2015 Gymnastics Season Wrap-Up
SEASON WRAP-UP
Oregon State (18-14) finished the 2015 season ranked No. 12 in the nation after finishing sixth in the evening session of the NCAA Championships Semifinals. Two gymnasts - Erika Aufiero and Madeline Gardiner - earned All-America First Team accolades and qualified to Event Finals with Gardiner scoring a 9.900 on the balance beam to finish third overall for the second year in a row. Aufiero scored 9.825 on the uneven bars to earn 11th place. In addition, Chelsea Tang earned second team All-America honors on beam and in the all-around.
RETURNING FOR 2016
- The Beavers are scheduled to return 11 contributors in 2016 including 15 out of 24 routines performed at NCAA Championships. Here is a little more information about next season’s returning lineup:
- Although it appears nine routines need to be replaced, the Beavers competed at nationals without Kaytianna McMillan (knee) and Jamie Radermacher (back) who accounted for five routines at regionals.
- Among the returners are Erika Aufiero (bars) and Madeline Gardiner (beam), both of whom qualified to Individual Event Finals.
- Gardiner and McMillan both performed in the all-around at various times in 2015. Gardiner earned Pac-12 All-Conference First Team, while McMillan was an all-arounder three times.
- Sophomore transfer Silvia Colussi-Pelaez enjoyed what could be considered a breakout season in 2015 competing in all 13 meets and hitting all 18 routines. Colussi-Pelaez performed on the beam 10 times and bars eight times setting season-bests of 9.850 and 9.900 respectively. She could move toward the back end of both lineups moving forward.
- The late addition of junior transfer Risa Perez was a pleasant boost to the beam and floor lineups for the Beavers in 2015. Perez has one more season and will be expected to continue to post strong scores and delight the fans.
- Freshman Dani Dessaints, who battled injuries early in the season, finally made an impact late, especially during championship season. Dessaints scored 9.850 on vault and bars at NCAAs tying her career-high on vault and performing the first competitive bars routine of her career. Picking up in the fall where she left off will be a key for the Beavers in 2016.
- In addition to Dessaints on bars, sophomores Megan Jimenez and Taylor Ricci as well as Dessaints were thrust into unfamiliar roles at NCAAs due to injuries. Jimenez and Ricci each performed the first competitive floor routines of their careers and both performed well. Ricci scored 9.800 in the leadoff spot, while an out of bounds deduction cost Jimenez’s final tally. Both proved capable of making an impact on the apparatus.
- Ricci (vault & floor) and freshman Shireen Khamedoost (bars) will be seeking to become bigger factors in 2016.
OREGON STATE QUICK HITTERS
- Oregon State finished the season ranked No. 12. See page 3 for complete rankings.
- All four of OSU’s lineups were ranked among the top 25 in the nation. Vault ranked No. 13 (49.285 RQS); uneven bars ranked No. 14 (49.215); balance beam ranked No. 12 (49.145) and floor exercise was No. 7 (49.360).
- OSU’s floor team posted a 49.675 mark in a quad meet against San Jose State, Lindenwood and Seattle Pacific (Mar. 14), the second-highest floor score the Beavers have ever tallied. The school record of 49.700 was set against Stanford in 2004.
- Oregon State’s upperclassmen performed the majority of the routines with the seniors accounting for 36% (113 out of 314) in 2015. The juniors are providing 20% (64 of 314) while the sophomores are making up most of the rest with 39% (123 of 314) and the freshmen 4% (14 of 314).
- OSU ‘hit’ 95% (297 out of 314) of its routines in 13 meets. In comparison, the Beavers ‘hit’ 96% (264-274) in 2014.
