughout the competitive portion of the day. Additional details and updates will be released on social media and ursinusathletics.com next week, including several senior tribute materials.