Opperman and Traina earn top finishes
NEW HAVEN, Conn.- The Yale women's gymnastics team hosted the ECAC Championships Saturday with competitors Brown, Cornell, Penn, Temple and William & Mary. William & Mary walked away with the ECAC championship as a team, with a combined score of 194.375. Yale finished third with a score of 193.575; the team score is yet another new season high for the Bulldogs. It is also the fifth-highest score in Yale history (and highest team score since 2003), which is an indicator of what this 2015 team is capable of.
The Bulldogs started off the meet on floor exercise, a rotation schedule that Coach Barbara Tonry referred to as "the worst of them all." She continued, "Starting on floor means ending on the balance beam followed with a bye rotation, but the girls handled it beautifully." Junior Camilla Opperman shined on floor, earning a career high 9.900 to win the ECAC championship on the apparatus. Her performance landed her in a tie for fifth on the all-time record list at Yale. Anella Anderson, Sloane Smith, and captain Morgan Traina all came away with a score of 9.725.The score marked a career high for Anderson. Freshman and ECAC Rookie of the Year Anna Merkuryev scored 9.675 (career high) and senior Joyce Li also competed on floor, scoring 9.650. The Bulldogs' team score of 48.750 is an improvement on the season best they set Mar. 15 at Brown; it is also he highest team score on the event since 2005.
Vault was next up for the Bulldogs and Merkuryev came away with the top score in the lineup for Yale, scoring 9.750 (ties career high). Traina scored 9.625, with Smith close behind at a 9.600. Opperman and Li shared a score of 9.525 on the event. Senior Brianna Chrisman made her first appearance of the meet on vault, scoring 9.500.
Yale then rotated to compete on the uneven bars where the Bulldogs yet again had a gymnast on the podium. Traina tied her career high, scoring 9.850 to finish second on the apparatus. Tatiana Winkelman delivered a strong routine, scoring 9.725, which ties a career-high score. Li continued her all-around pursuits with a score of 9.650. Freshman Allison Bushman made her first appearance of the competition on bars, scoring 9.525. Merkuryev and Chrisman rounded out the rotation, scoring 9.450 and 9.000, respectively.
Finally, Yale finished the day of competition on the balance beam, which was one of the strongest events in the competition for the Bulldogs. Their team score of 48.650 is the highest earned by a Yale gymnastics team since 2003. Morgan Traina continued her streak of impressive performances, scoring a 9.850 to tie for second place (career high). Her performance puts her in a tie for second place on the all-time record list. After winning the Ivy Championship on the beam, Brittney Sooksengdao delivered a performance that earned her a score of 9.775. Sophomore Kacie Traina has been a strong addition to the beam lineup for the Bulldogs; today she scored 9.750 on the apparatus, obtaining a career high. Anderson was close behind scoring 9.700, which ties her career high. Merkuryev and Li also were in the beam lineup for Yale, scoring 9.575 and 9.175.
Yale had three competitors in the all-around: Li, Merkuryev and Morgan Traina. Traina finished the day with a combined score of 39.000, landing her in third overall and with a new career high in the all-around. She earned yet another spot on the all-time record list with her performance, landing in a tie for ninth. Merkuryev and Li finished with all-around scores of 38.450 (career high) and 38.000, respectively.
The emotions of today's historic performance were captured perfectly in the words of Head Coach Barbara Tonry: "I'm so very proud of each and every one of these girls. They are all hurting, but they all keep on fighting."
Report filed by Rachel Wofford '17, Yale Sports Publicity
