Despite many injuries, Yale finishes season with win at ECACs

From the pounding impact of a vault landing to the graceful but rattling touchdown of a balance beam jump, from the jar of an uneven bars dismount to the constant pressure of a floor routine sequence, a gymnast's knees endure incredible punishment and run a high risk of injury. In a single week in late February, Shoshanna Engel, DC '03, and Sumitra Paul, SM '02, suffered identical season-ending knee injuries. "We relied on Shoshanna so much; it really hurt when she went down with

REBECCA ROSENTHAL/YH

an injury," Coach Barbara Tonry said. "Had she not gotten injured, she would have qualified for the NCAA Regionals in Michigan, and our team may have qualified as well." With the loss of two of their strongest competitors and with the bulk of their season ahead, the Elis feared that a season full of new school records was as fragile as their teammates' knees.

The Bulldogs maintained remarkable poise, uniting as a team with two of their best individual perfomers on crutches. Yale claimed an impressive victory in the Ivy League Championships, destroying its closest competitor, Penn, by almost three points. Despite three losses over spring break, the team executed almost flawlessly at the ECAC championships. The Bulldogs claimed their first-ever conference championship, a goal that had seemed nearly impossible only a month before. Jamie Green, TD '04, claimed second place overall, and Andrea Wolf, JE '03, captured fifth. The Bulldogs, required to count six individual scores in each of four events, accepted only one fall. It was this depth that proved to be the deciding factor in a narrow defeat of William and Mary.

"I've never had to stand on the sidelines before, and over spring break I had a really tough time coping with being away from competition," the injured Engel said. "But the team really stepped it up, and it was incredible to watch such a gritty and determined performance by everyone."

Yale fell just short of a bid to the NCAA Regionals, but Green, Jennifer Gold, TD '03, and Wolf qualified to compete as individuals at the meet in Michigan. For the team, the win at ECACs was a satisfying close to an impressive season full of both individual and team success.

—Kenneth Hammond

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