Beavers Host Washington in Final Home Meet of 2024

Friday, March 8

Corvallis, OR

7:00 PM

Oregon State

Washington

Tickets

Photo by: Oregon State Athletics

March 06, 2024 | Women's Gymnastics

Meet Notes

Coming off a 197.400 performance, OSU continues its season against the No. 25 Huskies.

By: Athletic Communications

MATCHING UP: The Beavers and Huskies have an extensive history dating back to the first head-to-head matchup on Jan. 21, 2000, with OSU holding a 29-6 record across the 35 all-time meetings. Oregon State's success has only been amplified when performing at Gill Coliseum – thanks to a 13-2 record – and the Beavs have taken each of the last eight overall meetings.

Washington enters Friday's matchup ranked No. 25 in the latest Road to Nationals poll, posting a 196.485 NQS and 196.323 average score this season. UW posted a 196.550 in the team's previous meet, a home matchup against the Arizona Wildcats, which came one week after posting a season-high 197.200 in a quad hosted by Boise State. The bars (18) and beam (21) have been a strength for the Huskies this season, both ranking in the top-25, while the vault (32) and floor (39) lineups both rank top-40.

CLEAN SWEEP: Whether in the state of Oregon or Arizona, Beaver gymnasts have found success in the past two weeks, finishing with a 197.075 in Tucson before Friday's 197.400 against ASU. Not only did OSU complete 197-plus victories against both of the Arizona schools, Head Coach Tanya Chaplin's side swept the event titles in both meets. The last time OSU didn't win an event title came in the second rotation against Stanford on Feb. 17, when a Cardinal gymnast vaulted to a 9.95 which, when factoring in the all-around, makes it 13-straight events that Oregon State has won.

SPECIAL(IST): After bursting on the scene with a 9.90 in her collegiate debut at the Super 16 event on Jan. 6, Taylor DeVries has been a fixture in the Beaver bars lineup this season. Appearing in every meet, the Roscoe, Ill., made another splash against the Sun Devils, earning a 9.95 to set a new season and career high as she won the event title; DeVries has found a rhythm as of late, finishing with a 9.85 at Arizona which came one week after a 9.875 against Stanford.

BOUNCE BACK BEAM: Joining DeVries as a Beaver to collect an event title against ASU was Ariana Young, who bounced back from a difficult meet at Arizona to finish with a 9.90 on the beam and 9.875 on floor. The beam score tied a career-high while the 9.875 was her highest since earning a 9.90 against Utah on Feb. 2.

THANK YOU SENIORS: This week's matchup against Washington will mark the final home event of the 2024 season for Oregon State gymnastics, and there are two Beaver gymnasts set to be recognized for their contributions after the meet's conclusion.

Ariana Young, originally from San Mateo, Calif., enters Friday having appeared for the Beavers in 34 meets across the past four seasons. After scoring 9.8 or better in four meets as a freshman, Young put together a pair of career-highs at the NCAA regional during her sophomore season, scoring a 9.90 on beam and 9.85 on the floor, before upping her FX record to a 9.925 as part of a program record 198.075 team score against Stanford last year. As a senior, she's competed on the beam and floor every single week and is coming off a meet against ASU in which she finished with a 9.90 and 9.875 to help fuel Oregon State's 197.400-196.625 victory.

Sydney Gonzales has made 40 appearances across her Oregon State career. Competing in each of the team's 10 meets as a freshman, she won three event titles and set season-high marks with 9.9s on both the vault and beam, before posting a 9.925 at the NCAA Washington Regional as a sophomore. She played a pivotal role in OSU's program record 198.075 as a junior, finishing with three routines of 9.900 or better that included a career-high 9.925 on floor, while also hitting on 40 of 41 routines. This season, Gonzales made five appearances, earning a season-high 9.925 on the beam against California on Jan. 27.

PERFECTION: Jade Carey opened up Friday's matchup against ASU with a bang, sticking the landing on her vault to earn a perfect 9.95 in the meet's first rotation. Carey, who became the 13th gymnast to ever record a gym slam after earning a 10 on the beam on March 4, 2023, has finished with a 9.5-plus score in six different meets this season, which includes three 9.975s within the last two weeks alone.

