GYMNASTICS HEADS TO SAN JOSE FOR REGULAR SEASON FINALE
3/15/2012
OPENING PASS
• With hopes of reaching the NCAA postseason still alive, the Sacramento State gymnastics team will travel to San Jose State in its regular season finale on Friday, March 16, at 7 p.m. The meet, which will take place in Spartan Gym, will also feature UC Davis.
• Live stats can be found at www.sjsuspartans.com. There will not be a live video stream but Hornet fans can follow along via the team’s Facebook page.
• Sacramento State raised its Regional Qualifying Score but remained 42nd in the latest rankings. The Hornets now own an RQS of 193.890 and are within striking distance of a top 36 spot to earn a trip to NCAA regionals. Currently, Maryland occupies the final slot with an RQS of 194.290.
• San Jose State is ranked 34th with an RQS of 194.525. The Spartans are led by seniors Thomasina Wallace and Katie Valleau who are a pair of five seniors for SJSU. Both gymnasts have competed at NCAA nationals during their career.
• The two teams are meeting for the third time this season and will also see each other next week at the WAC Championships at Utah State. The Spartans were victorious at Stanford while the Hornets won at home behind a season high 194.750.
• UC Davis owns an RQS of 192.180 and is ranked 55th. The Aggies scored a season high 194.025 to finish second in the four-team meet hosted by Sacramento State last week. The Hornets have won the previous three matchups this season against UC Davis.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Sacramento State gymnastics team opened with a school record on vault and then rallied late for its second highest score of the year to win a four-team meet on Sunday at the Hornets Nest. The Hornets scored 194.400 while UC Davis was second with 194.025. Central Michigan took third at 192.725 and was followed by Seattle Pacific which scored 191.750.
Sacramento State began the meet on vault and responded with a 49.075 to break the school record. The team counted five scores of at least 9.775 and was led by career high 9.850s from Kaila Kilwein and Kailey Hansen who tied for second overall.
The Hornets maintained their overall lead through two rotations behind a 48.500 on bars. McCartney and Meiller each scored 9.725 to tie for eighth in the meet.
Sacramento State turned to beam and saw its lead disappear during the third rotation. As a squad, the Hornets totaled 47.825 despite not counting a fall. McCartney tied for first overall with a 9.750
During the same rotation, CMU tallied a 49.025 on bars to take the team lead with a three-event total of 146.425. Sacramento State was second at 145.400 and UC Davis was close behind at 145.300.
The Hornets reclaimed the top spot with a solid performance on floor resulting in a 49.000. McCartney won the event outright with a career-high tying 9.900.
The Aggies moved into second place with a vault total of 48.725 while Central Michigan fell to third place after falling five times on beam. The Chipewas scored 46.300 in the event.
IT’S IN THE VAULT
Two career highs and another career-high tying performance helped Sacramento State score a school record on vault during the first rotation of the meet last Sunday. The Hornets scored 49.075 which broke the previous of mark of 49.050 which had come in three different meets — most recently against UC Davis on March 12, 2006.
After Katie Osaki opened with a 9.675 (which was not counted), Kaila Kilwein set a career high with a 9.850 to tie for second place. Kilwein’s previous best was 9.775.
Emiko Ono and Kalliah McCartney each scored 9.775s in the third and fifth spots, respectively in the order. In between the two was sophomore Kailey Hansen who set a career high with a 9.850 to match Kilwein.
Nicole Meiller rounded out the rotation with a career high tying 9.825.
