Gymnastics Ready to Host Big Ten Championships at the RAC
Mar 15 | Women's Gymnastics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Hosting a conference postseason meet for the first time since 2006, Rutgers gymnastics is set to stage the 2017 Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championships Saturday inside the Rutgers Athletic Center. Ticket and meet information are available on the official website by clicking here.
"This is a very exciting weekend not only for our program, but for Rutgers Athletics in general," sixth-year head coach Louis Levine said. "There's a buzz around the athletic department. It should be a competitive meet and we are ready to host."
The Scarlet Knights will compete in the noon session along with Maryland, Michigan State and Minnesota, while Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State will come on at 5 p.m. The team with the highest score regardless of session will be crowned the champion. Michigan is the three-time defending Big Ten winners with a score of 197.125 last year, as the Wolverines tied Nebraska for the 2017 regular season title at matching 8-1 records.
Each ticket is valid for both sessions on Saturday. The building will be cleared following the first session of the meet. Fans may re-enter the RAC with the same ticket.
Both the noon and 5 p.m. meets will be televised live on Big Ten Network with Bernie Guenther and Sharaya Musser on the call. It will also be available through BTN2Go.
The Scarlet Knights last hosted a conference gymnastics championship in 2006 when the EAGL Championship came to town. This will mark the second Big Ten postseason championship on campus since joining the league, as RU held the 2015 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse Championship at High Point Solutions Stadium.
| Meet 12 • Big Ten Championships • March 18 • Noon ET | |
|---|---|
| Meet Links | • Championships Central • Live Results • BTN2Go • Tickets |
 | • Notes • Statistics • Schedule • Roster • Coaches • Records • Fact Book |
RUTGERS MEET PREVIEW
RU is coming off a 192.650 last week in the Big Five Qualifier at Iowa, completing the circuit of Big Ten venues visited since entering the league. The Scarlet Knights scored best in the first rotation on vault with a 48.800. Senior Claire Jones led the way with season-high 9.850 to place tied for second, while freshman Erin McLachlan put up a 9.800. Sophomore Jenna Rizkalla also reached the 9.800 plateau with a team-high 9.825 on floor exercise.
"We are preparing for Saturday and will be ready to go," Levine said. "Everyone is working on the details to earn every tenth. It is always great to compete and home and we look forward to having our fans behind us."
This will be the fifth home meet for Rutgers this season, but first since Feb. 11 after the team competed in five road meets over the last four weeks. The best home performance came at the RAC on Jan. 28 when the Scarlet Knights put up a 194.875 to beat Michigan State. Saturday will mark the fifth meet for the team inside the RAC in the last three years.
This will be the final home meet for Rutgers' three seniors - April Baker, Jones and Charly Santagado. The group was part of the 2014 NCAA Regional berth and has been instrumental in the growth of the program over the last four years.
"There aren't very many chances you get to compete at home," Levine said. "The seniors are excited and ready to perform well. They have been a major part of our lineup this season and will continue to be this weekend."
RU currently holds a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 194.370 and a season-high number of 194.975. The team has seven meets in the 194-range. For the season, the floor exercise lineup holds the highest RQS at 48.865, but balance beam has the highest ranking at No. 42 with a 48.710 RQS. Rutgers will start on Saturday on floor exercise and then proceed to vault, uneven bars and balance beam in that order.
Individually, junior Libby Groden earned Second Team All-Big Ten status to become the first Scarlet Knight to collect All-Big Ten gymnastics honors. She has competed all-around in all 11 meets with a 38.935 RQS and has produced 33 routines of at least 9.700.
Junior Makenzey Shank owns the highest event RQS this season with a 9.840 on balance beam, but Jones has the best routine with a career-high 9.990 beam showing on Feb. 24. Rizkalla leads with a 9.825 RQS on floor exercise, while Shank is first on uneven bars at 9.780 and sophomore Michelle Amoresano holds a 9.765 for the highest vault RQS.
In last year's Big Ten Championships held at Nebraska, Rutgers hit all 24 routines with no falls for a 194.775 to top the 2015 performance (193.125). Riahanah Ali tied for first in the session with a 9.875 on floor exercise to earn All-Championship status, as the Scarlet Knights totaled a 49.000 in the event.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's gymnastics, follow the program on Twitter (@RUGymnastics), Facebook (/RUGymnastics), Instagram (@rutgersgymnastics) and Snapchat (rutgersgym).
Players Mentioned
