Jan. 3, 2013
Cancun Classic notes 
MEET #1
The Oregon State gymnastics team, ranked No. 9 in the preseason coaches' poll, opens the season this Friday, Jan. 4, at the Cancun Classic against No. 10 Michigan and BYU at 5 p.m. PT. There is no live stream, nor live stats available for the meet, however results will be posted on the Cancun Classic Facebook page.
THE SERIES
Oregon State holds the advantage in the all-time series with both teams they'll face Friday. The Beavers are 9-5 all-time against the Wolverines and 36-6 against the Cougars. OSU has bested Michigan the last two times they've met including at last year's Auburn regional to advance to nationals. Oregon State has beaten BYU five consecutive times dating back to 2007.
OSU AT THE CANCUN CLASSIC
This is the second time OSU has participated in the Cancun Classic. The Beavers made the Mexico trip to open the 2009 season finishing second out of four teams in their session. At that meet, OSU scored 194.575, falling to Stanford, and knocking off Denver and BYU. Oregon State went on to finish 11th at the NCAA Championships in Lincoln, Neb.
OSU IN OPENERS
Oregon State has a record of 20-13 in season opening meets during Tanya Chaplin's 15 seasons at Oregon State. Last year, OSU - ranked No. 7 in the preseason poll - opened the season in Corvallis for the third straight year, and the third time overall in the Chaplin era, scoring 196.525 to upset then-No. 4 Oklahoma (195.975).
WATCHING THE BEAVERS
In 2013, all of Oregon State's home gymnastics meets will be either webcast live OR broadcast on television. The Beavers will perform on the Pac-12 Networks in their home opener, Jan. 11, against Ohio State and again for the Comfort Suites Invitational, Mar. 9, when the Beavers host Washington and Sacramento State ... OSU's other two regular season home meets, Feb. 16 against UCLA and Feb. 22 against Arizona and Seattle Pacific, will be webcast live. Returning to provide play-by-play analysis will be former OSU All-American Heather (Bennett) Humphrey.
TICKETS
Season and single-meet tickets for the 2013 season are on sale. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-BEAVS, in person at the OSU Ticket Office located in room 107 of Gill Coliseum or by going online to BeaverTickets.com ... Four preseason Top 25 teams are slated to face the Beavers inside the legendary confines of Gill Coliseum this season - No. 14 Ohio State (Jan. 11), No. 2 UCLA (Feb. 16), No. 19 Arizona (Feb. 22) and No. 17 Washington (Mar. 9) ... Season tickets for OSU's four home meets are available starting at $24 for general admission and $44 for reserved seats.
BEAVERS TO HOST PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS & REGIONALS
Oregon State will host the 2013 Pac-12 Championships Mar. 23. It is the first time since 2006 that OSU has hosted the conference championships. The Beavers will also host NCAA Regionals Apr. 6. Tickets for both events are available through the OSU Ticket Office.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Beavers return to the friendly confines of Gill Coliseum for the 2013 home opener against No. 14 Ohio State next Friday, Jan. 11. The showdown with the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Conference will be televised regionally by Pac-12 Networks.
RELOADING FOR ANOTHER RUN AT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
With every new season comes a new roster and a new challenge. The squad that reached the NCAA Championships for a seventh straight year in 2012 lost a pair of All-Americans to graduation in Leslie Mak and Olivia Vivian. Mak and Vivian accounted for seven routines leaving more than two-thirds of the lineup intact. Six gymnasts accounted for the 17 returning routines and that group will be buoyed by the return to health of fifth-year senior Stephanie McGregor, who missed the 2012 season due to an Achilles injury. In addition, senior transfer Hailey Gaspar arrived at OSU during the summer and brings collegiate experience and proven production that includes having "hit" 55 out of 56 routines in her career. Five true freshmen are also on hand and will be expected to help fill the gaps immediately.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Oregon State boasts a roster of 17 gymnasts in 2013 and 10 are freshmen and sophomores. Six newcomers joined the returners in Corvallis to bolster the Beavers' depth. Erika Aufiero (Sparks, Nev.), Sarah Cerami (Palo Cedro, Calif.), Hailey Gaspar (Los Alamitos, Calif.), Sarah Marquez (San Jose, Calif.), Nicole Turner (Colleyville, Texas) and Jaime Wright (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) are expected to join last year's newbies - Taylor Keeker, Katelyn Ohlrich, Kailie Ponto, Chelsea Tang and Cerise Witherby - to form a youthful nucleus for future teams.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
OSU returns two gymnasts who have combined for five All-America honors in their careers. Senior Makayla Stambaugh is now a four-time All-American, twice earning first team honors on the floor exercise (finishing 8th in 2011) and once on the uneven bars, where she tied for third in 2011. Stambaugh earned second team All-America on the floor in 2012. Fellow senior Melanie Jones earned a the first All-America honors of her career in 2012, finishing fourth on the floor exercise - the best finish for an OSU gymnast on the apparatus since Amy Durham won the event in 1993.
STAMBAUGH CONTINUES ASSAULT ON RECORD BOOK
Makayla Stambaugh begins her senior season with 32 career individual titles, good for eighth in OSU history, including 11 in 2012.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST
As always the Beavers' schedule provides difficult challenges week-in and week-out. Head coach Tanya Chaplin's belief that competing against the best competition possible each week helps to prepare her squad for the highest caliber competition in the postseason. OSU is slated to face 17 different opponents over the course of the next 10 weeks leading up to the Pac-12 Championships and the postseason. Of those opponents 11 were ranked in the NACGC/W Preseason Coaches' Poll and five others received votes.
LOOKING BACK ON 2012
Oregon State (20-10-1) concluded the 2012 season at the NCAA Championships for the seventh straight year - the second-longest streak in school history (1987-96) - where the Beavers finished 12th in the nation ... Three gymnasts - Melanie Jones, Leslie Mak and Makayla Stambaugh - garnered All-America honors. Jones qualified to the Individual Event Finals finishing fourth overall on the floor exercise, the highest finish for an OSU gymnast since 1993 when Amy Durham won the nation title. Mak earned second team All-America on balance beam and floor exercise and Stambaugh earned second team on floor as well ... Mak earned Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year becoming the first gymnast in conference history to earn GOY honors in consecutive seasons. In addition, Jones, Mak and Stambaugh each earned All-Pac-12 First Team in the all-around while Olivia Vivian earned first team on the uneven bars, and Kelsi Blalock and Brittany Harris were second team on vault and bars respectively.
IN THE RANKINGS ... A LOOK BACK
In 2011, all four of Oregon State's lineups wrapped up the season ranked in the nation's top 20. The Beavers finished tied for 18th on vault (48.850 RQS), No. 2 on the uneven bars (49.275), tied for No. 5 on the balance beam (49.100) and No. 3 on the floor exercise (49.300). In addition, several OSU gymnasts were ranked among the top 25 in the nation: Leslie Mak tied for No. 1 on the beam (9.930), tied for No. 16 on bars (9.885) and tied for No. 13 in the all-around (39.400); Olivia Vivian tied for No. 9 on the bars (9.895); Makayla Stambaugh tied for 9th on the floor (9.905) and tied for 16th on the bars (9.885) and tied for No. 15 in the all-around (39.390); Melanie Jones tied for No. 13 on the floor (9.900) and was 23rd on the beam (9.870); and Kelsi Blalock tied for No. 20 on the vault (9.905).
