GYMNASTICS SCORES SEASON HIGH 195.250 IN WINS OVER CAL, UC DAVIS AND SEATTLE PACIFIC
3/8/2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State senior Melissa Genovese set the school record on beam with a 9.950 and tied for first on floor with a 9.875 to help lead the Hornets gymnastics team to a win over Cal, UC Davis and Seattle Pacific, Friday night at the Hornets Nest. Sacramento State scored a season-best 195.250 in the meet while the Golden Bears tallied a 193.700. The Aggies were third with a 192.625 and SPU recorded a 190.075.
On Senior Night, it was Genovese who stole the show. The El Dorado Hills native bettered her career best of 9.925 on beam which was set just three weeks ago. Her 9.950 on Friday night broke the mark which she shared with Nirvana Zaher. While her individual success earned attention, the team was not far behind as it recorded a season-high 49.075 on beam. Sacramento State counted five scores of at least 9.725. Sophomore Traci Takeda led off with a 9.725 and was followed with a 9.775 from Alycia Chan. Lizzy Norvell split the difference with a 9.750 and Marina Borisova added a 9.875. The score was the third best in the event in school history.
“I couldn’t think of a better way for our seniors to go out at home” Sacramento State head coach Kim Hughes said. “This was the meet we knew were capable of doing all season.”
Sacramento State opened the meet on vault and trailed for the only time in the contest after the first rotation. The Hornets scored 48.150 but were overmatched by UC Davis on bars with 48.700. Sacramento State was led by Chan who scored 9.800 to place third overall.
The second rotation moved the Hornets to bars and the team responded with a season high of 48.925. All six gymnasts scored 9.600 or better, including Borisova who won the individual title with a 9.875. Sophomore Lauren Dyson had her best showing of the season with a 9.800 which placed her in a four-way tie for second. Genovese and fellow senior Alexis Tsurumoto tied for sixth with 9.775s.
Sacramento State built a point-and-a-half lead after beam and closed out the meet on floor. The team scored 49.100 which is its best this year and is tied for the eight highest mark in school history. The team claimed the top four spots in the overall rankings and counted five scores of at least 9.700. Genovese and sophomore Eryn Stubblefield tied for first with a 9.875. That marked was a career best for Stubblefield and both gymnasts tied Borisova for the highest score on the team this season. Chan and Borisova tied for third with 9.825s and senior Nicole Giao finished in a tie for eighth with a 9.700.
Borisova and Genovese finished first and second, respectively, in the all-around. Both scored season highs as Borisova recorded a four-event total of 39.200 and Genovese totaled 39.125.
UC Davis’ Michelle Bobonski was the only non-Hornet to win an event title. Bobonski scored 9.850 to win vault.
Sacramento State will compete on the road for its final three meets of the regular season. The streak begins on March 15 when the Hornets travel to Oregon State for the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational. That meet will include Oregon State, Missouri and Boise State — three teams ranked in the top 21 in the nation as of this week.
NOTES: Following the meet the team honored five seniors who were competing in their final home meet. The group is comprised of Genovese, Giao, Hava McCarter-Ribakoff, Alyssa Onaga and Tsurumoto…Sacramento State also honored head coach Kim Hughes who is concluding his 30th season with the program as both an assistant coach and head coach…Genovese’s beam title was her 22nd in four years…the Hornets have now won or tied for the top spot on beam in all nine meets this season.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
