Dawn of New Season for UNH Gymnastics

DURHAM, N.H. – With the 2020 team motto of 'Every One, Every Time', the University of New Hampshire gymnastics team competes in the first one, a season-opening road meet against Illinois State University, on Saturday, Jan. 4 (6 p.m. ET) at Horton Field House.

Saturday, January 4 • 6 p.m. (ET)
UNH at Illinois State
Horton Field House • Normal, Ill.
Live Video • Live Results

Lindsey Bruck Ayotte officially takes the helm as head coach, joined by associate head coach Steve Avgerinos and assistant coach Amanda Fillard.

"It is a great coaching staff," Bruck Ayotte said. "Each person brings their own uniqueness to the team. Steve has over 20 years of experience and brings so much knowledge and energy to the gym. Amanda, coming from N.C. State, is not far removed from college gymnastics, so she can relate to the gymnasts. She understands the sport and a has a true passion for it, which is awesome."

As the Wildcats embark on the new campaign, below is an event-by-event overview.

Get 2020 UNH Gymnastics Tickets Here

VAULT
Senior Riley Freehling (Southington, Conn.) is expected to compete vault for the first time in her college career, which would set the co-captain on a course to debut as an all-around competitor. Freshmen Robyn Kelley (Wakefield, Mass.) and Kylie Gorgenyi (North Reading, Mass.) are each expected to have an instant impact to go along with the return of junior Lauren Diggan (Sinking Spring, Pa.), who has trained at a high level this preseason after being held out of the vault lineup the final three meets of 2019 due to injury. Emma Winer (Georgetown, Mass.), voted the team's most improved gymnast in 2019, is working on a Yurchenko Full as she readies for her second year in the lineup, and sophomore Mariella Miele (Basking Ridge, N.J.) has shown great improvement and is right on the edge of joining the lineup. In a true example of perseverance, senior Lexi Calandra (Suffern, N.Y.) has battled back from injury to make her return to the vault squad for the first time since 2017.

"We have more depth on vault this year, which is exciting," Bruck Ayotte said. "Each one that is training definitely has the potential to be successful for us."

UNEVEN BARS
An experienced uneven-bar corps includes Diggan, senior co-captain Ava Watkins (Cherry Hill, N.J.), Freehling, sophomore Hailey Lui (Collegeville, Pa.) and junior Clare Hampford (Trumbull, Conn.). Diggan has earned All-EAGL First Team on bars in each of her first two seasons and was named to the 2019 EAGL All-Tournament First Team after tying for third place (9.850) at the conference championship meet. Freehling equaled that 9.850 score at EAGLs and joined Diggan on the All-EAGL First Team and EAGL All-Tournament First Team. Lui, the 2019 EAGL Rookie of the Year, clinched an All-EAGL Second Team berth and scored her career high (9.825) at EAGLs to claim All-Tournament First Team honors. Watkins set her personal best (9.800) at EAGLs and made the All-Tournament Second Team as a result.

Bruck Ayotte added that Gorgenyi "is phenomenal on bars and should make an instant impact."

BALANCE BEAM
Balance beam is once again expected to be a strength of a Wildcats' team that brings back a number of gymnasts who helped set the program's all-time beam record score of 49.425 on Jan. 18, 2019, at the Whittemore Center. Sophomore Hannah Baddick (Gettysburg, Pa.) established a personal-best 9.900 on that record-setting night and went on to cap her freshman season with a berth on the All-EAGL Second Team. She will be joined by Freehling, who is a two-time EAGL All-Second Team beam competitor, and Lui, who scored a career-high 9.925 at George Washington on Feb. 8, en route to All-EAGL Second Team and All-Tournament First Team recognition. Winer, who set her career high (9.900) in the record-setting meet, will return for her second straight year in the beam lineup. Kelley is a great beam worker who should be ready to step in right away. Others in the mix for a beam lineup spot include Hampford, Miele, Gorgenyi and freshman Alyssa Worthington (West Warwick, R.I.), who is a beautiful worker focusing on the consistency necessary at the college level.

