PISCATAWAY, N.J. – A record 4,755 fans packed Jersey Mike's Arena to join Rutgers gymnastics in celebrating Title IX and Black Excellence on Friday night, while witnessing a season-high 49.200 floor score by the Scarlet Knights to close out their 194.700 total.
Rutgers welcomed Fisk University to Piscataway on Honoring Black Excellence Night, the first meet of Black History Month. Fisk made history this season by becoming the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to sponsor women's gymnastics.
"It was an exciting night and a record gymnastics crowd at Jersey Mike's Arena to watch four amazing teams," said Rutgers head coach
Umme Salim-Beasley. "I was proud of our team and the way we fought through the meet. It wasn't the score we wanted and we had a lot of lineup changes with some season debuts, but we were really happy with how we finished strong on floor with a season-high to push us forward into our next meet."
Meanwhile, No. 3 Michigan was also in town, scoring a 198.300 to claim the quad meet ahead of Rutgers, Southern Connecticut State (190.700), and Fisk (188.175).
Rutgers junior
Avery Balser led the Scarlet Knights on bars with her first career 9.9, then later made her season debut on floor and tied her career high with a solid 9.800. That score helped the Scarlet Knights post their season-high 49.200 on floor exercise, joined by
Maya Jones' 9.800,
Emily Woods' 9.875,
Hannah Joyner's 9.900, and
Emily Leese's 9.825.
For Joyner, it was her seventh career 9.9 on floor and program-record extending 30th overall 9.9 or higher.
Joyner also paced the Scarlet Knights on vault with her 9.825. Her 9.800 on beam and 9.775 on bars contributed to a 39.300 all-around score, good for third place in the quad meet.
Junior
Stephanie Zannella posted RU's highest beam score on Friday with a 9.825. Sophomore
Jacqueline Manifold made her second consecutive start and recorded another score with a 9.800.
Gianna Ortiz chipped in a 9.750 to aid Rutgers' 48.850 on the beam.
KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers' 49.200 on floor is tied for the 10th highest score in program history.
- Avery Balser joined the 9.9 club with her first on bars, a new career-high 9.900 and Rutgers' leader on the apparatus. She ties for 10th all-time at Rutgers with that score.
- Balser then made her season debut on the floor and turned in a career-high tying 9.800.
- Hannah Joyner notched her season-high on floor with a 9.900. It is her 7th 9.9 or higher on floor in her career and extends her program record to 30 overall. Joyner has hit 9.9 or higher in three events this season, on bars, beam, and now floor.
- Emily Wood scored a season-high 9.875 on floor.
- Emily Leese made her season debut on beam with a career-high 9.675.
- Valentina Lorente-Garcia led off her evening with a new career-high 9.725 on vault.
TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS
Vault: Hannah Joyner, 9.825
Bars: Avery Balser, 9.900
Beam: Stephanie Zannella, 9.825
Floor: Hannah Joyner, 9.900
All-Around: Hannah Joyner, 39.300
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights remain in New Jersey to host Maryland in a Big Ten dual on Sat., Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena.
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