GYMNASTICS HEADS ACROSS CAUSEWAY FOR FINAL REGULAR SEASON MEET ON SUNDAY
3/22/2008
The Sacramento State gymnastics team will compete in its final regular season meet of the year this Sunday, March 23, when it makes the short trip across the Yolo Causeway for a four-team meet hosted by UC Davis. The meet also includes 10th-ranked Stanford and 34th-ranked San Jose State.
Sacramento State enters the meet with an 8-7 overall record and is ranked 36th nationally for the third straight week. The Hornets recorded a season high road score of 193.850 last Saturday at the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational hosted by Oregon State. The 9th-ranked Beavers won the meet with a score of 197.200 while then-19th-ranked Boise State finished second at 196.575. Missouri, who was ranked 14th, scored 195.325 to place third.
Individually, junior Marina Borisova tied for fourth place on floor for the highest finish by a Hornet. Borisova scored 9.875.
Stanford most recently scored 196.775 and finished first in a three-team home meet against Alabama and Nebraska. The Cardinal lead the all-time series against the Hornets, 7-0.
San Jose State and Sacramento State will meet for the third time this season on Saturday. The Spartans have won the two previous matchups, including a win by .05 at the Hornets Nest on Jan. 25. The Hornets still lead the all-time series, 35-21-1.
UC Davis and Sacramento State are facing each other for the second time in 16 days. The Hornets defeated the Aggies on March 7 and now lead the all-time series, 40-18.
Do the Math
Sacramento State remained 36th in the national rankings based on its regional qualifying score (RQS). The formula takes a team’s top six scores (only three of which can be at home), drops the high score and then averages the remaining five.
New this season is the fact that the top 36 RQSs in the nation will qualify for NCAA postseason competition regardless of the region. However, the individual all-arounders and event specialists will be determined by regional rankings.
Sacramento State is still counting road scores of 192.575 and 193.450 which came at Utah State and Boise State, respectively. If the team is able to top either mark Sunday, then its score will continue to rise.
Facing the Best
This season’s Hornet schedule might go down as one of the most difficult in school history. Last week, the team met three teams that were all ranked among the top 20 and will now take on two more ranked opponents. As of the latest rankings, six of the team’s 13 regular season opponents are ranked in the top 36.
All Good Things...
It was amazing while it lasted, but Sacramento State’s beam dominance finally came to an end at Oregon State. Prior to the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational, the Hornets had had the individual winner or tied for the top spot in the first nine meets of the year. That included seven victories by senior Melissa Genovese. However, at OSU, the Beavers took advantage of their home floor and senior night to record six of the top seven scores. Genovese tied for eighth with a 9.850.
The El Dorado Hills native is seventh in the nation in the lastest rankings with an RQS of 9.885. Her school record score of 9.950 which came in her final home meet is tied for the third highest beam score in the country this season.
While Genovese has been spectacular this season, she is not the only person helping the team. Sophomore Lizzy Norvell is currently tied for 14th in the region and the team is ranked 22nd nationally and fourth regionally in the event.
It’s in the Vault
Sacramento State’s hopes for a big score might be locked in the vault. The event has caused the most trouble for the team this season but things seem to be heading in the right direction. Sacramento State has scored at least 48.150 in its last two meets and has met that mark in three of the its past five contests. Those three meets have resulted in total team scores of at least 193.850 in all three meets.
News & Notes
Sacramento State has averaged 195.278 in its last two meets at UC Davis…despite growing up in Corvallis, Ore., Eryn Stubblefield had never competed at Gill Coliseum until last Saturday.
