GYMNASTICS TAKES ON SAN JOSE STATE IN THINK PINK MEET

2/19/2010

OPENING PASS
• Its hard to believe, but the Sacramento State gymnastics team will host its next to last home meet of the season, this Friday (Feb. 19) when it welcomes San Jose State to the Hornets Nest at 7 p.m. The matchup against the Spartans is one of five meetings against SJSU this season. So far, the teams have split the first two meets.
• Live stats will once again be available through hornetsports.com. KSSU will return with free live audio with former Hornet Ashlei Baker joined by Matt Harrington. To access the broadcast, go to kssu.com.
• Friday’s meet will also serve as Sacramento State’s Think Pink meet. Both teams will wear pink leotards to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer.
• Sacramento State has increased its team score in every meet since the start of the season. The Hornets opened the year with a 188.925 and has gradually increased until last week’s 193.850. Sacramento State is currently averaging 191.894 on the year which places it 41st nationally.
• San Jose State is coming off of a disappointing home loss to Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 12 The Spartans scored a season-low 190.875 but were able to win each individual event title.

THE LAST TIME OUT
The Sacramento State gymnastics team continued its climb by scoring a season best 193.850 and raising its season high score for the fourth straight meet, on Feb. 12 at Boise State. The Hornets finished second in the three-team meet behind the host Broncos (195.075) and ahead of Seattle Pacific (190.500).

For the second time in as many meets, the Hornets scored at least 48 points on all four events. The team used season highs on vault (48.325) and floor (48.900) to help spark their run.

Individually, Jasmine Lipka and Cayla Boyce finished in a three-way tie for first on beam with 9.775s and Lipka also added a career high 9.900 on floor to place second.

LIPKA NAMED SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
Jasmine Lipka was named the Western Athletic Conference Gymnastics Specialist of the Week for the week ending Feb. 14. The honor is the first for Lipka in her career and the second for the Hornets this season.

Against Boise State and Seattle Pacific on Jan. 13, Lipka scored a career best 9.900 on floor and finished second overall in the event. The Anchorage, Alaska, native currently leads the team with an average of 9.745 on floor and also owns a team best 9.690 average on beam. If the season was to end today, Lipka would qualify for the NCAA Regionals as a specialist on both beam and floor.

Boise State’s Hannah Redmon was the WAC Gymnast of the Week. Redmon scored 39.225 to win the all-around in the same meet.

Senior Eryn Stubblefield is the other Hornet to earn the honor this season.

ADDS UP FAST
Lipka was not the only Hornet to set a career high on floor at Boise State. The junior was joined by Cayla Boyce (9.825), Kaitie Kinser (9.800) and Lissa Zamolo (9.825). Four career highs were good enough for the Hornets to set a season high total of 48.900

EXPERIENCE NOT NEEDED
Due to the extended travel to Boise, Idaho, Sacramento State competed with fewer options than usual, as part of the team did not make the trip. The limited roster size forced the Hornets to dramatically revamp its vault lineup but the team responded with a season high. Two of the key contributors were Amanda Blauvelt (9.500), Nicole Meiller (9.775) and Zamolo (9.600). All three of those gymnasts have missed at least one meet on the event during the course of the season.

Not to be outdone, the regulars also responded strongly as Traci Takeda and Stubblefield scored 9.750 and 9.700, respectively.

NUMBERS GAME
The confusing math that makes up the Regional Qualifying Score returns this week for Sacramento State. The RQS is calculated by dropping a team’s top score and then averaging the next five marks (with only three coming at home). The top 36 team RQS’ will advance to the NCAA Regionals.