Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics
Beavers Host Northern Illinois and SPU Saturday
January 17, 2017 | Women's Gymnastics
THE MEET
No. 19 Oregon State (2-0) finally makes its first appearance at Gill Coliseum this Saturday when they host a three-team meet with Northern Illinois and Seattle Pacific. The meet is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start and will include a live webcast here. Former Beaver gymnasts, Mandi Rodriguez and Taylor (Keeker) Miller will provide commentary.
QUICKLY
Oregon State is looking to move to 4-0 to begin the season for the first time since 2012 when the Beavers opened the year 6-0 ... The Beavers are ranked in a tie for 19th overall with Illinois this week ... All four events are ranked among the top teams in the country: vault is 11th (49.050 average); uneven bars is 35th (48.413); balance beam is tied for 19th (48.738); and floor exercise is ranked 19th (48.850) ... Tanya Chaplin is in her 20th season as the Beavers' head coach and won the 300th regular season win of her career last week at Seattle Pacific ... Two freshmen, Sabrina Gill and Isis Lowery, made their collegiate debuts in the season-opener ... Fellow freshmen, Halli Briscoe and Destinee Davis have also performed in exhibition ... With two straight on the road in the rearview mirror, the Beavers will now remain home for the next two weeks with NIU and SPU this Saturday and the UCLA Bruins traveling to Corvallis for a dual next Saturday, Jan. 28 ... Seven out of OSU's 10 opponents on the 2017 schedule were ranked in the preseason Top 36 ... Erika Aufiero, who missed the entire 2016 campaign, and Dani Dessaints, who suffered a season-ending injury prior to the season's second meet, made their return to competition last week with both hitting two routines, Aufiero on vault and uneven bars, Dessaints on vault anf balance beam ... Eighteen of Oregon State's 20 gymnasts earned 3.0 or higher GPA's during fall term.
VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Saturday's meet will be the first time Oregon State and Northern Illinois have met on the gymnastics competition floor.
VS. SEATTLE PACIFIC
Oregon State and Seattle Pacific meet for the 48th time in history, and the second time in the last two weeks, with the Beavers undefeated in the series 47-0. The Beavers are 31-0 against SPU in Corvallis. Last week, OSU defeated the Falcons 194.525-189.425 .
LAST WEEK AT SEATTLE PACIFIC
Oregon State, coming off a fantastic upset at then-No. 8 Auburn in the season-opener, was less than stellar in the season's second week. The Beavers counted falls on the uneven bars in the opening rotation and again on the balance beam to finish the meet. In between, OSU set season-best marks on vault (49.075) and floor exercise (48.875). Despite the hiccups, Oregon State won the meet, 194.525-189.425, and had individuals win on each event. Kaytianna McMillan won four events (all-around, vault, bars and floor) while Madeline Gardiner tied for the top score on floor and tied with teammates Silvia Colussi-Pelaez and Dani Dessaints for the meet-high score on the beam. Erika Aufiero tied with McMillan for the top finisher on the bars.
A LOOK BACK AT 2016
The 2016 season got off to a rough start with season-ending injuries to Erika Aufiero, who was in line to perform in the all-around, Dani Dessaints, who performed in the anchor slot on vault and uneven bars in the season-opener, prior to the second meet of the year derailed the season leaving the Beavers short-handed all year. Despite the tough start, OSU hung in to complete another solid season reaching the NCAA postseason for the 42nd straight year. Here are the high points:
• Advanced to the postseason for the 42nd straight year ... the last time the Beavers failed to reach the postseason was 1974, when they were still competing in the AIAW.
• Ended the year with a 20-7-1 overall record.
• Madeline Gardiner (AA) and Risa Perez (BB) qualified as individuals to NCAA Championships.
• Risa Perez scored 9.90 on the beam at the NCAA Athens Regional to tie for the regional title.
• Finished tied for second (Utah) at Pac-12 Championships.
• Madeline Gardiner and Risa Perez each scored 9.950 on the balance beam to tie for the conference title.
• Madeline Gardiner (AA) earned Pac-12 All-Conference first team honors. Risa Perez (BB) was second team.
• Eight OSU gymnasts received Pac-12 All-Academic honors; Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Shireen Khamedoost and Taylor Ricci were first team honorees, while Kaytianna McMillan was named to the second team.
