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PIONEERS IN TEAM FINALS WITH FOURTH PLACE FINISH
ITHACA , N.Y. – In the team semifinals at the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships Texas Woman’s University squeaked into the team finals with a 190.450 putting them in fourth place.
“Well we kept our tradition of making the team finals since 1991,” head coach Frank Kudlac said. “We dug a deep hole on beam and didn’t have a great meet. We came through on the bars, our strongest event over the last month, to put us over the top. Everyone stepped up and Courtney won the event. We have new life and need to give our best effort tomorrow to bring home number eight.”
The Pioneers finished behind UC-Davis (193.550), Seattle Pacific (191.550) and Rutgers (191.275) in a low scoring meet. Individually, TWU had five gymnasts, Jessica Brozovich (vault), Courtney Arno (uneven bars and balance beam), Brisa Fuentes (bars), Brittany Abney (floor exercise) and Thecla Gavin (floor) place in the top eight to qualify for the finals on Saturday and earn USAG All-American status.
The Pioneers started on the balance beam, an event which they have struggled on all season long. After three falls, two of which counted, TWU was in eighth place after one event. Arno led the beam team with a 9.700 good for a tie for seventh place. Jennifer Bolli (9.475), Lauren Zufall (9.200), Catherine Rodriguez-Schnoes (8.975) and Rachel Goddard (8.975) each contributed to the team score of 46.325 as well.
Next, TWU performed on the floor exercise posting a score of 48.275 moving them up to sixth place. Abney paced the team and won the event with a 9.85 mark followed by Gavin who tied for second place (9.825), Fuentes (9.650), Goddard (9.575) and Addi Hundley-Ledford (9.375).
On the vault two dire landings including a fall hurt the Pioneers. TWU was ranked first in the USAG standings but recorded a season-low 47.350 to remain in sixth place. Brozovich posted the Pioneers highest mark with a 9.650 to tie for sixth place. Nicole Poling (9.575), Nakia Westbrook (9.550), Rodriguez-Schnoes (9.325) and Fuentes (9.250) combined with Brozovich for the overall team score.
Needing to move up two places to earn a spot in the team finals, TWU headed to the bars. Bolli started the rotation with a 9.5 as the Pioneers began to mount a comeback. After that, Erin MacNabb dropped from the low bar because of a torn grip and was allowed to compete again at the end of the rotation because of the equipment failure. Fuentes stepped up next and stuck her landing for a 9.800 mark earning a four-way tie for second place. After Bethany Rehm (9.625) and Dana Giametta (9.575) competed, Arno continued her season long dominance of the bars with a score of 9.875 for first place accolades. MacNabb returned to the bars with new grips and added a 9.625. On one of their strongest events all year, TWU tallied a 48.500 overall score to move up two places and into the team finals.
The Pioneers return to Newman Arena on the campus of Cornell University tomorrow to compete for their eighth national title beginning at 7:00 p.m. After a random draw following the semifinals, TWU will compete in Olympic order; vault, bars, beam and floor, in the finals.
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Photo: Stew Milne
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