SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- Senior Binta Coleman won the vault and juniors Meloney Greer and Stefanie Aeder each finished first on bars and floor, respectively, as the Sacramento State gymnastics team finished second in a three-team meet Friday night at the Hornets Nest. Cal State Fullerton won the meet with a score of 195.350, the Hornets scored 194.550 while UC Davis was third with 193.025.Sacramento State’s mark was its second-highest of the season, falling only behind the school record of 195.875 set last Friday at Oregon State.
Coleman, who was appearing in her final home meet of her four-year career, scored a career-best 9.900 to win vault. The Elk Grove, Calif., native led a Hornet attack which featured four of the top five scores in the meet as the team recorded a mark of 49.050 to tie the school record. Junior Nirvana Zaher was second on vault with a 9.875 while Jessica Hoffman tied for third at 9.825 and Meloney Greer was fourth with 9.755. Both Zaher and Greer scored career-highs in the event.
Sacramento State continued its individual success on bars but struggled as a team. Greer and Hoffman each surpassed their career high with 9.925 and 9.900, respectively, to finish first and second. However, the team had two competitors fall, limiting their total to 48.475. That mark, combined with the Titans’ 48.975 on beam put Cal State Fullerton into the lead for the remainder of the meet.
On beam, freshman Tiffany Bass led Sacramento State with a 9.850 to finish in second. The event, however, was dominated by the Titans who recorded four of the top five spots, including a 9.900 by Brittany Evans. For the second time this season, the Hornets had trouble staying on against CSF, as the team had three athletes fall off the apparatus.
Sacramento State made a late rally on floor during the final rotation. The team received a school-record 9.950 from Stefanie Aeder and a 9.900 from Coleman. Zaher also tied for fifth place at 9.850.
Cal State Fullerton’s Erica Ficarrotta won the all-around with a mark of 38.975. Zaher was second at 38.675 while Coleman was third at 38.575.
Friday’s meet marked the final regular season meet for the Hornets this season. The team will travel to San Jose State for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships on March 20. Sacramento State is the league’s only champion, winning the first two events in 2002 and 2003. The Hornets are also remain in the hunt for the final berth into the NCAA Regionals. Sacramento State is 0.3 points behind SJSU for the sixth and final spot.
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RESULTS (Top 3 plus Sacramento State gymnasts)
Team Total
1. Cal State Fullerton 195.350; 2. Sacramento State 194.550; 3. UC Davis 193.025.
VAULT
1. Binta Coleman, SAC, 9.900; 2. Nirvana Zaher, SAC, 9.875; T3. Jessica Hoffman, SAC, 9.825; T3. Tifffany Chan, UCD, 9.825; T11. Rachel Anderson, SAC, 9.675; T11. Tiffany Bass, SAC, 9.675.
BARS
1. Meloney Greer, SAC, 9.925; 2. Jessica Hoffman, SAC, 9.900; 3. Mei Ling Clark, UCD, 9.875; T4. Kimiye Narasaki, SAC, 9.825; 8. Nirvana Zaher, SAC, 9.750; T17. Binta Coleman, SAC, 9.075; T17. Carrie Kinghorn, SAC, 9.075.
BEAM
1. Brittany Evans, CSF, 9.900; 2. Tiffany Bass, SAC, 9.850; 3. Annette Reyes, CSF, 9.800; T6. Trista Condren, SAC, 9.725; 9. Binta Coleman, SAC, 9.700; 13. Nirvana Zaher, SAC, 9.200; 14. Jessica Hoffman, SAC, 9.175; T15. Carrie Kinghorn, SAC, 9.125.
FLOOR EXERCISE
1. Stefanie Aeder, SAC, 9.950; T2. Binta Coleman, SAC, 9.900; T2. Latoya Milburn, CSF, 9.900; T5. Nirvana Zaher, SAC, 9.850; T8. Courtney Hibler, SAC, 9.825; 18. Trista Condren, SAC, 9.500.
ALL-AROUND
1. Shirla Choy, SJSU, 38.950; 2. Binta Coleman, SAC, 38.625; 3. Nirvana Zaher, SAC, 38.325; 4. Liz Major, SJSU, 38.175; 5. Greta Leach, SJSU, 38.050; 6. Jennifer Greene, SJSU, 38.000.
