Oregon State
Oklahoma
Beavers Punch Their Ticket to Nationals
April 05, 2015 | Women's Gymnastics
NORMAN, Okla. – The 12th-ranked Oregon State gymnastics team finished second at the NCAA Norman Regional Championship to qualify to NCAA Championships in two weeks. Sophomore Madeline Gardiner led the Beavers, winning the all-around with a score of 39.350, as OSU completed a comeback in the second half of the meet to advance.
“This is really bittersweet. This team did a wonderful job today and accomplished exactly what we set out to do,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “I'm pleased with the way this team stayed in its bubble, didn't pay attention to the score when we were behind and just kept plugging away to the end. But to finish the meet with Kaytianna's injury is tough. We'll get her evaluated when we get home and will have to move on and prepare for nationals.”
The Beavers finished the meet with a flourish on the vault. Three straight stuck landings in the middle of the lineup from Gardiner (9.900), Erika Aufiero (9.875) and Taylor Keeker (9.925) helped propel OSU to the championships round. Dani Dessaints scored a career-best 9.850 as the lead off to set the tone for the rest of the lineup and Megan Jimenez added a score of 9.800. However, it was at the end of the lineup on the Beavers' final routine that McMillan suffered a knee injury.
Oregon State opened the meet on a bye before moving to the uneven bars for the second rotation. By the time the second-seeded Beavers took the competition floor for the first time, Penn State, which was the third seed, had already struggled through the opening rotation with three falls on the balance beam.
OSU's bars rotation saw tight scoring but the Beavers' lineup hit six straight routines led by 9.825's from Kaytianna McMillan and Erika Aufiero. Taylor Keeker, who led off the meet for the Beavers, set a positive trend for the Orange and Black with a 9.80 and OSU finished the rotation with a 48.975.
Moving to their second event, the balance beam, the Beavers were in fifth place. OSU was led by Madeline Gardiner's 9.875 from the anchor spot to help them move through the field into third at the halfway point. Risa Perez scored 9.850, Chelsea Tang posted a mark of 9.825 and Silvia Colussi-Pelaez added a 9.80 to the Beavers' beam effort resulting in a 49.125.
Following their second bye, the Beavers moved to the floor exercise where they are ranked seventh in the nation. McMillan and Tang tied for the team-high with scores of 9.875. Gardiner, Perez and Jamie Radermacher each added matching scores of 9.850 in helping the Beavers to a team score of 49.300.
Oregon State's season goes on in two weeks at NCAA Championships April 17-19 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Team Scores: No. 1 Oklahoma 197.625; No. 12 Oregon State 196.750; No. 22 Southern Utah 196.275; Missouri 196.100; NC State 195.775; No. 13 Penn State 195.150.
All-Around: 1. Madeline Gardiner (OSU) 39.350; 2. Brittni Watkins (NCST) 39.250; 3. Michaela Woodford (NCST) 39.225. Other OSU Score: Kaytianna McMillan 38.825.
Vault (49.350): 1. Ali Jackson (OU) 9.950; T2. Haley Scaman (OU), Taylor Keeker (OSU) 9.925. Other OSU Scores: Madeline Gardiner 9.900; Erika Aufiero 9.875; Dani Dessaints 9.850; Megan Jimenez 9.800; Kaytianna McMillan 9.350.
Uneven Bars (48.975): 1. Jamie Armijo (SUU) 9.900; T2. McKenzie Wofford (OU), Brenna Dowell (OU) 9.875. OSU Scores: Erika Aufiero 9.825; Kaytianna McMillan 9.825; Taylor Keeker 9.800; Chelsea Tang 9.775; Silvia Colussi-Pelaez 9.750; Madeline Gardiner 9.725.
Balance Beam (49.125): T1. Haley Sorensen (OU), Ana Jaworski (SUU) 9.900; T3. Keeley Kmieciak (OU), Rebecca Clark (OU), Erica Brewer (OU), Laura Kappler (MIZZOU), Madeline Gardiner (OSU) 9.875. Other OSU Scores: Risa Perez 9.850; Chelsea Tang 9.825; Silvia Colussi-Pelaez 9.800; Kaytianna McMillan 9.775; Cerise Witherby 9.650.
Floor Exercise (49.300): 1. Haley Scaman (OU) 9.975; T2. Kara Lovan (OU), Brenna Dowell (OU), Natalie Brown (OU) 9.900. OSU Scores: Kaytianna McMillan 9.875; Chelsea Tang 9.875; Madeline Gardiner 9.850; Risa Perez 9.850; Jamie Radermacher 9.850; Cerise Witherby 9.825.
Players Mentioned
