SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
To be eligible for the all-decade team, a student-athlete must have played at least one year in their sport between the 2000-01 and 2009-10 academic years, and must have completed their eligibility as a Hornet, or be an active member of the team.
All-Around
Marina Borisova (2006-09)
A four-year letterwinner, Borisova owns eight of the top 11 all-around scores in school history. In 2006, she was named the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and helped the team win its first of two WAC titles. She was also the WAC floor champion in 2006 and 2007 and competed at the NCAA West Regional all four years. Borisova twice scored 39.350 in the all-around to share the school record. Along with her all-around success, Borisova is also tied for third in school history on floor with a 9.925.
Binta Coleman (2001-04)
Coleman was the model of consistency during her time as a Hornet as indicated by the fact that she owns the highest all-around scores by a Sacramento State freshman and senior. In 2004, Coleman scored 39.350 to set the then-school record and win the all-around at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships. When her career ended, Coleman was responsible for five of the top 11 all-around scores in the Hornet record book. Currently, she is also eighth with a 39.250 which also came in 2004. Coleman also won an individual MPSF title on bars in 2003. Her vault score of 9.900 is tied for the best by a Hornet gymnast in the decade and is tied for fifth in school history.
Toni Petersen (2000-04)
Before Borisova and Coleman topped the all-around list, Petersen held the record. Petersen won the 2002 MPSF championship with a score of 39.325 in a dominating performance which also saw her finish first on vault and floor. She later advanced to the NCAA West Regional as an all-arounder. Petersen made her first postseason appearance as a freshman at the 2000 National Invitational Tournament where she finished first on floor. Her top floor score of 9.925 in 2000 is tied for third at Sacramento State. More impressive is the fact that Petersen accomplished everything in just three seasons. A broken finger sidelined her for the 2003 season and, after redshirting, she returned in 2004 only to break her leg before the season started.
Vault Nirvana Zaher (2002-05)
In four years, Zaher never left the MPSF Championships empty-handed. As a freshman she finished first on beam. She then won consecutive vault titles in 2003 and 2004 before winning the all-around in 2005. That same season, Zaher was named the MPSF Gymnast of the Year — becoming the first Sacramento State student-athlete to do so. Zaher was also a three-time NCAA regional qualifier, advancing on vault in 2002 and in the all-around the next two years. The Cairo, Egypt native is also tied for second in school history on beam with a 9.925 in 2002.
Bars Alexis Tsurumoto (2005-08)
With a full-twisting double layout dismount, Tsurumoto brought skills to bars that have not been replicated. As a freshman in 2005, she finished first on bars at the MPSF Championships and advanced to the NCAA West Regional as an event specialist. Three more postseason appearances with the team made her and teammate Melissa Genovese the first two Sacramento State gymnasts to participate at four regionals. Tsurumoto's top score on bars was 9.900 which ties her for seventh in school history. She was also a four-time academic all-NACGC selection.
Beam Melissa Genovese (2005-08)
With five of the top 11 beam scores in her name, Genovese easily was the most decorated gymnast on the event in the decade. Her score of 9.950 in 2008 set the school record and broke her previous shared mark of 9.925 set earlier that season. Overall, she had five scores of at least 9.900 and competed at the NCAA West Regional all four years. Genovese won the WAC individual beam title in 2007 and finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional. A multi-year captain, she and also helped guide the team to a pair of WAC team titles. Out of the gym, she was also a four-time all-academic selection.
Floor Stefanie Aeder (2002-05)
The final two seasons of Aeder's four-year career were the easily the best on floor by a Hornet gymnast. She twice score 9.950 to set the school record and added three 9.925s during the span. Aeder originally set the school mark in 2004 at home in a three-team meet against Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis. A year later, she tied her own record in another meet against the Titans. Aeder continued her momentum into the postseason where she won the 2005 MPSF floor title and qualified for the NCAA West Regional for the second consecutive season.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Throughout the summer, the Sacramento State athletics department will take a look back and honor the student-athletes who have made the biggest impact on their sport over the last 10 years.
