MEET NOTES

WEST CHESTER, PA - West Chester University earned one of the six team spots in the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships. As this year's host site, West Chester was guaranteed a team spot. However, the Golden Rams received the fifth seed to earn its way into the field. It marks the fourth time in school history that West Chester has qualified for the USA Gymnastics national meet and first time since 2022.

Lindenwood University claimed the top seed at the championships, boasting an overall NQS of 195.940. Texas Woman's University earned the second seed with a 195.575. Claiming the third seed was the U.S. Air Force Academy with a NQS of 195.155. Brown University was the fourth seed with a 194.210, and host West Chester University locked down the fifth seed with a 193.955. The sixth and final seed was Cornell with a 193.870.

The top two teams from session one and the top two teams from session two will advance to the team finals on Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m. For the individual competitors, the top five individual scores from each session will advance to the individual finals on Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m.

WCU LAST TIME OUT - 2024 GEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sophomore Sarah Eskew (Pittsburgh, Pa.) tied for third on the uneven bars and tied for seventh on the vault to come away with a personal best in the all-around as West Chester University's gymnastics squad placed sixth at the 2024 Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) Championships inside John J. Lee Amphitheater Saturday evening.
 
Eskew scored a 39.1 in the all-around to place fifth at the championships in that category. Her 9.85 on the uneven bars was also a new personal best to tie for third. Her 9.775 on the vault was good for a tie for seventh.
 
Senior Lily McFarland (Baltimore, Md.) tied for seventh on the balance beam with a 9.825. She was only other Golden Rams gymnast to crack the Top 10 in one of the four events, or the all-around.
 
Junior Jordan Coleman (Bowie, Md.) equaled her career best on the vault with a 9.625.
COACH CORDOVA NAMED WCGA D2 REGION 7 COACH OF THE YEAR
West Chester University women's gymnastics mentor, Barabar Cordova ('88), was named the 2024 Division II Coach of the Year in Region 7 by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) it was announced this week.

Cordova led the Golden Rams to the USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships where the Golden Rams' gymnasts will compete this weekend. It is the fourth time in her 16-year career that Cordova has led West Chester to the national meet. It is her second Division II coach of the year honor following her initial citation back in 2017.

At her alma mater, Cordova mentored two WCGA regular-aeason All-Americans and five All-Gymnastics East Conference (GEC), who won a total of seven all-conference certificates. West Chester finished 10-9 overall on the year and placed sixth at the GEC Championships a couple of weeks ago.

McFARLAND AND CASCADDEN NAMED D2 WCGA ALL-AMERICA ON BEAM
Sr., Lily McFarland (Baltimore, Md.) was named first team on the balance beam while teammate Caroline Cascadden (Ashburn, Va.) was named second team on the same event. All-Americans were determined by the individual's National Qualifying Score.

McFarland posted an NQS on the beam of 9.835 while Cascadden posted a score of 9.825.

McFarland was a first team All-GEC pick on the balance beam and a three-time all-conference selection during her college career. She finished seventh on the balance beam at the GEC Championships.

Cascadden, one of the captains of the Golden Rams gymnastics squad, is in the midst of her best collegiate season. She is a balance beam and floor exercise specialist, who earned first-team All-GEC accolades in both events. Cascadden is ranked tied third on beam in the GEC. Cascadden tied the school's balance beam record twice this winter with a 9.875, before breaking the record with a 9.9 during her senior meet. Her performance also helped the Golden Rams break their team record on the beam with a 49.15.

THREE HONORED IN GEC POSTSEASON MAJOR AWARDS
Senior Caroline Cascadden (Ashburn, Va.) was selected as the GEC Specialist of the Year while junior Jordan Coleman (Bowie, Md.) took home Performance of the Year for her routine on bars in the opening meet of the season. Finally, Stephanie Stephens was named the GEC Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
During West Chester's first meet of the season, Jordan Coleman hit the uneven bars routine of her life and broke the school record with a 9.9 in her home state at the University of Maryland. She broke former Golden Ram, Meghan Brannon's school record. Brannon was tragically killed in September, which made Coleman's accomplishment that much more special to the junior and the rest of her teammates and coaching staff.
 
Stephanie Stephens picks up her second conference coaching plaudit, having won the ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 when West Chester competed in that conference. Stephens put her love for former teammate Meghan Brannon and WCU Gymnastics together and organized a scholarship in Brannon's name and a Memorial Meet for Meghan. Stephens did an excellent job organizing all of this on top of all her other responsibilities.
 
Stephens possesses an excellent knowledge of all four events and is invested in making the team better every single day. She is the primary beam coach, and West Chester's beam team is enjoying a great year. The Golden Rams have broken, or tied, an individual beam record five times, along with the team record once. In all, West Chester has set or tied seven records in 2024 – four individual and three team marks.