Under the lights of the Pizzitola Center, the gymnastics team battled five visiting teams for the ECAC Championship crown Saturday. A season-high team score of 194.125 put the Bears in third behind conference rivals Yale and Cornell, while the College of William and Mary, Temple University and Penn finished behind Brown in the remaining three spots.
Caroline Morant ’17 was named co-ECAC Gymnast of the Year, winning an individual title on the floor exercise and finishing third on vault and uneven bars. Morant earned first team all-ECAC honors in all three events. Jorden Mitchell ’17 finished fourth in the all-around with a 38.000, collecting second team all-ECAC honors in the all-around, bars and beam.
Coming off a first-rotation bye, Bruno began on floor. Maggie McAvoy ’18 set the stage with a career-high 9.725. Anya Olson ’18 captured third place and was awarded first team accolades by tying her personal best score of 9.800. A 9.875 from Morant helped the Bears achieve a season-high 48.725 in the event.
“It was super exciting to start off the meet on such a high note,” Morant said. “That energy just kept building.”
On vault, Julia Green ’19 tied her personal best with a 9.725 and received second team recognition. Morant posted a 9.750, bringing the Bears into second place behind Yale as they returned to the locker room for another bye.
The team title seemed well within grasp as Bruno returned to the competition floor, scoring a season-high 48.925 on bars. Mitchell and Claire Ryan ’18 set personal bests with a pair of 9.800s. Olson matched the score, and all three garnered second team distinction. Morant finished her final event by scoring 9.850 to tie her season-high.
“We were all just floating after bars,” Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne said. “It was an incredible effort. (The team’s total score on bars) was very close to our school record. It was the fuel we needed to see that not only were we competing well, but we could win it.”
Remaining in second place, Brown was within striking distance of first place Yale going into the final rotation. With five hit routines on beam, the Bears could have sealed the victory. But two falls halted Brown’s run for first place, though two gymnasts were awarded second team honors. Cassidy Jung ’19 notched a career-high 9.825, and Mitchell closed the competition with a 9.775.
“They came out and fought all the way through the competition,” Carver-Milne said. “They weren’t going to let anything get in their way of finishing strong this season and qualifying (for) nationals.”
Brown will learn this week whether individual gymnasts qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships. The team could also qualify for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships.
