RUTGERS vs. BRIDGEPORT/CENTENARY/TOWSON
March 8, 2019 • 7 p.m. ET • Facebook Live
Rutgers Athletic Center • Piscataway, N.J.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers gymnastics will host its fourth and final home meet of the season Friday at 7 p.m. inside the RAC. The quad meet will also involve Bridgeport, Centenary and Towson. Admission and parking are free.
 
In addition, the Scarlet Knights will return to Ohio Sunday for a quad meet at Kent State with Ball State and North Carolina. The competition will start at 1 p.m.
 
Following the fourth rotation on Friday, the Scarlet Knights will honor their four seniors: Riahanah Ali, Michelle Amoresano, Jenna Rizkalla and Eriel Santagado. It will be the final time the group competes in front of the home crowd.
 
"I think all of the leadership that we've gotten this year comes from the senior class," head coach Umme Salim-Beasley said. "They really wanted to end their careers on a high note. They inspire their teammates every single day. They come into the gym and work their hardest, and they always have words of encouragement for the underclassmen. Everything that we've been able to accomplish this year has been driven by the senior class."
 
For those unable to attend, RVision will stream a free broadcast through Facebook Live. Lou Brogno and former RU head coach Chrystal Chollet-Norton will be on the call. Live results will be available through ScarletKnights.com and @RUGymnastics will tweet scores throughout the meet.
 
PROMOTIONS

RUTGERS MEET PREVIEW
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 194.625 last Saturday at New Hampshire. The team has posted a 194 or better in each of the past five outings and in six of the last seven. The high was a 196.050, the second-best mark in program history, the last time RU competed at the RAC on Feb. 9. That ended with a Big Ten victory over No. 25 Penn State, with Rutgers also knocking off No. 22 Ohio State at the Big Five meet on Feb. 23. The program had combined to record two Big Ten regular season wins in the previous four seasons.
 
Rizkalla highlighted the trip to New Hampshire with a 9.900 on both vault and floor exercise, which tied for first place on those events in the quad meet that also included Brown and NC State. The senior additionally had a 9.750 to lead the team on balance beam in her first meet this season appearing in three lineups.
 
The floor exercise lineup picked up a 49.000 for the fourth time this season and ranks No. 39 nationally with a 48.915 Regional Qualifying Score. Vault is No. 40 at 48.735. Individually, sophomore Belle Huang leads the team on balance beam (9.790), floor exercise (9.855) and all-around (38.900). Junior Shannon Farrell is atop the uneven bars (9.790) leaderboard, while classmate Kaitlyn Hall (9.760) paces the squad on vault.
 
As usual in a home meet, Rutgers will start on vault. The team will then move to uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. On Sunday, the Scarlet Knights open on floor exercise at Kent State. RU last visited Kent State in 2013.


COACH SALIM-BEASLEY Q&A
On the team depth: "Last week was a perfect example of the depth that we've been able to create with this team. We knew from the beginning when we took over in September that that was something that we were going to have to push. With the amount of injuries we had in the previous season, being able to create that depth is something you know you're going to have to do because there could be a circumstance throughout the season where your regular contributors aren't able to compete. And that's exactly what happened. We had pretty much two of our regular contributors that weren't able to compete, but the team didn't miss a beat. We had talked the entire season about being prepared, who's going to be next. And if it's you, then you have to be ready and not only physically ready, but mentally ready. We had that happen when we shuffled in two different people into the majority of our lineups and they did a fantastic job. They went out with confidence competed the best they possibly could and were able to contribute to a really strong team score."
 
On preparing for two meets this weekend: "We are still going to do the same things we normally do in gym. Have our regular practice days and then our run-through day as well. But also really stress the importance of getting into the training room, making sure that you're taking care of your body and making sure that you are fueling yourself properly because we know that were going to have to put out a lot of energy with two meets on a weekend. So I think for us we're going to really be stressing them taking care of themselves, getting enough sleep, getting enough nutrition so that they have the energy to be able to compete in two meets in one weekend."
 
On the emotions of the Senior Meet: "We always talk about staying in our bubble. From the moment that we walk into an arena whether it's our arena or someone else's, that we have to make sure that our switch is turned on and the focus is on the competition and what it is that we need to do from start to finish. So I think initially that's where our focus is going to end up being. I know when it comes to floor and the seniors are having their last routines that you're going to see a lot of emotions because they know it'll be the last time they're at home. So yes, I think it's going to be an emotional day, but I think they are going to go out and compete the way that they normally do."
 
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights travel to upstate New York for a dual meet at Cornell on Saturday, March 17 at 1 p.m. It will be the final tune-up before Big Ten Championships.
 
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).