PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers gymnastics closed out the 2023 regular season in spectacular fashion on Saturday at Jersey Mike's Arena, winning the tri-meet against UPenn and No. 35 West Virginia with a new program-record score of 196.875.
The historic team score was fueled by a new program record on beam (49.400), tying the school record on vault (49.275), and
Emily Leese tying the individual school record on vault with a 9.925. Overall, 10 Scarlet Knight performances set or tied career-bests to push Rutgers to its top score in program history.
Rutgers started its record-setting pace on vault, where
Valentina Lorente-Garcia posted a career-high 9.775, followed by
Maya Jones' 9.800, and career-highs from
Elia Aird (9.875),
Hannah Joyner (9.900), and Leese (9.925). Leese's program-record tying vault came on a Yurchenko 1.5 and registered the highest vault score at Rutgers since 2013.
The beam team set a new program record 49.400, dropping a strong score from Aird (9.700) and scoring high marks from
Emily Leese (career-high tying 9.825),
Jacqueline Manifold (career-high 9.900),
Gianna Ortiz (career-high tying 9.875), Joyner (9.875), and
Stephanie Zannella (career-high tying 9.925).
Rutgers capped the program-record score with a 49.250 on floor, tied for the eight-best score in school history. Freshman
Harmony Webster turned in a career-high 9.800 before Joyner and Leese closed the meet with a pair of 9.900's.
The Scarlet Knights claimed the Tri-Meet team title over UPenn (194.475) and West Virginia (196.550). Leese won vault,
Avery Balser won bars with a 9.875, and Zannella won beam.
KNIGHT NOTES
- 196.875 is the new Rutgers program record, significantly surpassing the previous record of 196.400 set on March 11, 2022.
- Emily Leese tied the school record on vault with a 9.925, her career-high. It was the highest score on vault since 2013, when Luisa Leal set the school record.
- The Scarlet Knights' 49.400 on beam set a new program standard, surpassing the 49.375 set earlier this season on Jan. 21.
- Rutgers' 49.275 on vault tied the school record set last season (Feb. 4, 2022). It was powered by career-highs by Leese (9.925), Hannah Joyner (9.900), Elia Aird (9.875), and Valentina Lorente-Garcia (9.775).
- RU's 49.250 ties for the eight-best score in program history.
- Hannah Joyner scored a 39.525 in the all-around and now owns the top three all-around scores in program history with two 39.525's and the school-record 39.575. With her 9.900 vault today, she has scored a 9.9 or higher in all four events this season. She upped her career total 9.9's to a program-record extending 38.
- Stephanie Zannella matched her career-high 9.925 on beam.
- Jacqueline Manifold scored her first 9.9, reaching a career-high 9.900 on beam.
- Nailah Adams set a career-high 9.800 on bars.
- Harmony Webster upped her career-high on floor from 9.400 to 9.800.
- Emily Leese now has seven 9.9 or higher scores in her career, including six during her junior season in 2023.
TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS
Vault: Emily Leese, 9.925 (1st)
Bars: Avery Balser, 9.875 (1st)
Beam: Stephanie Zannella, 9.925 (1st)
Floor: Hannah Joyner &
Emily Leese, 9.900 (T-2nd)
All-Around: Hannah Joyner, 39.525 (solo)
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights take on the Big Ten in the conference championships in Iowa set for Sat., March 18 at noon on Big Ten Network.
Gallery: (3-12-2023) GYM Senior Day 2023
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