- At Pac-12 Championships, Kaytianna McMillan scored a 9.90 on the vault for the first time in her career. Only a sophomore, she became the ninth gymnast (including current teammate Chelsea Tang) in Oregon State history to record a 9.90 on all four apparatus
- It isn’t new for the Beavers, but a quartet of walk-ons once again impacted the lineups in 2015. Taylor Keeker was in the vault and bars lineups in every meet this season. Keeker served as the anchor to the vault lineup for most of the last two seasons and also as the Beavers’ lead off on the bars. Katelyn Ohlrich was a regular on the balance beam for three seasons. Kailie Ponto finished the 2014 as an important part of the floor lineup but a knee injury early in 2015 ended her season early. Ponto’s injury opened the door for junior transfer Jamie Radermacher, who led off for the Beavers at Pac-12 Championships scoring 9.850. As a group 2015, the foursome ‘hit’ 41 out of 44 routines.
- OSU’s roster included three transfers: Silvia Colussi-Pelaez transferred from Florida in the spring, while Risa Perez and Radermacher arrived over the summer from Arizona State and Eastern Michigan respectively. The trio combines to produce five routines for the Beavers
- The Beavers had four captains in 2015 - seniors Taylor Keeker, Katelyn Ohlrich and Kailie Ponto as well as junior Erika Aufiero.
PAC-12 HONORS
- Five Oregon State gymnasts were part of the Pac-12’s All-Conference team when the awards were announced last month. OSU’s all-conference gymnasts are Erika Aufiero, Madeline Gardiner, Taylor Keeker, Kaytianna McMillan and Chelsea Tang ... Gardiner earned first team All-Pac-12 in the all-around, her second all-conference honor after receiving second team on balance beam in 2014. Tang also earned first team on the floor exercise. It is the third time Tang has been on the first team earning top honors in the all-around in 2014 and on the balance beam in 2013. Tang added second team honors on the beam this year as well. In addition, Aufiero (vault), Keeker (vault) and McMillan (floor) were all-conference second team recipients. It is the first such honor for Keeker and McMillan while Aufiero received second team honors on bars in 2013.
- Sophomore Madeline Gardiner was voted Gymnast of the Week for the week of March 9-15, the final week of the regular season. Gardiner led the Beavers to their second-highest team score of the season (197.075) and won the all-around tying her career-best score of 39.400 she had set just the previous week. She also won an event title on beam (9.850) and tied for third on the floor with a 9.925.
ALL-ACADEMIC
Ten Oregon State gymnasts were recognized for their diligence in the classroom when the Pac-12 All-Academic team was released last month. Madeline Gardiner, Taylor Keeker and Taylor Ricci received first team honors for the first time in any of their careers (Keeker has previously been a second team selection twice). Katelyn Ohlrich and Kailie Ponto garned academic second team accolades, the third such honor for Ohlrich and first for Ponto. Erika Aufiero, Megan Jimenez, Kaytianna McMillan, Chelsea Tang and Cerise Witherby were each honorable mention.
THREE MORE FOR 2013
In November, three gymnasts signed National Letters of Intent to join the Oregon State gymnastics program for the 2015-16 academic year. Mariana Colussi-Pelaez (Oakville, Ontario), Sabrina Gill (Oakville, Ontario) and McKenna Singley (Kaysville, Utah) are scheduled to enroll at OSU this coming summer ... Colussi-Pelaez is the younger sister of OSU sophomore gymnast Silvia Colussi-Pelaez. Interestingly, Mariana had given her verbal commitment to OSU prior to Silvia’s decision to transfer.
TANYA CHAPLIN QUICK HITTERS
- Tanya Chaplin set the Oregon State record for wins in the 2014 home opener with a 196.425-194.850 victory over Iowa State. Now in her 18th season Chaplin has 346 career wins including 281 regular season victories.
- Chaplin has led the Beavers to conference titles in twice, winning the 2011 Pac-10 title and the 2013 Pac-12 Championships.
- She has directed OSU to the NCAA Championships 11 times in her 18 seasons at the helm.
Seat deposits for new season tickets (2016) are available now at BeaverTickets.com. Current season ticket holders will receive their renewals during the fall.
