Gymnastics Set for Sold-Out Quad Meet

Saturday, February 3

Piscataway, N.J.

7 PM

Rutgers University

Ohio State/West Chester/Wisconsin-Whitewater

Jan 31 | Women's Gymnastics

Meet Notes Live Results Fact Book

Scarlet Knights welcome Ohio State, West Chester and Wisconsin-Whitewater

MEET FOUR • RUTGERS VS. OHIO STATE, WEST CHESTER, WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
February 3, 2018 • 7 p.m.
Livingston Gym • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following two weeks on the road, Rutgers gymnastics returns home to host Ohio State, West Chester and Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday at 7 p.m. The quad meet at the Livingston Gym is sold out, making it the 12^th consecutive sellout at the facility dating back to 2014. Limited student passes will be available at the door with a valid Rutgers identification card.

It will be the annual "Pink Out," as the team will wear pink leotards in support of breast cancer awareness. The first 500 fans will receive a pink shaker. In addition, the Rutgers march-in will include tossing old pink leotards into the crowd. One will be signed by the whole team and that lucky fan will receive floor seats for the Feb. 24 meet at the RAC.

RUTGERS MEET PREVIEW
The Scarlet Knights picked up momentum in its final two rotations with six scores at of least 9.800 last week at Michigan State to post a 194.225. That started by tallying a 49.150 on floor exercise, tied for the ninth-highest mark in school history on the event. Junior Jenna Rizkalla led the charge by impressing to a career-high 9.900, while seniors Libby Groden and Makenzey Shank both collected a 9.850 and freshman Belle Huang contributed a 9.800. It was the best floor number since March 6, 2016.

Moving from there, Rutgers picked up a 48.925 on vault. Freshman Sophia Atienza sparked the action at 9.825 for the best vault for the Scarlet Knights thus far. That was matched shortly after by junior Michelle Amoresano. Freshman Toni Williams added a 9.775 in her first collegiate run.

Sophomore Shannon Farrell leads the uneven bars lineup with a 9.733 average in three meets, including a high of 9.775. Huang is first with a 9.775 average (9.850 high) on balance beam, while Rizkalla has brought in at least a 9.725 in each of her three floor routines with the only 9.900 in any event so far.

Groden has continued to compete on four events with a 38.833 all-around average. She leads the roster with 42 meets of experience, including three trips to NCAA Regionals.

As usual with a home meet, RU will start on vault before competing on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Ohio State will begin on uneven bars, West Chester on balance beam and Wisconsin-Whitewater on floor exercise.

COACH LEVINE Q&A
On floor sparking momentum last week: "We went in there really confident on floor. That turned the meet around for us. We brought the energy up and really focused on what we were doing, which gave us momentum. It built from one gymnast to the rest and carried over the rest of the meet."

On the importance of confidence: "You're in a sport when it's an inch's difference between a great and a bad day. When you're on a four-inch beam or on a bar that doesn't go anywhere and you have to flail around to get there, believing in yourself when you're a little bit off helps. It prevents panic and you stay calm. That's where the confidence comes in. It is you versus you. We talk about it in gymnastics. You have your teammates pulling for you, but there is no assist. Getting up there and knowing you're going to be successful from the get go many times means the difference between success and failure."

On momentum: "Momentum and confidence are pretty similar in this regard. The more that you believe in yourself and prove to yourself that the confidence is warranted, the more you are capable of."

On returning home: "We keep getting in more numbers, better numbers. The more that we believe in ourselves, the better we are going to be. Coming home is a great thing. The last two weeks we have been flying and getting on a bus, but this weekend it will be great to stay home. We also get an extra day before the meet not having to travel. It will be another sold-out crowd and we are familiar with our gym and the surroundings. We are excited to get back out there in front of our fans."

TICKETS ON SALE FOR BIG FIVE MEET
After staging the Big Ten Championships last season, Rutgers is scheduled to host a Big Five meet at the RAC on March 17. The competitive meet will also involve Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State to determine positioning for the Big Ten Championships, which will be held at Illinois. Click here to purchase tickets.

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).