ECAC Men’s Gymnastics Week 3 Preview: William & Mary seeks redemption at Navy Open; tough non-conference matchups

In Week 2, we saw performances from all of the ECAC men’s gymnastics teams, and they demonstrated the amazing gymnastics that this conference has to offer. Each team has areas to improve, and William & Mary is definitely looking to climb its way up from the bottom of the rankings this week.

Note: Simpson is off this week.

Here’s what to look for in Week 3.

#4 Illinois @ #9 Greenville

Week 3 Matchup: Saturday, January 20 @ 3 p.m. ET | Illinois @ Greenville – Video (Free)

Greenville’s unyielding schedule continues, facing No. 4 Illinois at home for the first time this season. The Panthers have a goal of reaching a score of 390, which is definitely in the realm of possibility for this second-year team that just broke the school record in Week 2 (387.350). They neared that mark last weekend against Ohio State, despite counting a few falls on floor. They may not be able to catch Illinois this weekend but are looking for a strong start at home to continue their impressive season.   

Routines to watch:

• Landon Benas’ pommel horse: Benas has some great flop work in his routine but fell last week on a Russian after his Roth, falling over on the wrong side of his dismount. Look for him to be aggressive with his set this week to get the team started on the right foot.
• Zach Connelly’s floor: Connelly was on the routines to watch last week, but unfortunately took falls on his full-in and Manna. He will be looking for redemption this weekend and to break back into that 14+ range.

#12 Army @ #3 Michigan

Week 3 Matchup: Saturday, January 20 @ 1 p.m. ET | Army @ Michigan – Live Stats | Video (Big+)

Army had a great recovery from Week 1 to Week 2, improving by a formidable margin of 18 points. However, they will be back on the road this week, traveling to Ann Arbor to take on a tough opponent in No. 3 Michigan. The Black Knights need to make sure they settle their nerves and rely on their training to perform the same way that they did at the West Point Open. 

Routines to watch:

• Maddox Pabellon’s pommel horse: Pabellon had a nice routine last week but had a bit of a hiccup in the middle, catching his hand on some of his flop work that led him to tap his leg on the horse. He was still able to score a 13.8 and will be looking for a 14+ this weekend.
• Nick Lester’s high bar: First-year all-arounder Nick Lester had a rough set on Friday, with a miss on his piked Tkatchev and a fluke on the dismount, performing only an open double tuck which he fell back on. Lester will be eyeing a hit set and a stuck dismount against Michigan on Saturday.

#11 Springfield, #14 William & Mary, & #7 Navy @ Navy Open

Week 3 Matchup: Saturday, January 20 @ 2 p.m. ET | Ohio State, Penn State, Springfield College, William & Mary @ Navy (Navy Open) – Live Stats | Video (YouTube)

Navy

Navy opened its season with a 394.5 last week – the same score that they opened the 2023 season with. Last year, they were only able to surpass their opening score two times throughout the season. The Midshipmen will be looking to use this score as a building block to reach a 400, improving week by week to reach their full potential.

Routines to watch:

• Matthew Petros’ parallel bars: Petros had a stunning set last week, notching a 14.0 for his routine featuring a front toss from upper arm, a Healy, a Peach handstand, and a small hop on his double pike dismount. He will be looking to repeat this performance and hopefully stick the landing for an even bigger score. 
• Benjamin Thurlow Lam’s floor: Thurlow Lam hit a nice set last week, opening his routine with a punch double front and a front double twist, and closing out with a back 2.5 to score a 13.3. He wasn’t able to find the landing on his bigger passes but can reach a big number this week if he can dial in just a bit more.

Springfield

Springfield did not come to play, earning a big 381.85 opening score for a performance the team can easily improve on, especially on pommel horse, where they only counted one hit routine and floor, where they counted three falls. With their difficult sets and plenty of areas to polish up on, Springfield will be a team to keep your eye on at the Navy Open.

Routines to watch:

• Peyton Cramer’s pommel horse: If there was one routine to hit on Friday, Springfield is glad it was Cramer’s, which earned a massive 14.7. His two performances this weekend landed him at No. 3 in the nation on the event, and it’s a routine you can’t miss.
• Owen Carney’s high bar: Carney has great releases on high bar, including a nice extended layout Tkatchev and a Kovacs. He’s looking to get rewarded for his amplitude and break into the 13s this weekend.

William & Mary

The Tribe notched their lowest team score (359.350) this past weekend since January 29, 2022, which will surely enhance the determination of this very talented team. They have a tremendous amount of promise and can hopefully use last week’s experience to settle in and increase the number of hit routines. 

Routines to watch:

• Sam Lee’s vault: Lee has a 5.2 start value vault, but wasn’t able to get into the 14 range that his team was looking for in their opener. We can expect a big and improved vault from Lee this weekend.
• Gavin Zborowski’s floor: Zborowski is a great all-around competitor, but he shines on floor, starting from a 5.2 as well. Zborowski will be looking to find those landings and also break into that 14.0 range after a sixth-place finish at the West Point Open.