• Following its highest scoring January meet in school history, the Sacramento State gymnastics team will look to keep its momentum rolling at home against Arizona State and San Jose State on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
• Live stats will be available through hornetsports.com with video of Sacramento State routines posted to the team’s Facebook page.
• The Hornets picked up their first victory of the season with a convincing 194.500-188.475 win over Seattle Pacific on Jan. 11. Kalliah McCartney finished first on vault, beam and floor and also won the all-around while Nicole Meiller had the top score on bars.
• Arizona State will be facing Sacramento State for the first time since 2005 and will be making its debut at The Nest. The Sun Devils opened 2013 with a 196.700-193.625 loss to No. 4 Oklahoma. ASU’s lineup featured 20 routines by either freshmen or sophomores.
• San Jose State will be facing the Hornets for the second time in three weeks. The Spartans downed Sacramento State at the NorCal Quad on Jan. 4 before posting a 192.550 in a four-team meet which featured then-No. 6 Stanford, No. 18 Arizona and No. 19 Illinois.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Sacramento State scored at least 48.525 on all four rotations en route to scoring its highest score in the month of January in school history. The Hornets swept the top three individual spots on three of the four events before defeating Seattle Pacific 194.500-188.475 on Friday at The Nest.
The Hornets opened with a 48.525 on vault and counted four scores of 9.700 or better, including career highs from Tina Necas (9.700) and Cassie Benning (9.750). On bars, Sacramento State scored 48.725 with a career high 9.900 from Nicole Meiller, a 9.825 from Benning and a 9.800 from Ashley Wooff.
The team had five of the top six scores on beam and scored 48.550 on the event. The Hornets closed the competition with a 48.700 on floor where their final four gymnasts each received a 9.700 or better.
SEEING DOUBLE
McCartney became the first Hornet to be named WAC Gymnast of the Week in 2013 when she earned the honor on Jan. 15. Against Seattle Pacific, McCartney scored a season high 39.300 and finished first on vault, beam and floor. Her score tied her for seventh in school history and also marked the seventh time the Vancouver, Wash., native has surpassed the 39-point plateau.
While McCartney’s effort has come to be the norm, freshman Cassie Benning scored 39.000 marking the first time in school history that Sacramento State has had two all-arounders both score 39-plus in the same meet. Benning scored 9.750 on vault, 9.825 on bars, 9.650 on beam and 9.775 on floor.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Through her first three seasons, senior Nicole Meiller has flirted with a 9.900 on bars on several occasions. Meiller finally achieved her goal with a 9.900 on bars against Seattle Pacific which also provided her the individual event title. The Aurora, Ill., native was near flawless during her routine and stuck her triple-twisting flyaway dismount to record the highest score on bars by a Hornet since Amber Basgall also recorded a 9.900 at the 2009 WAC Championships.
Meiller led a Hornet sweep of the top three spots on bars against Seattle Pacific. Benning was second while Woof and McCartney tied for third.
NEWS & NOTES
Senior Cayla Beutler is expected to be back in the lineup on bars and beam after missing the last meet with an ankle injury…junior Kailey Hansen and sophomore Kayla Wonderly both remain sidelined due to knee and elbow injuries, respectively…freshman Jesse Williams made her 2013 debut with an exhibition on beam which scored 9.725 in the meet against Seattle Pacific…Claire Torgerson (9.600 on vault) and Brennan Bailes (9.650) on bars also had strong numbers in exhibition performances…against Seattle Pacific, the Hornets set or tied 10 individual career highs.