• Nine gymnasts were recognized as Scholastic All-Americans by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W): Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Dani Dessaints, Madeline Gardiner, Mary Jacobsen, Shireen Khamedoost, Kaytianna McMillan, Taylor Ricci and McKenna Singley.
THE ROSTER
Here are some quick hitters about the Oregon State gymnastics roster in 2017:
• Only half of the roster competed in a meet for Oregon State last season (Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Dani Dessaints, Madeline Gardiner, Mary Jacobsen, Megan Jimenez, Shireen Khamedoost, Kaytianna McMillan, Taylor Ricci and McKenna Singley).
• There are six seniors on the squad (Erika Aufiero, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Megan Jimenez, Kaytianna McMillan and Taylor Ricci) who combined to contribute 13 out of 24 routines at last year's regional meet.
• Oregon State returns three All-Americans - Madeline Gardiner (BB - 2014, '15, '16; AA - 2014), Erika Aufiero (UB - 2015) and Kaytianna McMillan (UB - 2016).
• Nine freshmen have joined the squad last fall (Halli Briscoe, Kaitlin Campbell, Destinee Davis, Sabrina Gill, Lena Greene, Jaime Law, Maela Lazaro, Isis Lowery and Alyssa Minyard).
• Of those freshmen, Sabrina Gill and Isis Lowery are the only two to have performed a competition routine through the season's first two meets. Halli Briscoe and Destinee Davis have both performed in exhibition.
• Four of the Beavers' are from the state of Oregon - Kaitlin Campbell (West Linn), Lena Greene (Tigard), Jaime Law (Corvallis) and Kaytianna McMillan (Coburg).
• Six OSU gymnasts are from outside of the United States - Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Sabrina Gill and Taylor Ricci are all from Canada, while Isis Lowery is from Australia.
• The Beavers have 21 out of 24 routines returning from 2016 making lineup spots hard to come by.
• Eighteen of the Beavers' 20 gymnasts earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher during fall term.
THREE MORE FOR 2018
In November, two gymnasts signed the National Letters of Intent to join the Oregon State gymnastics program for the 2017-18 academic year. Savanna Force (Reno, Nev.) and Kaitlyn Yanish (Chandler, Ariz.) are scheduled to enroll at Oregon State this coming summer. In addition, Alexis Gonzales (Newport Beach, Calif.) signed an intent to enroll and will also join the OSU gymnastics program in July.
No. 19 Oregon State (2-0) finally makes its first appearance at Gill Coliseum this Saturday when they host a three-team meet with Northern Illinois and Seattle Pacific. The meet is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start and will include a live webcast here. Former Beaver gymnasts, Mandi Rodriguez and Taylor (Keeker) Miller will provide commentary.
QUICKLY
Oregon State is looking to move to 4-0 to begin the season for the first time since 2012 when the Beavers opened the year 6-0 ... The Beavers are ranked in a tie for 19th overall with Illinois this week ... All four events are ranked among the top teams in the country: vault is 11th (49.050 average); uneven bars is 35th (48.413); balance beam is tied for 19th (48.738); and floor exercise is ranked 19th (48.850) ... Tanya Chaplin is in her 20th season as the Beavers' head coach and won the 300th regular season win of her career last week at Seattle Pacific ... Two freshmen, Sabrina Gill and Isis Lowery, made their collegiate debuts in the season-opener ... Fellow freshmen, Halli Briscoe and Destinee Davis have also performed in exhibition ... With two straight on the road in the rearview mirror, the Beavers will now remain home for the next two weeks with NIU and SPU this Saturday and the UCLA Bruins traveling to Corvallis for a dual next Saturday, Jan. 28 ... Seven out of OSU's 10 opponents on the 2017 schedule were ranked in the preseason Top 36 ... Erika Aufiero, who missed the entire 2016 campaign, and Dani Dessaints, who suffered a season-ending injury prior to the season's second meet, made their return to competition last week with both hitting two routines, Aufiero on vault and uneven bars, Dessaints on vault anf balance beam ... Eighteen of Oregon State's 20 gymnasts earned 3.0 or higher GPA's during fall term.
VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Saturday's meet will be the first time Oregon State and Northern Illinois have met on the gymnastics competition floor.
VS. SEATTLE PACIFIC
Oregon State and Seattle Pacific meet for the 48th time in history, and the second time in the last two weeks, with the Beavers undefeated in the series 47-0. The Beavers are 31-0 against SPU in Corvallis. Last week, OSU defeated the Falcons 194.525-189.425 .