"We've got some depth on beam, which is going to make it hard for coaches to figure out the lineup," Bruck Ayotte said. "That's a good challenge for us to have. As long as we can get the consistency and work on the fine, little details, it's anyone's game to break into the lineup."

FLOOR EXERCISE
"It's the beginning of the year and with floor --especially with the holiday breaks-- endurance will be key," Bruck Ayotte said. "Once again it's working on consistency, but I think we have real depth on floor. Amanda Fillard has been amazing with choreography this year, so I think we are going to have some exciting floor routines that fans will enjoy seeing."

With the 2019 EAGL Championship hanging in the balance, Watkins scored a 9.900 as the lineup anchor to match her career high, tie for first place, and most importantly, provide the score necessary for the 'Cats to raise the championship trophy as conference champions. Winer is a returning All-EAGL First Team floor performer, Freehling made the All-Tournament First Team and Lui notched a place on both the All-EAGL Second Team and All-Tournament Second Team. Kelley and Gorgenyi --both of whom have the potential to be all-around competitors in their inaugural season-- are anticipated to be key figures in the floor lineup.

NEW ERA - Saturday's meet marks the Wildcats' first with Bruck Ayotte as head coach following 40 seasons under legendary Gail Goodspeed. Bruck Ayotte served as associate head coach for three seasons (2017-19) and was named 2019 NCAA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year (shared with assistant coach Sunny Marchand, volunteer assistant coach Ed Datti) prior to taking over the head coach role following Goodspeed's retirement in July.

"We still have Ed," Bruck Ayotte said. "He's volunteering again, in and out, a little more on his schedule when he wants to come in. But it's great to have him back in the gym. He just can't get away - he loves it too much!"

HOMECOMING - Avgerinos will work his first official meet with the Wildcats at his alma mater and the program he coached for nearly two decades. He coached at Illinois State from 1998-2003 and again from 2005-19, most recently as associate head coach, before joining the Wildcats in that same role last September. Avgerinos, who earned his bachelor's degree (2009) and master's degree (2017) from ISU, was twice (2006, 2009) named the Midwest Independent Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.

TENTATIVE LINEUP AT ILLINOIS STATE
Vault
Freehling
Calandra
Kelley
Winer
Diggan
Gorgenyi

Uneven Bars
Hampford
Lui
Freehling
Watkins
Diggan
Gorgenyi

Balance Beam
Freehling
Baddick
Worthington
Winer
Kelley
Lui

Floor Exercise
Freehling
Lui
Kelley
Winer
Diggan
Watkins

PRESEASON NO. 1 - The Wildcats earned the No. 1 ranking in the EAGL Preseason Poll, which consists of voting among the league's six head coaches. UNH, which captured the 2019 EAGL Championship at the Whittemore Center last March, received 32 points and three first-place votes to outdistance George Washington and North Carolina State, which tied for second place (27 points).

POLL POSITION - UNH also earned a preseason No. 35 ranking in the 2020 National Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Preseason Poll. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top 36 teams nationally earn bids to the NCAA Regional Championships. The Wildcats have reached NCAA Regionals 36 times in the last 38 years.

HOME OPENER - UNH plays host to Southern Utah in its first home meet of the season Saturday, Jan. 18 (7 p.m.) in Lundholm Gym. Fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite superheroes, including their real-life heroes, on Military/First Responders/Superhero Night. Fans in attendance will also receive UNH Gymnastics Trading Cards. Group ticket packages start at $3, and season tickets are available for just $30. For more information, CLICK HERE or call 603-862-4000.

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

Facebook: UNH Gymnastics	Facebook: UNH Wildcats
Twitter: @UNHGymnastics	Twitter: @UNHWildcats
Instagram: @UNHGymnastics	Instagram: @UNHWildcats
Get UNH Gymnastics Emails	Get UNH Athletics Emails

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah Baddick

Lexi Calandra

Lauren Diggan

Riley Freehling

Kylie Gorgenyi

Clare Hampford

Robyn Kelley

Hailey Lui

Mariella Miele

Ava Watkins

Emma Winer

Alyssa Worthington

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

University of New Hampshire Athletics