Oregon State
Denver
Beavers Finish Second at No. 22 Denver
March 10, 2012 | Women's Gymnastics
March 10, 2012
DENVER, Colo. -
The Oregon State gymnastics team, ranked No. 9 in the nation, finished second at a tri-meet at No. 22 Denver Saturday evening. The Beavers, who were led by all-arounders Brittany Harris and Melanie Jones, registered their second-highest road score of the year finishing at 196.325.
“There were a lot of really good performances tonight, but there were a lot of average routines too,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “We have to be a lot better than average to reach the goals that this team set out to achieve at the beginning of season. We have our work cut out for us the next two weeks to get ready for Pac-12's and the postseason.”
With its second loss in the last two weeks Oregon State falls to 9-2-1 while Denver moves to 12-5 and Texas Women's goes to 8-9.
In the opening rotation, the Beavers “hit” all six routines scoring 49.125 as a team to take the early lead on Denver, which tallied 49.050 on the vault, and TWU, which scored 47.900. Olivia Vivian led the opening charge for the Beavers with a season-high score of 9.95 including earning a perfect 10.0 from the head judge. Makayla Stambaugh added a 9.875 and Brittany Harris scored 9.825.
In the second stanza, OSU inched the lead a bit further notching a beam team score of 49.125 to Denver's 49.075 on the bars giving the Beavers a 98.250-98.125 lead at the midway point. The Beavers overcome a fall from the leadoff position to nail five straight routines. Leslie Mak, who was under the weather, tallied a score of 9.875 to lead the team. Jones and Vivian performed solid routines scoring 9.850 and 9.825 respectively and Kelsi Blalock added a 9.80.
Oregon State “hit” six more routines in the third rotation as the floor corps scored 49.100, but Denver rallied in the rotation scoring 49.225 – surpassing the 49-point mark on the event for the first time in 2012 – to tie the score at 147.350. Jones performed a fantastic floor routine to score 9.925 to tie for the event title. Blalock tied her career-high for the fourth time this season with a 9.825 and Stambaugh and Mak added matching scores of 9.80.
The Beavers vaulters scored 48.975 in the final round while the Pioneers tallied a 49.375 on the floor – Denver's strongest event. On the vault, Blalock led the attack with a score of 9.875 on a huge vault that she fought to stick the landing. Harris performed one of the best vaults of her career to score 9.85 and Stambaugh added a 9.825.
The Beavers return to Corvallis and the friendly confines of Gill Coliseum for the annual Comfort Suites Invitational when the Beavers host New Hampshire and Seattle Pacific Friday, Mar. 16, at 7 p.mm. The meet is Senior Night and will be the final home competition for Leslie Mak and Olivia Vivian.
Team Scores: No. 22 Denver 196.725; No. 9 Oregon State 196.325; Texas Women's 193.650.
All-Around: 1. Moriah Martin (DU) 39.400; 2. Melodie Pulgarin-Linero (DU) 39.325; 3. Brittany Harris (OSU) 39.200. Other OSU Scores: Melanie Jones 39.100; Leslie Mak 38.875; Makayla Stambaugh 38.700.
Vault (48.975): 1. Moriah Martin (DU) 9.900; 2. Kelsi Blalock (OSU) 9.875; 3. Brittany Harris (OSU) 9.850 Other OSU Scores: Makayla Stambaugh 9.825; Leslie Mak 9.725; Chelsea Tang 9.700; Melanie Jones 9.625 (Exhibition – Cerise Witherby 9.600).
Uneven Bars (49.125): 1. Olivia Vivian (OSU) 9.950; t2. Makayla Stambaugh (OSU), Louise Mercer (DU) 9.875. Other OSU Scores: Brittany Harris 9.825; Hannah Casey 9.775; Melanie Jones 9.700; Leslie Mak 9.475 (Exhibition – Kelsi Blalock 9.300).
Balance Beam (49.125): 1. Jorie Hall (DU) 9.925; 2. Leslie Mak (OSU) 9.875; t3. Melanie Jones (OSU), Melodie Pulgarin-Linero (DU) 9.850. Other OSU Scores: Olivia Vivian 9.825; Kelsi Blalock 9.800; Brittany Harris 9.775; Makayla Stambaugh 9.200 (Exhibition – Chelsea Tang 9.775).
Floor Exercise (49.100): t1. Melanie Jones (OSU), Louise Mercer (DU) 9.925; 3. Moriah Martin (DU) 9.900. Other OSU Scores: Kelsi Blalock 9.825; Makayla Stambaugh 9.800; Leslie Mak 9.800; Brittany Harris 9.750; Olivia Vivian 9.700 (Exhibition – Cerise Witherby 8.900).
Players Mentioned