LAST WEEK AT SEATTLE PACIFIC
Oregon State, coming off a fantastic upset at then-No. 8 Auburn in the season-opener, was less than stellar in the season's second week. The Beavers counted falls on the uneven bars in the opening rotation and again on the balance beam to finish the meet. In between, OSU set season-best marks on vault (49.075) and floor exercise (48.875). Despite the hiccups, Oregon State won the meet, 194.525-189.425, and had individuals win on each event. Kaytianna McMillan won four events (all-around, vault, bars and floor) while Madeline Gardiner tied for the top score on floor and tied with teammates Silvia Colussi-Pelaez and Dani Dessaints for the meet-high score on the beam. Erika Aufiero tied with McMillan for the top finisher on the bars.
A LOOK BACK AT 2016
The 2016 season got off to a rough start with season-ending injuries to Erika Aufiero, who was in line to perform in the all-around, Dani Dessaints, who performed in the anchor slot on vault and uneven bars in the season-opener, prior to the second meet of the year derailed the season leaving the Beavers short-handed all year. Despite the tough start, OSU hung in to complete another solid season reaching the NCAA postseason for the 42nd straight year. Here are the high points:
• Advanced to the postseason for the 42nd straight year ... the last time the Beavers failed to reach the postseason was 1974, when they were still competing in the AIAW.
• Ended the year with a 20-7-1 overall record.
• Madeline Gardiner (AA) and Risa Perez (BB) qualified as individuals to NCAA Championships.
• Risa Perez scored 9.90 on the beam at the NCAA Athens Regional to tie for the regional title.
• Finished tied for second (Utah) at Pac-12 Championships.
• Madeline Gardiner and Risa Perez each scored 9.950 on the balance beam to tie for the conference title.
• Madeline Gardiner (AA) earned Pac-12 All-Conference first team honors. Risa Perez (BB) was second team.
• Eight OSU gymnasts received Pac-12 All-Academic honors; Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Shireen Khamedoost and Taylor Ricci were first team honorees, while Kaytianna McMillan was named to the second team.
• Nine gymnasts were recognized as Scholastic All-Americans by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W): Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Dani Dessaints, Madeline Gardiner, Mary Jacobsen, Shireen Khamedoost, Kaytianna McMillan, Taylor Ricci and McKenna Singley.
THE ROSTER
Here are some quick hitters about the Oregon State gymnastics roster in 2017:
• Only half of the roster competed in a meet for Oregon State last season (Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Dani Dessaints, Madeline Gardiner, Mary Jacobsen, Megan Jimenez, Shireen Khamedoost, Kaytianna McMillan, Taylor Ricci and McKenna Singley).
• There are six seniors on the squad (Erika Aufiero, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Megan Jimenez, Kaytianna McMillan and Taylor Ricci) who combined to contribute 13 out of 24 routines at last year's regional meet.
• Oregon State returns three All-Americans - Madeline Gardiner (BB - 2014, '15, '16; AA - 2014), Erika Aufiero (UB - 2015) and Kaytianna McMillan (UB - 2016).
• Nine freshmen have joined the squad last fall (Halli Briscoe, Kaitlin Campbell, Destinee Davis, Sabrina Gill, Lena Greene, Jaime Law, Maela Lazaro, Isis Lowery and Alyssa Minyard).
• Of those freshmen, Sabrina Gill and Isis Lowery are the only two to have performed a competition routine through the season's first two meets. Halli Briscoe and Destinee Davis have both performed in exhibition.
• Four of the Beavers' are from the state of Oregon - Kaitlin Campbell (West Linn), Lena Greene (Tigard), Jaime Law (Corvallis) and Kaytianna McMillan (Coburg).
• Six OSU gymnasts are from outside of the United States - Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Sabrina Gill and Taylor Ricci are all from Canada, while Isis Lowery is from Australia.
• The Beavers have 21 out of 24 routines returning from 2016 making lineup spots hard to come by.
• Eighteen of the Beavers' 20 gymnasts earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher during fall term.
THREE MORE FOR 2018
In November, two gymnasts signed the National Letters of Intent to join the Oregon State gymnastics program for the 2017-18 academic year. Savanna Force (Reno, Nev.) and Kaitlyn Yanish (Chandler, Ariz.) are scheduled to enroll at Oregon State this coming summer. In addition, Alexis Gonzales (Newport Beach, Calif.) signed an intent to enroll and will also join the OSU gymnastics program in July.
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