Beavers Hit the Road to Face No. 7 Huskers - Oregon State University Athletics

THE MEET
The No. 15 Oregon State (7-4) gymnastics team is on the road Saturday when the Beavers travel to face No. 7 Nebraska (11-2) at 4 p.m. PT in Lincoln. The meet will stream live at huskers.com (subscription is required).

VS. NEBRASKA
The Beavers and Huskers meet for the 24th time in history with OSU trailing the series 14-9. The two squads faced off in Corvallis in 2014 with Nebraska narrowly pulling off the win 196.650-196.625. OSU’s last win over the Huskers came at the 2011 NCAA Corvallis Regional when the Beavs won the region 197.075-196.550. Overall, the Beavers are 1-2 in Lincoln.

BEAVER BITES
The Beavers slid to No. 15 in this week’s national rankings. Rankings shifted to Regional Qualifying Scores (RQS) last week. A team’s RQS is determined by taking the six best scores, three of which must have come on the road, dropping the high score and then averaging the five remaining scores ... the Beavers return 11 contributors in 2014 including 19 out of 24 routines from the final meet of 2014 ... OSU’s roster features three gymnasts that qualified to NCAA Championships a year ago. Madeline Gardiner and Chelsea Tang reached the final weekend of the year as individual all-arounders and Kaytianna McMillan qualified on the balance beam. Gardiner finished third on the beam at Individual Event Finals earning first team All-America honors. She also earned first team honors in the all-around ... The 2015 roster includes three transfers: Silvia Colussi-Pelaez transferred from Florida in the spring, while Risa Perez and Jamie Radermacher arrived over the summer from Arizona State and Eastern Michigan respectively.

LAST TIME ON THE FLOOR
The Beavers had a disappointing meet the last time out falling to Utah 196.875-195.750. OSU started with a 49.025 on the vault before suffering three falls on the uneven bars. Despite trailing at the halfway point the Beavers bounced back tying their season-high on the balance beam (49.275) and beating the Utes on the floor exercise (49.450) with an outstanding performance on the event. Chelsea Tang scored 9.90 or better on all three of her events (UB, BB, FX) winning the beam title with a score of 9.925. Madeline Gardiner added a floor title with a 9.925 of her own.

OREGON STATE QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about the Oregon State gymnastics team early in the season:

OSU has ‘hit’ 180 out of 192 (93.8%) routines in 2015 ... that’s a bit behind the pace of 2014 when the Beavers ‘hit’ percentage was 96.4% (264-274).
Madeline Gardiner and Chelsea Tang began the season as OSU’s all-arounders. However, two weeks ago at California, the Beavers went without an all-arounder for the first time this season. Tang has not been in the vault lineup since the second meet of the season (Iowa State) and Gardiner has not perform on bars in the last two meets (at California and at Arizona State).
Three walk-ons - Taylor Keeker (vault & bars), Katelyn Ohlrich (beam) and Kailie Ponto (floor) - return in 2015 having provided four routines to the lineup on a regular basis. The trio combined to “hit” all 34 routines they performed in 2014 ... the threesome has ‘hit’ 27 out of 29 of their routines in 2015.
The Beavers have four captains this season - seniors Taylor Keeker, Katelyn Ohlrich and Kailie Ponto as well as junior Erika Aufiero.
Eight of OSU’s 2015 opponents were ranked in the preseason top 25: No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Utah, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 10 Stanford, No. 14 California, No. 21 Arizona, No. 24 Washington and No. 25 Iowa State.

TANYA CHAPLIN QUICK HITTERS

Tanya Chaplin set the Oregon State record for wins in last year’s home opener with a 196.425-194.850 victory over Iowa State. Now in her 18th season Chaplin has 339 career wins including 274 regular season victories.
Chaplin has led the Beavers to conference titles in two of the last four years, winning the 2011 Pac-10 title and the 2013 Pac-12 Championships.
She has directed OSU to the NCAA Championships 10 times in her 17 seasons at the helm.

