The gymnastics team had a strong tri-meet this weekend, scoring its highest team score while also getting its first win of the season at the Harriet Marranca Memorial Invitational against Rhode Island College and SUNY Brockport on Feb. 15 in Ben Light Gymnasium.
The Bombers placed second overall with a score of 176.775, while Brockport came in first with a score of 186.900 and Rhode Island came in third with a score of 173.575. The meet was the Blue and Gold’s annual invitational in which they honored Harriet Marranca, founder of the gymnastics program, and raised awareness for breast cancer by wearing pink.
At the beginning of the meet, the crowd and team both had plenty of energy. Some alumni from the gymnastics team were in attendance to cheer on the Bombers. Devon Bireck-Collins ’08 said she was pleased to come back and see her old team compete in the Marranca Invitational.
“I try to come as much as I can, and it’s just so nice that they can do the pink theme and just try to raise awareness,” she said. “I think it gives them a little extra energy too, to be competing.”
Sophomore Lara Haberle led the South Hill squad on the beam with a career-best score of 9.550, allowing her to tie first overall with Brockport freshman Jennifer Sklenar. Haberle also scored a 9.425 on her floor exercise, placing sixth overall. Haberle said she was excited about the team’s performance and her individual performance as well.
“I felt great, we were all on fire,” she said.
Sophomore Megan Harrington was the only all-around competitor for the Bombers at the meet, scoring a 9.175 on vault to place ninth overall, a 9.300 on bars to tie for third with Brockport senior Casey Addis, an 8.750 on the beam to place 10th overall and a 9.525 on the floor for fifth overall. Harrington ended up placing first in all-around with a final overall score of 36.750.
Senior Rani Jacobson and freshman Ingrid Calfee performed well on the vault with Calfee scoring 9.350, reaching a season best and tying fifth place with Brockport senior Lexi King, and Jacobson scoring 9.325 and placing seventh overall.
Senior Shilanna Gallo had the highest score on the uneven bars for the Bombers with a score of 9.375, placing second overall just in front of Harrington. Gallo said being home for the Marranca Invitational and seeing familiar faces helped the team gain the energy it needed to post a good score.
“Being in our own gym always brings up the energy level,” she said. “Knowing that a lot of alumni came back and old teammates and stuff, that really helps a lot too.”
The Blue and Gold will return to action at 11 a.m. March 1 to compete against SUNY Cortland in Ben Light Gymnasium.
