Despite falling short of Bridgeport University's 191.150 points this Sunday, the gymnastics team performed with dedication and earned a season-high 189.575 points, Brown's best team score since 2004.
"The meet was the motivation we needed to prove our scoring potential to ourselves," said Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne. "The justification of knowing that we have the potential to qualify in Ivies right now, and earned a score as high as Cornell, who is currently ranked first, is extremely exciting."
"As a captain, it was really exciting to see the team score the highest that it has in years," said Stephanie Albert '10.
Leading the Bears, Chelsey Binkley '10 placed first on the floor exercise and earned a personal best in every event she competed in.
"We had some great performances this weekend, Chelsey Binkley in particular. To score a personal best in every event she competed on ... is outstanding. It helped motivate the team and keep us going," Carver-Milne said. "Lauren Tucker ('12) stepped it up as a freshman, in her first meet at full strength after an ankle injury. To show that she could come back at full strength with all of her skills was amazing."
Leading off for the Bears on vault, Carli Wiesenfeld '12 (9.600), Binkley (9.575) and Lilly Siems '12 (9.550) earned third through fifth, respectively. Tucker (9.425) and Melissa Bowe '11 (9.325) brought the total tally to 47.475, just shy of Bridgeport's 47.925.
Tucker claimed third on beam, scoring a 9.750. Binkley followed in fifth with a 9.650 as Victoria Zanelli '11 (9.550), Wiesenfeld (9.550), Sierns (9.350) and Izzy Kirkham-Lewitt '10 (9.125) rounded out the scoring for the Bears. Again, the Bears fell short of the Purple Knights by a fraction of a point, earning a 47.825 to Bridgeport's 47.875.
On the bars, Bowe finished with Brown's top score in third with a 9.450. Kirkham-Lewitt (9.325) followed in sixth, Siems (9.125) in eighth and Zanelli (9.050) in ninth.
"We still have a little work to do on the bars. We obviously didn't hit as well as we would have liked to this weekend, but to still score so high without hitting shows our true potential," Carver-Milne said. Brown tallied 45.925 in the event, as Bridgeport posted a 47.400.
Following Binkley's first-place performance on the floor (9.825), Helen Segal '10 scored a personal best of 9.800 for second. Katie Goddard '12 also earned a personal best of 9.675 and finished in fourth. Tucker grabbed sixth with a 9.550, Wiesenfeld ninth with a 9.500 and Whitney Diederich '09 posted a 9.400 to finish off for the Bears, who won the event with a total of 48.350, compared to Bridgeport's 47.950.
"As a team, we have been repeatedly told how much potential we have for this season, and we are really starting to prove that potential week after week, building upon every team score," Binkley said.
The Bears will compete next Feb. 13 at Arizona and Feb. 20 against Oklahoma, Missouri and West Virginia at Oklahoma.
