Oregon State
Arizona
Beavs Conquer ?Cats on DAM Cancer Night
February 08, 2015 | Women's Gymnastics
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The No. 10 Oregon State gymnastics team 'hit' all 24 routines and finished with a flourish for the first time this season Saturday afternoon defeating No. 18 Arizona 196.250-195.100. The Beavers' most complete meet of the season drew 4,272 fans to OSU's 10th annual DAM Cancer event.
“It was nice to see them finally close a meet,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “That's what we have been trying to get to the next level and finish the competition.”
Senior Taylor Keeker echoed Chaplin's assessment, “It's definitely a good way for us to finish this week because we were really focusing on finishing the entire meet.”
A quintet of OSU gymnasts swept the individual honors with Keeker taking top honors on vault, Erika Aufiero on uneven bars, Risa Perez on the balance beam and Kaytianna McMillan on the floor exercise, while Madeline Gardiner won the all-around with a score of 39.275.
“It is a confidence booster (to finish well),” McMillan said. “It showed the team that if we go into the gym and do what we have been doing that we can do great things. Technically it wasn't about winning, it was about getting another good score but it's always nice to get a win, especially at home.”
The Beavers established their dominance early in the meet posting a team score of 49.100 on the vault. Keeker led the squad with a 9.90 while Aufiero scored 9.875 and Gardiner marked at 9.825.
With a lead of nearly a half point after one rotation, OSU scored 49.025 on the bars and continued to widen the gap. Aufiero posted the meet's top mark at 9.875 and freshman Shireen Khamedoost scored 9.825. Chelsea Tang added a score of 9.80.
Leading 98.125-97.450 at the mid-point the tackled the beam with abandon and four gymnasts topped the 9.8-mark. Perez tallied 9.850 while Gardiner and Tang each followed with matching scores of 9.825. McMillan scored 9.80 as well.
OSU had stretched its lead to 147.150-146.275 heading into the final stanza where the team had faltered last week. The Beavers bounced back with a 49.100 on the floor exercise to finish out the meet. McMillan, who had not performed in the floor lineup since Feb. 3, 2014 while battling a foot injury, returned to the anchor position with a bang scoring 9.875 to win the event. Gardiner tallied a 9.850 and Perez added a 9.825.
“I don't have too many routines under my belt yet because I'm just coming back,” McMillan said. “But I have been in Gill before and the routine is different than last year. It's actually a little easier for me so I think the coaches had confidence that I could go out and hit a routine.”
DAM Cancer is an OSU Athletics initiative designed to raise breast cancer awareness, celebrates cancer survivors and supports The Corvallis Clinic's Project H.E.R.
“This is one of our favorite meets of the year,” Keeker said. “We actually get to go to another one next weekend (at California) which will be exciting. Normally we go into a meet fighting for each other, for our coaches, for our fans; but tonight we go into it fighting for people that fight every day. Our goal is to come in here today and give them a show to help them forget about fighting for a little bit. So we are fighting for something much bigger than us today.”
Oregon State is back on the road next Friday when the team travels to the Bay Area to face No. 22 California for a 7 p.m. meet. It will be the first two straight weeks away from home as the Beavers will also compete at Arizona State Feb. 20.
Team Scores: No. 10 Oregon State 196.250; No. 18 Arizona 195.100.
All-Around: 1. Madeline Gardiner (OSU) 39.275; 2. Allison Flores (ARIZ) 39.150.
Vault (49.100): 1. Taylor Keeker (OSU) 9.900; 2. Erika Aufiero (OSU) 9.875; 3. Madeline Gardiner 9.825. Other OSU Scores: Megan Jimenez 9.775; Cerise Witherby 9.725; Taylor Ricci 9.725 (Exhibition – Risa Perez 9.650).
Uneven Bars (49.025): 1. Erika Aufiero (OSU) 9.875; 2. Shireen Khamedoost (OSU) 9.825; 3. Chelsea Tang (OSU) 9.800. Other OSU Scores: Madeline Gardiner 9.775; Taylor Keeker 9.750; Kaytianna McMillan 9.725 (Exhibition – Dani Dessaints 8.250).
Balance Beam (49.025): 1. Risa Perez (OSU) 9.850; T2. Madeline Gardiner (OSU), Chelsea Tang (OSU), Allison Flores (ARIZ) 9.825. Other OSU Scores: Kaytianna McMillan 9.800; Katelyn Ohlrich 9.725; Silvia Colussi-Pelaez 9.650 (Exhibition – Erika Aufiero 9.725).
Floor Exercise (49.100): 1. Kaytianna McMillan (OSU) 9.875; T2. Madeline Gardiner (OSU), Allison Flores (ARIZ) 9.850. Other OSU Scores: Risa Perez 9.825; Nicole Turner 9.775; Cerise Witherby 9.775; Chelsea Tang 9.725 (Exhibition – Jamie Radermacher 9.750).
Players Mentioned
