Beavers Drop Season-Opener
January 15, 1999
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 16th-ranked University of Arizona women's gymnastics team began a new era under first-year head coach Bill Ryden by defeating the No. 15 Oregon State Beavers, 192.275-189.725, in their 1999 Pac-10 season home opener Friday in McKale Center in front of a crowd of 952.
The Wildcats trailed the Beavers by .050 going into the second rotation, but Arizona quickly regained the lead after the uneven bars rotation and never looked back. Arizona went into the final rotation, with a two-point advantage.
Led by a strong corp of veteran gymnasts, the meet marked the return of redshirt juniors Heidi Hornbeek and Maureen Kealey, who sat out last year following season-ending injuries. Arizona was also led by senior All-American Kristin McDermott and sophomore Kara Fry. Freshmen Brooke Stan, Randi Liljenquist and Emily Peterman also had impressive performances on the night in the their collegiate debuts.
Hornbeek capped off the night with a first-place finish on vault, with a 9.800, and a tie for first place on bars with McDermott, both posting a 9.800. Fry grabbed the beam title with a 9.750 and vaulted to third place on floor with a 9.725. Kealey returned with a second-place finish on beam (9.725) and fourth-place on bars (9.725).
"Heidi (Hornbeek) and Maureen (Kealey) had a rough return, but their performances definitely showed positive signs to build on, " Ryden said. "Kara (Fry) and Kristen (McDermott) just picked up where they left off last season."
On floor, Stan and Liljenquist led Arizona with impressive first and second place finishes in their collegiate debuts. Stan posted a personal-best 9.825, and Liljenquist finished with a personal-best 9.750 in the event. Stan also finished in third-place on beam (9.675--a personal best) and fifth place on vault (9.675--a personal best).
"The freshmen looked really great tonight. Randi (Liljenquist) is a phenomenal beam worker, and with the loss of Heather (Straccia), we are really going to need Emily (Peterman) on bars," Ryden said.
Liljenquist finished in sixth place on bars (9.525--a personal best), and Peterman tied for seventh place on bars (9.325--a personal best) and posted an impressive 9.675 score in a beam exhibition performance.
In the all-around, McDermott posted a first-place finish with a 38.475, Fry landed in second with a 38.325, and Hornbeek finished in third with a 38.125. Oregon State's senior All-American Megan Murphy-Barcroft rounded out the field with a 38.050.
"The meet is a great starting point, and we now have more direction as a team," Ryden said.
Arizona has a 1-0 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the Pac-10 conference. Oregon State dropped to 0-1 on the season overall and in the conference.
The Oregon State-Arizona Series
Arizona is one of only two Pacific-10 schools to have a series edge over Oregon State, posting a 15-12 all-time record over the Beavers. Oregon State dominated Arizona in last year's meet in Corvallis, with the Beavers winning every event en route to a 195.150-189.125, on February 13, 1998.
