Stefanie Merkle led a trio of frosh Buckeye AAer with a 39.325 as host Ohio State defeated SEMO on Senior Day. Merkle won the VT, UB and tied for the FX title with classmate Alexis Mattern. Mattern tied with senior Sarah Grady for the BB title.
Link: Ohio State Release
Michigan celebrated Senior Day with a big win. Sophomore Nicole Artz led the Wolverines, taking the AA with a 39.525. She also tied for the BB title with teammates Talia Chiarelli and Briley Casanova. Chiarelli took the FX with a near perfect 9.975. Michigan's Brianna Brown won UB, but NC State's Brittni Watkins prevented the Wolverine sweep with a win on VT.
Link: Michigan Release
EMU posted a solid 195.125 to win the quad meet hosted by Lindenwood. EMU's Chantelle Loehner won the FX to lead the Eagles to the win. Sami King took the BB to lead Illinois State to a narrow win over the hosts. For LU, Kierstin Sokolowski won the VT while Courtney Heise took the UB. Teammate Valeri Ingui won the AA with a 39.0
Link: UIC Release
Bridgport won the tri-meet hosted by Cornell, led by Sasha Tsikhanovich. Tsikhanovich won the AA with a 39.3, picking up event titles on VT, UB and FX (tied with teammate Caitlin Perry). Cornell's Courtney Spitzer won the BB.
Link: W&M Release
WVU edged host Pitt to win the quad meet that also featured UNC and Temple. Pitt's Lindsay Offutt won the BB and tied for the FX title with WVU's Melissa Idell. Mountaineer Alexa Goldberg tied for the UB title with Pitt's Miya Dotson. Pitt's Lisa Soto won the VT. In the AA, UNC's Kaitlynn Hedelund tied with Dotson at 38.95.
Link: WVU Release
PSU celebrated Senior Day with a quad meet win. Senior Krystal Welsh led the Nittany Lions, winning FX and taking the AA with a 39.4. She also tied for the VT title with teammate Emma Sibson. Classmate Sidney Sanabria-Robles won the BB. Iowa State's Hilary Green took the UB to deny the sweep.
Link: PSU Release
WMU's Kelsey Hood won the VT and the AA (39.0) to lead the Broncos to the win over host BGSU. Teammate Jessie Peszek won the UB while teammate Jessi Buis tied with BGSU's Jordan Rae for the BB title. BGSU's Gina Locigno won the FX.
Link: WMU Release
Alaska Anchorage defeated the visitors from way south, Centenary, despite some major problems on BB. M'rcy Matsunami led the way for the Seawolves, winning the AA with a 38.95. She also won the VT and BB and tied for event titles on UB and FX. She shared the UB title with teammate Marie-Sophie Boggasch and the FX title with teammate Kallie Randolph.
Link: Results
UC Davis' Alexis Brown posted a 39.125 to win the AA and propel the Aggies to the tri-meet win. Iowa was unable to join the meet due to travel conditions. Brown won the BB and tied for the FX title with CMU's Halle Moraw. Teammate Tiana Montell won the VT. For CMU, Kylie Fagan won another UB title.
Link: CMU Release
Boise State posted a 196.275 to defeat the visiting Cougars of BYU. Ciera Perkins led the way for the Broncos, winning VT and UB. Teammate Kelsey Morris contributed a win on the FX and in the AA (39.475). Boise State's Krystine Jacobsen won the BB.
Link: Boise State Release
SPU posted a season-high 193.025 but were edged at home by Air Force's 193.125. Air Force's Jessica Wallander shared the vault title with SPU's Ariana Harger and the UB title with SPU's Maria Hundley and Tracie Villanueva. Harger shared the FX title with AF's Kara Witgen and Alexandra Stych. The Academy's Jamie Lewis and Kim McRobbie hit for 38.7 to tie for AA honors. SPU's Kristi Hayashida won the BB with a career high.
Link: SPU Release
Host SUU compiled a 196.475 to defeat DU's 196.1 and USU's 195.1. SUU's Kirsten Yee won another UB title while teammate Stacie Webb added another BB title. DU's Nina McGee won VT and FX while teammate Julia Ross won the AA with a 39.375.
Link: Release
Both teams counted mistakes but the Utes still easily defeated host Oregon State. Ute Georgia Dabritz won UB and tied for the FX title with Oregon State's Madeline Gardiner to lead her squad to a win. Classmate Tory Wilson won the VT and Baely Rowe won the AA (39.3). For the Beavers, Chelsea Tang won the BB.
Link: Oregon State Release
OU just missed the 198 mark in easily defeating host Illinois. OU's Haley Scaman won the UB and tied for event titles on VT and FX to lead the Sooners. She tied on VT with teammates Brenna Dowell and Chayse Capps, and on FX with teammate Ali Jackson and Illinois' Giana O'Connor. Illini Sunny Kato won the BB. O'Connor led a trio of Illini AAers with a 39.425.
Link: Illinois Release
0.125, a little over one tenth, was the difference between LSU and Alabama’s team scores Friday night in Tuscaloosa, AL.
On the final rotation, Jessie Jordan closed the meet for the LSU Tigers by putting up a solid 9.900 on BB. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide posted 3 consecutive 9.900s on FX and began to close in on LSU’s lead. Alabama’s Lauren Beers held the anchor spot and needed a score of at least 9.975 to secure the upset over #2 LSU. On her 2nd tumbling pass, she left out a crucial element, which dropped her start value to 9.7 leaving her with a score of 9.475. LSU came out with the win, an impressive showing on the road and an unblemished record in the SEC at 7-0, and 10-1 overall.
Both teams came into the meet after posting impressive wins last week against two strong SEC teams, Florida and Georgia. The excitement before and during the meet was tangible. A match-up of the #2 and #5 teams in the nation, and the top two teams in the SEC, lived up to the anticipation.
After the second rotation, the Tigers gained the lead and kept it. The Tide’s exciting rally on the last event did tighten the margin between the team’s scores but was just short of the win.
Even though the Tigers did not have last week’s co-SEC gymnast of the week, Rheagan Courville, on every event, they showed their depth and held off a motivated Crimson Tide home team. Courville had been nursing flu-like symptoms during the week, and for the first time this season did not compete on all four events.
Next week, Alabama will travel to Missouri; LSU will face Minnesota at home. These top 2 SEC teams will face off again shortly in the SEC championships in Duluth, GA March 21.
The last time the Tide fell at home was in 2009, also to the LSU Tigers.
11,749 fans were in attendance at Coleman Coliseum.
Link: LSU Release
PSU defeated host Iowa 440.8 to 435.75. PSU's Alexis Torres posted a big 90.55 to win the AA. He also won the Rings with a 16.0. Teammates Thad Lawson and Craig Hernandez won FX and PH, respectively. Iowa's Cyrus Dobre-Mofid won the PB while teammate Jack Boyle took the HB. Iowa's Matt Loochtan and PSU's Quest Hayden tied for the VT title.
Link: Iowa Release