Meet 7: Gymnastics at Michigan State

Saturday, February 16

East Lansing, Mich.

2:00 PM

Rutgers University

Michigan State

Photo by: Rich Graessle

Feb 13 | Women's Gymnastics

Notes Live Results Twitter Updates Fact Book

Scarlet Knights looking to bring momentum on the road

RUTGERS at MICHIGAN STATE
February 16, 2019 • 2 p.m. ET
Jenison Field House • East Lansing, Mich.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coming off a 196.050 to top now-No. 24 Penn State at the RAC, Rutgers gymnastics returns to the road to compete with Michigan State Saturday in the fifth of five-straight Big Ten duals. The meet is set to start at 2 p.m. inside Jenison Field House.

Live results will be available throughout the meet via link and @RUGymnastics on Twitter.

RUTGERS MEET PREVIEW
The Scarlet Knights reached 196 for the second time in program history last time out in front of a home crowd of 2,043 and Big Ten Network cameras. RU posted a season high on three events, had 15 routines that set or matched a career high and registered 23 scores of 9.700 or better, including a 9.925 from sophomore Belle Huang on balance beam to tie the school record. The previous season high was 194.600 and the school record nearly reached is 196.225, which was set March 8, 2014 at the Livingston Gym.

It was the first regular season win over Penn State (195.825) in a matchup that dates back to 1979. Previous RU Big Ten wins included 2017 versus Michigan State and 2016 at Maryland.

Three all-arounders setting career highs propelled the team score, with Huang totaling a 39.300 to tie for the sixth-highest number in the school record books. Senior Michelle Amoresano topped 39 for the second time by upping her best to 39.050, while classmate Riahanah Ali competed in all four lineups for the first time in college and finished at 39.000 on the dot.

The Scarlet Knights had a first-place finish on all four events to bring the individual titles to 13 on the season. Ali (9.850, vault), junior Shannon Farrell (9.900, uneven bars) and Huang (9.925, balance beam) all had the highest RU score on the respective event in 2019. Huang's beam mark matched the program high previously achieved by Makenzey Shank last season and Lisa Abrams twice in 2004.

Vault (48.925), uneven bars (48.975) and balance beam (49.000) all establish new season bests, as floor exercise (49.150) previously earned 49.300 on Jan. 19. The Scarlet Knights are ranked highest on vault at No. 40 with a 48.633 average this season.

Being on the road, Rutgers will move from uneven bars to vault before ending with floor exercise and balance beam. The Scarlet Knights scored a 194.225 last season at Jenison Field House, including a 9.900 on floor exercise by Jenna Rizkalla to take first place in the quad meet.

COACH SALIM-BEASLEY Q&A
On confidence: "We reinforce a lot of positivity, even focusing on the minor things that they do well to build them up. That brings confidence in what they're doing. From the start of the season to now, we have been reinforcing that and they are seeing the results, the consistency in the gym and hitting routines, and they're proud of that. That gives them to ability to know that they can do that in competition too."

On uneven bars: "They were extremely relaxed. It was a bit of a shaky warmup, but that didn't rattle them much, if at all, because they knew that their percentages all week were great. They really have taken to seeing their numbers from day to day and knowing exactly where they stand. And for us, we remind them that they did awesome in practice and this is just one more routine. They have built that confidence throughout the week and taken it into the meet."

On competing on the road: "They have been able to settle in and have become more comfortable competing in front of large crowds. We are going to look at this meet the same way as any other, whether home or away. It is about us going out and doing our job, taking each routine as it comes and not getting ahead of ourselves. We want to make sure that we focus from start to finish."

UP NEXT
New for 2019, the Big Five meet has moved up in the schedule and will take place next weekend at Elevate the Stage in Toledo, Ohio. Rutgers is in the Saturday, Feb. 23 session at 7 p.m. with Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State. Click here for 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).