PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Competing at home for the first time this season, Rutgers gymnastics posted a 49.300 on floor exercise, the third highest score on the event in school history, to total a 194.325 Saturday inside the Livingston Gym. Nebraska, who entered the week ranked 15^th nationally, narrowly won the Big Ten dual with a 194.850.
 
"The team did exactly what we were planning for," head coach Umme Salim-Beasley said. "We really focused on the alternating rotation of having a dual and keeping them within the team bubble. They did a great job of that from start to finish, focusing on one skill and one routine at a time. We are just so pleased with the team's composure."
 
Both senior Riahanah Ali and sophomore Belle Huang set career highs with a 9.925 to win floor exercise, the first time a Scarlet Knight reached the mark since Luisa Leal in 2014. Senior Jenna Rizkalla followed at 9.875, while classmate Michelle Amoresano notched a 9.800 to match her best on the event. In addition, sophomore Toni Williams tied her career high at 9.775 and freshman Mia Betancourt had her best yet with a 9.725.
 
"We have the difficulty level to be able to do that every time," Salim-Beasley said of the floor performance. "It is just going out and consistently hitting our landings and showing off the routines. They are 100 percent capable of doing that every week. We needed a couple meets to really feel the floor again, know what hard landings feel like and really be comfortable with what we're doing."
 
TOP FLOOR EXERCISE TEAM PERFORMANCES

Starting on vault, Huang scored a 9.800 to tie for first in the meet, while Betancourt added a 9.725 and Amoresano ran to a 9.700. The team totaled a 48.400.
 
Rutgers used five scores of 9.700 or better to earn a season-high 48.700 on uneven bars. Amoresano paced the lineup with a 9.800, her sixth time reaching the score. For Ali, she recorded a career-best 9.750, competing the event this season for the first time since freshman year. Both junior Kaitlyn Hall and Shannon Farrell contributed a 9.725 to the team mark, with freshman Abigail Karolewski swinging to a personal-best 9.700.
 
On balance beam, Haung tied her career high by impressing to a 9.850. Amoresano also matched her best at 9.725 and freshman Kiera Doherty-Herwitz had her highest score to date with a 9.700.
 
Amoresano finished second in the all-around with a career-high 39.025, owning four marks of 9.700 or better. Huang finished at 38.725.
 
Rutgers continues Big Ten competition next Saturday at Iowa. The dual meet will begin at 5 p.m. ET and will stream online through FloGymnastics with a subscription.
 
TOTAL SCORE: 194.325
VAULT: 48.400
UNEVEN BARS: 48.700
BALANCE BEAM: 47.925
FLOOR EXERCISE: 49.300


 
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).