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Life > Athletics > Gymnastics > 4/17/08
SEASON-HIGH SCORE PUTS PIONEERS IN USAG TEAM FINALS
Meet Results
 SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (April 17) – The Texas Woman’s University Pioneers delivered one of their best performances of the year on Thursday night, scoring a season-high 194.375 to win the second team semifinal session at the 2008 USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships at The Gold Dome in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The victory advanced the Pioneers into Friday night’s 7:00 p.m. team finals and puts them in position to win the ninth USAG team title in the history of the program. TWU will be joined in the finals by Centenary College, Towson University, and Cornell University. Centenary, the host school of the championships, scored a 192.400 to place second behind the Pioneers on Thursday night while Towson (193.200) and Cornell (192.150) finished one-two in the afternoon semifinal session.
The Pioneers started the meet strong, posting a team score of 48.325 on balance beam. Senior Courtney Arno-Templet led TWU on the event, scoring a 9.875 to match her second-highest score of the year on the apparatus. Junior Tonya Pipkorn (a season-high tying 9.775) and freshman Lauren Sizemore (9.700) also had impressive beam scores for TWU.
TWU maintained their momentum on their next event of the night, floor exercise. All six of the Pioneer floor workers scored a 9.700 or higher to push the TWU team floor score all the way up to a season-high 48.950. Junior Amie Boles had the best mark of 9.850. Pipkorn (pictured) tallied and freshman Mollie Blessing had duplicate scores of 9.800.
“That was the turning point of the meet,” said TWU head coach Frank Kudlac. “Our floor team just nailed it tonight. They have been a little shaky all year, so it was good to see them put it all together when it mattered most.”
Buoyed by their success on floor, TWU went six-for-six on their next event, vault. Senior Nicole Poling (9.825) and junior Brittany Parker (9.800) were the Pioneers’ top vaulters. Blessing (9.750) and another freshman, Jennifer Liberato (9.725) were nearly as good as Poling and Parker.
TWU closed the competition on bars. Arno-Templet lived up her to advance billing as the best bar worker in the USAG by scoring a meet-best 9.875. A pair of freshmen, Amanda Walker (9.775), and Liberato (9.650) followed Arno-Templet’s lead with strong bar sets of their own.
“We weren’t perfect tonight,” said Kudlac, “but we were definitely as good or better than we’ve been for the majority of the season. Our mindset was the key. We relaxed and just focused on having fun. As a result, we now have a chance to win another national championship.”
Seven TWU gymnasts finished in the top five of the their respective individual event on Thursday night an earned a berth in Saturday afternoon’s individual event finals. Blessing, Parker, and Poling will shoot for a national title on vault. Walker and Arno-Templet will try to bring home medals on bars. Arno-Templet and Pipkorn will compete for the top spot on beam. Blessing, Pipkorn, and Boles will shoot for a victory on floor exercise.
TWU Team Event Scores (listed in order of competition):
Beam: 48.325
Floor: 48.950
Vault: 48.700
Bars: 48.400
TWU Individual Gymnast Scores (listed in order of competition):
Beam: Amy Hulbert, 9.625; Brittany Parker, 9.225; Tonya Pipkorn 9.775; Lauren Sizemore, 9.700; Kristie Costa, 9.350; Courtney Arno-Templet, 9.875.
Floor: Amy Hulbert, 9.725; Jennifer Liberato, 9.725; Mollie Blessing, 9.800 (T-season high); Nicole Poling, 9.775; Tonya Pipkorn, 9.800; Amie Boles, 9.850.
Vault: Amy Hulbert, 9.600; Amie Boles, 9.600; Jennifer Liberato, 9.725; Mollie Blessing, 9.750; Brittany Parker, 9.800; Nicole Poling, 9.825.
Bars: Jennifer Kingsbury, 9.625; Keri Miller, 9.475; Brista Michael, 9.250; Jennifer Liberato, 9.650; Amanda Walker, 9.775; Courtney Arno-Templet, 9.875.
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