Gymnastics Opens 2023 at Super 16 in Las Vegas

Friday, January 6

Las Vegas, Nev. // Orleans Arena

11:00 PM

Rutgers University

194.700

195.950

No. 20 Georgia

Jan 07 | Women's Gymnastics

Final Results

Rutgers places second on floor and scores four individual Top 3 performances

LAS VEGAS - Rutgers gymnastics opened the 2023 season at the Super 16 Collegiate Challenge on Friday evening, finishing fourth in a group with No. 20 Georgia, No. 14 Oregon State, and No. 17 Stanford with a score of 194.700. The Scarlet Knights opened the evening with a second-place team performance on floor with a 49.150.

The 194.700 team score is a program record for a season opening road meet, and the best overall score to open a season since 2014.

Stanford took the team title with a 196.175, followed by Georgia's 195.950 and Oregon State's 195.450.

TOP 3 FINISHES

Junior Emily Leese accounted for two of Rutgers' four Top 3 performances on Friday with a pair of second place finishes. The Scarlet Knights' first rotation was on floor, where Leese turned in a career-high 9.9 and tied for third in the loaded field. Later, Leese vaulted into a 9.875, good for a tie for second at the Super 16.

Stick or no stick🤔 The jury is still out. Regardless, a wonderful vault for Emily Leese, scoring a 9.875 and tying for second at the @super16gym.#RUGYM /// #GoRU! pic.twitter.com/5FtTqsMf4f
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) January 7, 2023

Sophomore Elia Aird also scored a career-best 9.9 on floor in a third-place routine captured by Big Ten Network.

Start your morning with a 9️⃣.9️⃣ floor routine from Elia Aird from last night's @super16gym in Las Vegas and on @BigTenNetwork.#RUGYM /// #GoRU! pic.twitter.com/tzbs5VdyqS
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) January 7, 2023

Rutgers closed the event on beam, where junior captain Stephanie Zannella anchored with a 9.850 to tie for second in the event.

Junior captain Stephanie Zannella finished our evening with a spectacular 9.850 on beam to place second in a loaded field.#RUGYM /// #GoRU! pic.twitter.com/GIOyVLPEu2
— Rutgers Gymnastics (@RUGymnastics) January 7, 2023

KNIGHT NOTES

Valentina Lorente-Garcia (vault, bars) and Harmony Webster (vault, floor) made their collegiate debuts in the season opener.
Anna Pagliaro vaulted to a career-high 9.775.
Elia Aird competed in the all-around for the first time collegiately.

TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS

Vault: Emily Leese, 9.875 (T-2nd place)
Bars: Avery Balser, 9.825
Beam: Stephanie Zannella, 9.850 (T-2nd place)
Floor: Elia Aird & Emily Leese, 9.900 (T-3rd place)
All-Around: Hannah Joyner, 39.050

UP NEXT

Rutgers will host its 2023 home opener on Sat., Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena in a quad against Ball State, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and Towson.

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