Rutgers University
at NC State/North Carolina/Kent State
Gymnastics Scores 193.950 at NC State
Feb 20 | Women's Gymnastics
RALEIGH, N.C. - Rutgers gymnastics opened its two-meet road weekend with a 193.950 team score in front of 2,520 fans Friday at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of North Carolina State. North Carolina (194.950) took first in the competitive meet, followed by Kent State (194.725), NC State (194.625) and RU.
"We had three really good rotations and one really bad one tonight," head coach Louis Levine said. "We started out strong on floor and then put up one of our best rotations on vault this year. That momentum carried to bars, but we did not finish up on beam. It hurts going from first to last in the final rotation. We had a really good chance for a big score on the road, but fell short."
The Scarlet Knights opened a meet on floor exercise for the first time this season and put up a 48.975. It was the fifth consecutive performance of at least 48.875 in the event for RU. Returning to the Carolinas, sophomore Claire Jones (Gaffney, S.C.) paced the lineup with a 9.875, tying for second in the quad meet and picking up at least a 9.800 for the fifth time in as many attempts. Freshman Elizabeth Groden (Abbottstown, Pa.) (9.825) and senior Emma Hoffman (Union, N.J.) (9.800) also went for at least a 9.800, with freshman Jenna Crisalli (Freehold, N.J.) (9.750), sophomore Charly Santagado (Celebration, Fla.) (9.725) and freshman Sahara Gipson (Oakland, N.J.) (9.725) all hitting their routines to round out the scores.
Moving to vault, all six competitors totaled at least a 9.750 to tie a season-high 48.975 mark, also matching the fourth-best score in school history. Senior Luisa Leal (Cali, Colombia) and Gipson each notched a 9.825 to tie for second in the meet as the anchors, while junior Jenna Williams (Bordentown, N.J.) posted a season-high 9.800. Groden added a 9.775 and senior Sara Skammer (Dallas, Pa.) and junior Nicolette Wilson (Toms River, N.J.) both produced a 9.750 to support the rotation.
Williams tied the meet-high with a 9.850 to highlight the uneven bars rotation. Also contributing, Groden went for a season-high 9.800, as sophomore April Baker (Andover, Mass.), Hoffman and Skammer all registered a 9.700 to bring the team score to 48.750.
Rutgers started the fourth rotation in first place at 146.700, but recorded a 47.250 on balance beam to finish the meet. Junior Claudia Salinas (Allendale, N.J.) collected a 9.750 to lead the Scarlet Knights. She has produced at least that mark in six of seven meets this season.
Groden went all-around for the second time in as many weeks, increasing her score to 38.900. The rookie had season-best performances on bars (9.800) and floor (9.825) to place third all-around.
RU will stay on the road and compete Sunday in a quad meet at West Virginia that will also include Maryland and No. 25 New Hampshire. The meet will start at 2 p.m. from the WVU Coliseum.
"Sunday will be another chance to prove ourselves," Levine said. "It will be the same rotation as tonight and a meet involving teams we have already seen. We have to turn it on, that is what it comes down to. The good part about this weekend is that we have a chance to put this meet behind us and get right back out there."
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Players Mentioned
