GYMNASTICS SCORES 194.600 TO FINISH SECOND IN FOUR TEAM MEET

3/24/2008

DAVIS, Calif. — The Sacramento State gymnastics teams recorded its highest road score of the season, as it scored 194.600 to finish second at a four-team meet hosted by UC Davis on Sunday. Stanford, which is ranked 10th nationally, finished first with 197.000. UC Davis posted a season-best 194.275 to place third while San Jose State was fourth at 193.900.

The Hornets opened the meet on beam and scored 48.825. The team got off to a great start as sophomore Traci Takeda and freshman Alycia Chan each scored 9.725 to tie for seventh overall. Sophomore Lizzy Norvell followed with a 9.700 and sophomore Eryn Stubblefield matched the opening two scores with a 9.725 of her own. Junior Marina Borisova was fifth in the lineup and produced a 9.850 to tie for first overall in the meet.

Sacramento State was solid on floor but found itself in third place after the second rotation. The Hornets scored 48.300 in the event but were forced to count a fall. The top score belonged to Borisova who scored 9.900 and finished tied for first place with Stanford’s Tenaya West. Senior Melissa Genovese and Stubblefield ranked second on the team and tied for ninth in the meet with each scoring 9.800. Amber Basgall added a 9.700.

The third rotation took the team to vault where it scored a season best 48.500. Four of the six gymnasts in the lineup recorded season highs, including Chan who tied for third at 9.875. Genovese opened the rotation with a 9.625 and was followed by a 9.675 from Stubblefield. Takeda established a new high with a 9.550 and sophomore Amanda Bieber scored 9.575. Borisova set the table for Chan with a 9.750 before the freshman scored her season high.

The Hornets scored their highest event score on bars to conclude the meet. The team counted five scores of at least 9.725 for its high score in the event on the year. Genovese began with a 9.800 while Lauren Dyson later contributed a 9.725. The scores continued to rise in the bottom of the lineup as Basgall scored 9.825, Borisova tallied a 9.775 and senior Alexis Tsurumoto scored 9.850. Tsurumoto’s mark was a season high and tied for third in the meet.

Stanford claimed at least a share of the top spot in all four events. Liz Tricase won vault with a 9.950, Nicole Ourada and Allyse Ishino tied for first on bars with 9.875s, Kelly Fee tied UC Davis’ Michelle Hurlock and Borisova on beam, and West matched Borisova on floor.

In the all-around, Stanford’s Tabitha Yim scored 39.450 to finish just ahead of Borisova (39.275). Borisova’s score was her best of the year and just off her career high of 39.350.

Sacramento State will next compete at the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Championships in Boise, Idaho. The team will be looking for its third in as many years but will enter the meet ranked third in the WAC.