Gymnasts to be Honored at Baseball Game Thursday
April 20, 2011
CORVALLIS -
The Oregon State gymnastics team, which finished eighth at the NCAA Championships last weekend, will be honored at Thursday’s Oregon State baseball game that starts at 5:35 p.m. at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
Senior Jen Kesler will represent the 2011 Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional Champions when she throws out the first pitch prior to the game. In addition, the team will sign autographs in the main lobby of the stadium, behind home plate, from 4:30-5:00 p.m.
Kesler, a three-time All-American on the uneven bars, scored a 9.90 on the bars to tie for first on the event in last Friday’s semifinal session of the NCAA Championships to advance to the Individual Event Finals. On Sunday, Kesler finished her career by scoring 9.8750 to earn second place in the nation in the final gymnastics routine of her career.
The Beavers enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history winning the Pac-10 Championships in March and followed that performance by winning the NCAA Championships Corvallis Regional in early April. Oregon State put together an outstanding second half of the season going undefeated with a 18-0 record from February 25 through the April 2 regional.
At the NCAA Championships, Oregon State finished one-tenth of a point short of advancing to the Super Six for the first time since 1996. Junior Leslie Mak, the Pac-10 and West Region Gymnast of the Year, finished third in the all-around and tied for seventh overall at the championships earning first team All-America status. In addition, Mak earned All-America First Team on the balance beam while a triumvirate of Beavers – Kesler, Vivian and Makayla Stambaugh – earned first team honors on the bars. Stambaugh also garnered first team All-American honors on the floor exercise.
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