FloGymnastics is excited to bring you LIVE coverage of the 2018 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships on March 23-24 at the Springfield College Blake Arena in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The team and all-around championships will stream live Friday at 5 PM, and the individual event competition on Saturday at 4 PM.

Teams

Six teams qualified for this meet based on their performances at the WIAC Championships, divided by East and West Regionals. The top three teams from each region qualified to the NCGA Championships.

Based on the results from regionals alone, the field is set:

East Qualifiers

Ithaca
Cortland
Brockport

West Qualifiers

UW-La Crosse
UW-Whitewater
Hamline

Wisconson-Whitewater was crowned the 2017 NCGA National Champion last March for their fourth win in program history after UW-La Crosse reigned in the 2015 and 2016 Championships. However, Brockport will look to nab the title—coming into the competition with the highest seasonal average score (SAS) in the field.

The SAS is determined by the average of four scores based on several specific criteria.

Brockport is favored in the top spot with a SAS of 191.3625, ahead of UW-La Crosse and Ithaca, tied with a SAS of 190.7938.

Individuals

Individual qualifiers were determined by their performances throughout the season as well as scores at WIAC Regionals.

All-Around

In the all-around, Alexandra Puryear (Ursinus), Ali Rushlow (Springfield), and Heather Brubaker (Ursinus) will each contend for the individual title on Friday.

Puryear will look to match her season-high all-around score of 37.950, the highest score of the three competing this weekend. Brubaker’s consistency has earned her the highest average score of 37.015.

Vault

Carolyn Nichols comes in as the favorite on vault based her overall performance this year. The Ithaca College junior set and shattered her own school record this season, becoming the first IC gymnast to score a 9.8 on the event. Her front-front-front vault earned her All-American honors at last years NCGA event finals and continued to impress all 2018 season.

Stephanie Mager will also contend for the vault title with an aggressive laid-out, full-twisting yurchenko that earned her NCGA Specialist of the Week title earlier this month.

Top 5 2018 Vault Rankings

Carolyn Nichols (Ithaca)
Stephanie Mager (Brockport)
Rachel Filipski (Cortland)
Lauren Marshall (UW-Whitewater)
Dani Barmore (UW-La Crosse)

Bars

Amy Enright (UW-La Crosse) will make a run for the bars title. Her clean lines and crisp handstand work earned an individual event title in 2016. The senior holds the school record on bars of a 9.850 and is a two-time WIAC champion on the event.

Brockport Senior Miranda Shaine consistently led her team on bars this season. Her SAS ties Enright’s 9.6688, but she’ll look to edge out the top-ranked bar worker as her season-high 9.725 ranks above Enright’s high score for 2018.

Top 5 2018 Bars Rankings

Amy Enright (UW-La Crosse)
Miranda Shaine (Brockport)
Lisa O’Donnell (UW-Whitewater)
Allison Hester (Brockport)
Baylie Trammell (Ithaca)

Balance Beam

Cortland freshman Emma Schultz tied the school record of 9.825 on beam in her first year of collegiate competition. Schultz was named NCGA East Co-Rookie of the Year at the regional qualifier. Beam has been a consistently solid event for the freshman, and her unwavering confidence and flexibility will be tough to beat.

Another consistent beam worker is Paige Landes, whose dependable performances put her in the second-ranked spot going into NCGA’s. The sophomore from Ithaca averaged a 9.7 on the event this season.

Top 5 2018 Beam Rankings
Emma Schulz (Cortland)
Paige Landes (Ithaca)
Candis Kowalik (Brockport)
Bailey Gildemeyer (Cortland)
Katie Holcomb (Ithaca)

Floor

Brockport’s Brittany Vasile comes in on top of the rankings on floor with a season-high of 9.9. The senior shows a beautiful double pike and a clean back 1.5 to front layout in her two-pass routine.

Just behind Vasile in the rankings is junior Victoria (Tori) Gery from Ithaca. She tied her school’s individual event record of 9.875 in February. Geri is a fiery competitor on floor. She matches dynamic, dance-party-worthy choreography with two big tumbling passes: front tuck through to double tuck and a stellar double pike. 

The junior Bomber turns up the volume on floor, and she’ll be a true contender for a title on the event.

Top 5 2018 Floor Rankings
Brittany Vasile (Brockport)
Victoria Gery (Ithaca)
Candis Kowalik (Brockport)
Emma Schulz (Cortland)
Elenor LaFountain (Ursinus)