Feb. 21, 2014
Boise, Idaho - The San José State University women's gymnastics team made history at Boise State on Friday, becoming the first team in program history to earn three team scores higher than a 195.000 in a season, after earning a 195.550 in a dual against the Broncos.
The Broncos won the meet with a 196.200.
"This is the best team I've coached in my 13 years at San José State," head coach Wayne Wright said, after his team posted the sixth-highest team score in school history. One week earlier the Spartans scored a 195.725 at Sacramento State. On January 26 at UC Davis, San Jose State finished with a 195.400.
"Led by our incredible seniors who are a huge part of our success this year, these gymnasts are competing like champions week in and week out, and are just a joy to watch."
The Spartans got the meet started in a big way, on bars. Marissa Unpingco and Bekah Gher, who placed third on the apparatus last week at UC Davis, finished with matching team-high 9.825 scores. Cami Guyer earned a 9.775, while Cassandra Harrison and Alyssa Kaschak earned respective 9.750 and 9.725 scores. Rachel Heinl rounded out the rotation with a 9.650 en route to the team's 48.900 score, the seventh-best bars score in program history.
The team's consistency carried through to the second rotation, on vault. Gher, the Spartans' top vaulter with an average score of 9.807, earned a team-best 9.825 for second place in the meet. Both Kiana Gordon and Harrison scored a 9.750, while Alyssa Montalban earned a 9.725. Guyer performed a 9.700 vault and Julia Greer went 9.625 for a 48.750 vault score.
The upperclassmen led the way in the Spartans' strongest event this season, floor, on which the team has an average 48.807 score. Harrison scored a team-high 9.850 for third place, Greer earned her seventh-straight score of 9.825-or-higher this season with a 9.825, and Guyer matched her career-best 9.800. Gher added a 9.775, Montalban went 9.725 and Jasmine Holmes scored a 9.650 for a 48.975 score.
On beam, San José State continued to shine. Greer won her third beam title of the season with a 9.850. Gher, Guyer and Kaschak earned 9.775 scores, a career-high for Kaschak and season-best score for Guyer. Unpingco recorded a 9.750, while Harrison scored a 9.600 to contribute to the eighth-best beam score in program history, a 48.925.
In the all-around, Gher placed second with a 39.200 and Guyer's 39.050 was good enough for third. Harrison scored a 38.950.
Gher, who transferred from Boise State to San José State before the 2013 season, competed at Taco Bell Arena for the first time since becoming a Spartan. "I had mixed emotions going in, but I was also so excited to have a great meet, and we did just that," she said. "This is the strongest team I've ever been on and we seem to get stronger every meet. We're there for each other, feed off of each other, and our confidence is showing in our performances."
San José State's next opportunity for a strong showing is Friday, February 28, in a 7:00 p.m. dual against Southern Utah at home in The Event Center.
San Jose State University Women's Gymnastics
February 21, 2014
San Jose, Calif.
Final Scores - 1, Boise State (BSU), 196.200. 2, San José State (SJSU), 195.550.
Vault - 1, Ciera Perkins (BSU), 9.900. 2, Bekah Gher (SJSU), 9.825. 3, Kelsey Morris (BSU), 9.800. San José State scores - Kiana Gordon, Cassandra Harrison & Alyssa Montalban, 9.750. Cami Guyer, 9.700. Julia Greer, 9.625.
Uneven Bars - 1, Tie, Ciera Perkins (BSU) & Diana Mejia (BSU), 9.925. 3, Kelsey Morris (BSU). 9.850. San José State scores - Bekah Gher & Marissa Unpingco, 9.825. Cami Guyer, 9.775. Cassandra Harrison, 9.750. Alyssa Kaschak, 9.725. Rachel Heinl, 9.650.
Beam - 1, Julia Greer (SJSU), 9.850. 2, Kelsey Morris (BSU), 9.800. 3, Paige Urquhart (BSU), Cami Guyer (SJSU), Alyssa Kaschak & Bekah Gher (SJSU), 9.775. San José State scores - Marissa Unpingco (SJSU), 9.750. Cassandra Harrison, 9.600.
Floor Exercise - 1, Ciera Perkins (BSU), 9.900. 2, Kelsey Morris (BSU), 9.875. 3, Cassandra Harrison (SJSU), 9.850. San José State scores - Julia Greer, 9.825. Cami Guyer, 9.800. Bekah Gher, 9.775. Alyssa Montalban, 9.725. Jasmine Holmes, 9.650.
All-Around - 1, Kelsey Morris (BSU), 39.325. 2, Bekah Gher (SJSU), 39.200. 3, Cami Guyer (SJSU), 39.050. Alicia Asturias (CAL), 39. 275. San José State scores - Cassandra Harrison, 38.950.