ALL-AROUND COMPETITOR: Sage Thompson had never competed all-around prior to the Stanford meet three weeks ago, but since then she has made improvements every single week. On Friday, that culminated in a career-high 39.325 that also featured a new career-high 9.90 FX score. Thompson has been a fixture in the Beavers' sixth-ranked bars lineup this season but her steady growth the past month has helped Oregon State's floor lineup jump from No. 42 up to No. 22, where it sits entering this week's competition against UW.

FANTASTIC FLOOR: That now 21st-ranked floor lineup set a new season high for a single rotation against ASU, finishing with a 49.525 to seal Oregon State's victory. Led by Carey's 9.975, Sophia Esposito earned her third 9.90 or better FX score in the past four weeks with a 9.925 to go with Thompson's 9.900; Young was given a 9.875 as Karlie Chavez also posted her second 9.85 of the year.

ELITE: The Beaver bars have never ranked lower than No. 8 this season and were at one point ranked No. 1 in the country. Against Arizona State, the bars team showed up once more, earning a rotation score of 49.475. Led off by Esposito's 9.875, Natalie Briones posted a 9.85 before DeVries' 9.95; Jennifer McMillan (9.85) and Thompson (9.875) continued OSU's strong performance before Carey sealed the deal with her 9.925 in the six slot.

INJURY UPDATES: Ellie Weaver and Sydney Gonzales both sustained injuries that will keep them out for the remainder of the 2024 season. Lauren Letzsch still remains out indefinitely.

NOTES:
•   Six different Oregon State gymnasts have won event titles this season: Jade Carey, bars (five times), beam (twice), floor (twice) and all-around (twice); Taylor DeVries, bars; Sophia Esposito, vault (three times) and floor; Kaitlin Garcia, floor; Ellie Weaver, beam and floor; Ariana Young, beam and floor.
•   Five different Oregon State gymnasts have won Pac-12 weekly honors this season: Natalie Briones, Coaches' Choice; Jade Carey, Specialist (two times); Taylor DeVries, Newcomer; Sophia Esposito, Newcomer (twice); and Sage Thompson, Coaches' Choice.
•   Esposito's 9.875 on the bars set a new personal best; her previous best score was a 9.825 that has twice been earned this season.
•   Chavez's 9.85 on floor tied a career high, set earlier this year against UCLA. Chavez has competed in three events has hit on all three.
•   Kaitlin Garcia has vaulted in every meet this season but had one of her best against Arizona State, tying a season and career high with a 9.85.

WINDING DOWN: Friday's meet against Washington marks the final home meet of 2024, with just one final regular season road meet slated for next weekend in Boise.

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 2024 Pac-12 Championships will be held in West Valley City, Utah, on Saturday, March 23 and be televised nationally on Pac-12 Network.

BACK-TO-BACK: Oregon State won a share of the Pac-12 regular season title for the second-consecutive year in 2023. This was the fourth season the conference has crowned a regular season champion, beginning the tradition in 2020, and the Beavers have shared the title in half of them.

2023: Winning a share of the Pac-12 regular season crown was just one of several highlights for head coach Tanya Chaplin and the Oregon State gymnastics team.
•   Advanced to the Regional Finals for the first time since 2019 where they finished in fourth place with the fifth-highest score in program history (197.650).
•   Finished in a tie for first place at Regionals (with LSU) after posting a 197.375.
•   For the first time in program history, Oregon State went over the coveted 198 mark, recording a 198.075 against Stanford to break the previous program record of 197.850.
•   The Beavers posted three of the six highest scores in program history.
•   Finished No. 12 in the final 2023 Road to Nationals rankings.
•   Jade Carey became just the 13th NCAA gymnast, and the sixth Pac-12 gymnast, to complete the Gym Slam with a 10.000 on vault, bars, beam and floor.
•   The 2023 freshmen class of Francesca Caso, Jennifer McMillan, Savannah Miller and Ellie Weaver all had an instant impact, making up more than 50 percent of the team's bar routines.
•   Jade Carey was selected the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year for the second-straight season.
•   Jade Carey, Madi Dagen and Sydney Gonzales were honored by the Pac-12 Conference, taking home eight different honors for their efforts during the 2023 regular season.
•   19 Oregon State student-athletes were named All-American Scholars by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) and 15 were selected to the Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll.
•   Madi Dagen was named the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Beaver to earn the honor since Madeline Gardiner in 2017.

UP NEXT: OSU returns to action next weekend, facing Boise State and Utah State in a meet hosted by the Broncos; the action is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. PT.
OUR MISSION: Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent, Authentic, Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).