GYMNASTICS SQUARES OFF AGAINST SAN JOSE STATE AGAIN

1/24/2013

OPENING PASS
• The red-hot Sacramento State gymnastics team will face a familiar opponent on Friday, Jan. 25, when it travels to the Event Center to meet San Jose State for the third time in four weeks. The meet will begin at 7 p.m.

• The two teams have split their previous two meetings this year. The Spartans claimed a 192.875-191.100 victory at the NorCal Quad on Jan. 4. The Hornets evened the score with a 194.250-192.525 victory this past Friday at The Nest.

• There are numerous ways to follow Friday’s meet. San Jose State will provide score updates throughout the meet via its website (sjsuspartans.com). There will also be a live stream of the meet available for a small fee through the Spartan website. Sacramento State fans can continue to watch the majority of the team’s performances via the gymnastics Facebook page.

THE LAST TIME OUT
Led by a victory in the all-around by Kalliah McCartney and a share of first place on beam by McCartney and on floor by Cassie Benning, the Sacramento State gymnastics team came up just short in a three-team meet on Friday at The Nest. The Hornets scored 194.250 and finished a tenth of a point behind the Pac-12’s Arizona State (194.350) for the top spot. San Jose State scored 192.525 to finish third.

Sacramento State held a .075 advantage heading into the final rotation but ASU was able to overcome a fall on its first routine to rally for the win on bars. The Sun Devils scored 48.725 on bars while the Hornets totaled 48.550 on floor.

Sacramento State was consistent throughout the meet, scoring at least 48.425 on all four events.

ENCORE PERFORMANCE
For the second consecutive week, Kalliah McCartney was named the Western Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Week. McCartney captured her third all-around title in as many meets this season with a 39.200 in a three-team meet against Arizona State and San Jose State. The Vancouver, Calif., native also tied for first on beam with a 9.775, was second on bars (9.825), tied for third on floor (9.800) and was fourth on vault (9.800).

Through three meets this season, McCartney ranks 31st nationally with an all-around average of 39.108. She is also averaging at least 9.742 on all four events.

Denver’s Kaitlin Moorhead was the WAC Specialist of the Week after scoring 9.875 on vault.

OUT OF THE GATES
For the first time in school history, Sacramento State has recorded back-to-back January meets with at least a 194 team score. After a rough start at the NorCal Quad where the Hornets scored 191.100, the team has followed with a 194.500 against Seattle Pacific and a 194.250 last week against Arizona State and San Jose State. Dating back to last season, the team has scored 194-plus in five of its last six meets.

The Hornets’ average of 193.283 ranks 39th nationally and places the team third in the WAC. In 2001, Sacramento State opened the year with an average of 193.850 in January which still serves as the program high for the month. However, that year the Hornets competed in just two meets in January.

CARRYING ON THE TRADITION
A week after scoring 39.000 in the all-around, freshman Cassie Benning earned her first individual event title by tying for first on floor with a 9.825. The score was a career high for the Roseville, Calif., native on the event and tied her with Arizona State’s Natasha Sundby.

Benning has already established herself as one of the favorites for the WAC Freshman of the Year. Last season, the award was earned by McCartney.

LOOK WHO’S BACK
Senior Cayla Beutler was poised for a big senior season until spraining her ankle on floor during the first meet of the year. After sitting out the Seattle Pacific meet, Beutler returned on bars and beam last week and scored 9.725 and 9.750, respectively. She’s slated to compete on floor again this week at San Jose State.

Sophomore Kayla Wonderly will make her 2013 debut with an exhibition on beam. Wonderly has been sidelined due to an elbow injury.

NEWS & NOTES
Sacramento State gymnasts set or tied five personal highs against Arizona State and San Jose State.