Gymnastics Posts 194.175 at West Virginia
Mar 16 | Women's Gymnastics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (March 15, 2013) - Scoring best on the vault (48.725), Rutgers gymnastics recorded a 194.175 team score Saturday at the WVU Coliseum. Host West Virginia (196.050) won the meet, followed by Maryland (194.800) and RU.
"Tonight's score was certainly not our best, but it will still improve our RQS," head coach Louis Levine said. "We know it will all come down to the EAGL Championships next weekend, needing to put up a solid score to qualify for NCAAs. I would say vault was our best event tonight, hitting all six, but we need to get back in the gym this week and work at getting better in all four events."
Junior Luisa Leal (Cali, Columbia), the reigning EAGL Gymnast of the Week, registered a 39.125 all-around score, while classmate Alexis Gunzelman (Tabernacle, N.J.) scored a 38.975. It was the fifth straight meet the duo competed in all four events.
The Scarlet Knights started the night off on the balance beam, notching a 48.650. Freshman Jenna Williams (Bordentown, N.J.) led the team with a 9.800, her highest score in the event in six weeks. Classmate Claudia Salinas (Allendale, N.J.) picked up a 9.775.
On floor exercise, Leal continued her momentum in the event with a team-leading 9.875, while senior Danielle D'Elia (Colts Neck, N.J.) scored a 9.8000. Rutgers totaled a 48.400.
RU then followed with a 48.725 on the vault, hitting all six performances for its best score of the night. Gunzelman led the way with a 9.775, with Leal, junior Alyssa Straub (Nazareth, Pa.) and freshman Nicolette Wilson (Toms River, N.J.) all notching a 9.750.
To conclude on uneven bars, Williams continued her strong rookie campaign with a 9.800 - the second highest score in the meet. The Scarlet Knights recorded a 48.400.
Rutgers will next head to the annual EAGL Championships at the University of North Carolina Saturday, March 23. It will be the last chance for the team to improve its RQS for qualification to the NCAA Regionals.
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