MADELINE GARDINER QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Madeline Gardiner, a sophomore from Cambridge, Ontario:

After 10 straight meets in the all-around, she has not competed on the bars the last three weeks.
Won the vault at Iowa State with a then-career-best 9.875 - her first career vault title ... won the vault title against Washington with a career-high tying 9.90.
Leads the team with six event titles in 2015 - 2 on vault & floor and 1 each on beam & the all-around.
Won two event titles at Arizona State - on beam (9.875) and floor (9.900).
Qualified to NCAA Championships as an individual all-arounder in 2014.
Earned All-America First Team honors on the balance beam finishing tied for third in the Individual Event Finals - the best beam finish for an OSU gymnast since Joy Selig was first in 1990.
Also earned first team All-America honors in the all-around in 2014.
Won four event titles in her rookie season - three on beam and one on floor.
Has ‘hit’ 28 out of 29 routines in 2015 and 65 of 66 routines in her career.
Madeline was named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Week for the week of Feb. 10-16, 2014 after she posted career-bests of 9.95 on floor and 9.875 on beam to win the first event titles of her career ... named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the week of Mar. 3-9, 2014 after she won the beam title (9.925) and scored 39.400 in her first all-around performance.
Canadian National Team’s alternate for the 2012 Olympics in London.

CHELSEA TANG QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Chelsea Tang a senior from Eugene, Oregon:

Set career-high with 9.925 on the bars at Stanford ... a personal-high of 9.925 on floor at California.
Has ‘hit’ 24 of 26 routines in 2015 and 130 out of 135 in her career.
Second on the team with five event titles in 2015 - 1 on bars, 3 beam and 1 on floor.
Performed in the all-around 20 straight meets ending at Stanford (1/26/15).
Has scored a 9.90 or better on all four events in her career ... she is one of eight gymnasts in OSU history to record a 9.90 on all four apparatus joining an exclusive list that includes Annie Campbell (2000-02, 04), Jami Lanz (2006-09), Lindsay Nelson (2001-03, 05), Chelsea Plourde (2004-05), Tanya Ricioli-Hebron (2000, 02-04), Mandi Rodriguez (2007-10) and Makayla Stambaugh (2010-13).
2014 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team in the all-around ... 2013 All-Pac-12 First Team on balance beam.
Qualified to NCAA Championships as an individual all-around qualifier for the second straight year in 2014.
Named as the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week, for the week of Jan. 13-19, 2014, for the first time in her career after scoring 39.275 in the all-around earning individual titles on bars and in the all-around.
Recorded 10 total wins in 2014 including five in the all-around plus three on beam and two on bars.
Majoring in exercise and sport science with aspirations to be a physician’s assistant.

ERIKA AUFIERO QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Erika Aufiero, a junior from Sparks, Nevada:

Posted her career-high on vault (9.925) at California and tied personal-best on bars (9.925) against the Bears.
Has ‘hit’ 14 out of 16 routines in 2015 and is 46-51 in her career.
Third on the team with four event titles in 2015 - all on uneven bars.
Chosen as one of the team’s captains in 2015.
Was second on the team with seven individual titles in 2014, six on bars and one on vault.
Scored 9.90 or better on bars four times in 2014.
Performed in the vault and bars lineups in all 11 meets in 2014
Earned All-Pac-12 honors on uneven bars in 2013.
Erika’s sister, Breyanna, is a senior gymnast at Utah State. The sisters squared off last season in an OSU home meet.

KAYTIANNA MCMILLAN QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Kaytianna McMillan, a sophomore from Coburg, Oregon:

Has ‘hit’ 16 of her 18 routines in 2015 and 35 of 38 routines in her career.
Was sidelined by injury for OSU’s season opener against UCLA - returned to bars and beam lineups at Iowa State with a pair of 9.80’s.
Has won two event titles in 2015 - 1 on bars and 1 on floor exercise.
Returned to the floor exercise against Arizona (2/7/15) for the first time since Feb. 3, 2014.
Tied for balance beam title (9.85) at NCAA University Park Regional qualifying to NCAA Championships on the the event.
Won three event titles as a rookie - two on beam and one on bars.
Kaytianna trained at the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics - the same gym as other OSU greats Chari Knight, Jami Lanz and current teammate Chelsea Tang among others and OSU head coach Tanya Chaplin.
Four-time Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier and won the Level 10 national titles on beam and all-around in 2013.

RISA PEREZ QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Risa Perez, a junior from Las Vegas, Nevada:

Scored a career-best 9.90 on beam at Iowa State.
Tied her career-high 9.925 on floor exercise at California.
Has won two event titles in 2015 - 1 on balance beam and 1 on floor exercise.
Has ‘hit’ 15 out of 16 routines in 2015 and 67-75 in her career.
Transferred to Oregon State from Arizona State in September.
Did not vault at ASU and is now one of OSU’s top vault alternates.
Has cut and choreographed her floor routines since she was a Level 8 gymnast.

