SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – March 22, 2007 – Eight individuals representing Springfield College have qualified to compete at the NCGA Women’s Gymnastics Championships at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater this upcoming weekend (Mar. 23-24).

At the 2007 ECAC Women’s Gymnastics Championships, hosted by Ithaca College on March 10, Springfield did not qualify as a team for the NCGA’s, finishing fourth, but the team did the next best thing by qualifying a very healthy number of eight competitors to compete for individual crowns.

As a team at the ECAC’s, the Pride scored 184.450 points. Finishing ahead of SC were Brockport (188.325), Ithaca (186.425), and Ursinus (186.100). Only the top three advanced as a team.

Springfield’s qualifiers included freshman Audrey Lastra (New Milford, Conn.) in the all-around, sophomore Jackie Mazzola (Framingham, Mass.) in the vault, freshman Jeanna Bradle (New Milford, Conn.) and sophomore Kristin Fairburn (Salem, N.H.) in the uneven bars, freshman Alex Ploenes (Fletcher, N.C.) and senior Keriann Hart (Hanover, Mass.) in the balance beam, and senior Heather Tuden (Londonderry, N.H.) and junior Cara Chadbourne (New Salem, Mass.) in the floor exercise.

At the ECAC’s in the all-around, Lastra finished 10th with a score of 36.300. Fairburn tied for 12th with a score of 36.225.

In the vault, Mazzola finished in a tie for seventh with a score of 9.475. Freshman Ericca Castagna (Topsfield, Mass.) also finished tied for seventh with the same score.

In the floor exercise, Tuden placed eighth at 9.500. Lastra and Chadbourne tied for 10th with a tally of 9.450.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire competition for Springfield came in the balance beam where Ploenes won the event with a tremendous score of 9.725. Hart finished tied for ninth with a score of 9.375.

In the uneven parallel bars, Bradle placed 10th with a score of 9.375. Lastra was 13th at 9.325.

published: 03/22/2007