TAYLOR KEEKER QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Taylor Keeker, a senior from Keizer, Oregon:

Has assumed a vital role for the Beavers ... despite not earning a spot in the lineup until her junior season, Keeker is now arguably the team’s best vaulter. Also leads off on uneven bars
Scored career-high 9.925 on vault at Stanford ... set career-best on bars at Arizona State with a 9.850.
Has won three event titles in 2015 - 2 on vault and 1 on bars.
Has ‘hit’ 15 out of 16 routines in 2015 and 34 of 35 in her career.
Despite not having performed in the lineup, she was named a team captain as a junior ... again named a captain this season.

CERISE WITHERBY QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Cerise Witherby, a senior from Huntington Beach, California:

Set career-high with a 9.90 on the floor at California.
Tied her career-high with a 9.80 on the vault at Stanford.
Has “hit” 17 of her 18 routines in 2015 and 54 of 56 in her career.
Performed on three events in the season opener, leading off on vault, beam and floor and competed on vault and floor at Iowa State and again at California.
Enjoyed a bit of a breakout season in 2014 performing on floor in 10 meets, beam nine times and vault twice setting career-bests on all three events.

SILVIA COLUSSI-PELAEZ QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, a sophomore from Oakville, Ontario:

Announced she would transfer to Oregon State from Florida in May.
Struggled through a December injury ... performed on the balance beam in the season’s first five meets in 2015 scoring a high of 9.85 at Stanford.
Entered the bars lineup at California scoring 9.85.
Has ‘hit’ all 8 routines in 2015 and all 11 of the routines in her collegiate career including 3-3 for Florida in 2014.
Competed as a member of Spain’s national team.
Younger sister, Mariana, signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for the Beavers in 2016.

KATELYN OHLRICH QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Katelyn Ohlrich, a senior from Bend, Oregon:

Has ‘hit’ 8 out of 9 routines in in 2015 and is 32-33 in her career.
Performed on bars and beam in the season opener against UCLA.
Moved to the lead off spot on the beam at Iowa State (1/18) and started the rotation with a 9.80.
Chosen as one of the team’s captains in 2015.
Has been a mainstay in the beam lineup since her sophomore season - has competed on the event in every meet during that time.
Ohlrich traveled with nine other OSU student-athletes to the Dominican Republic at part of Beavers Without Borders building an irrigation system at a local school.

KAILIE PONTO QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about Kailie Ponto, a senior from Kenmore, Oregon:

Suffered a season-ending left knee injury against Washington on her final tumbling pass, still completed the routine and scored 9.775.
Made her competition debut late in the 2014 season scoring 9.85 on the floor exercise at Arizona.
Ponto “hit” all 8 routines of her career.
Chosen as one of the team’s captains in 2015.

MISCELLANEOUS QUICK HITTERS
Here are some quick hitters about the rest of the team:

Sophomore Megan Jimenez has performed in the vault lineup 17 times hitting all 17 routines; scored career-best 9.875 at California and again at Arizona State ... performed exhibition on beam against Washington.
Junior Nicole Turner performed in OSU’s floor lineup in every meet in 2014 and ‘15. She has ‘hit’ 20 of 22 routines in her career.
Freshman Shireen Khamedoost made her collegiate debut in the season-opener on the bars ... scored a personal-best 9.875 at Stanford ... has ‘hit’ all 7 routines in 2015.
Sophomore Taylor Ricci performed the first competition routine of her college career at Stanford scoring 9.825 on the vault ... scored personal-best 9.85 against Washington ... is also an alternate on bars and floor ... has ‘hit’ all 6 of her routines in 2015.
Freshman Dani Dessaints, who had knee surgery in December, returned to perform exhibitions on bars against Arizona (2/7). She entered the vault lineup - her first collegiate routine - at Arizona State (2/20) ... joined the bars lineup against Utah (2/27).
Junior transfer Jamie Radermacher performed exhibitions on the floor against the last five weeks.

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE MOVE
Last month, the Pac-12 Conference announced that the 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Championships have been relocated to the University of Utah. The event was previously scheduled to take place at Arizona State but were moved due to possible scheduling conflicts.

CONFERENCE OF CHAMPIONS
The Pac-12 Conference had seven of its eight teams ranked in the Top 25 in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. In addition, for the sixth week in a row the rankings have seven team ranked with Utah at the top at No. 4, UCLA is 8th, Stanford is 13th, OSU is at No. 15, Arizona is 19th, California is 20th and Washington ranks tied for 25th.