Ladies On Road This Weekend For Pair Of Meets At Alaska Anchorage
The Centenary gymnastics team has made the long-distance trip to the nation’s 49th state to face the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves this weekend for a pair of non-conference meets on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Anchorage, Alaska – The Centenary gymnastics team has made the long-distance trip to the nation's 49th state to face the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves this weekend for a pair of non-conference meets on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center.
LIVE VIDEO: Free at youtube.com/c/UAASeawolves
LIVE SCORING: Links TBA ... check the schedule page at GoSeawolves.com on meet days.
The Ladies (0-3) are on the road for the second meet in a row after a second-place finish on Jan. 30 at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. Centenary, currently ranked 71st in the country in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, is the sixth-highest ranked division III school in the nation. Alaska Anchorage (0-8) is making its home debut this weekend.
Centenary finished with a 186.575 team score in its last meet while the host Pioneers of TWU earned a 191.575. This weekend's meets in Alaska will be the Ladies' fourth and fifth meets of the season and third and fourth on the road after opening their campaign at No. 5 LSU on Jan. 7 in Baton Rouge in which they recorded a team score of 185.650. The Ladies have hosted one home meet this season on Jan. 23 when they earned a runner-up finish to the Falcons, ranked 52nd, earning a season-high 187.650 team score.
Centenary earned its highest individual event score on beam in the Jan. 30 meet at TWU with a season-high score (47.875), which was followed by a 47.50 on vault, a season-high 45.675 on floor, and a 45.52 on bars. Freshman Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.) won the all-around competition for the first time in her young career as she earned a season and career-high 37.850. Senior All-American Kendall Sanders (Spring Branch, Texas) finished second in the AA with a 37.80. Lavelle earned a 9.775 on beam, a season-best 9.70 on floor, a 9.40 on vault, and an 8.975 on bars. Sanders' top score was a 9.60 on beam, followed by a 9.525 on vault, a 9.375 on floor, and finally a 9.30 on bars.
Junior Leilani Johnson (Wichita, Kan.) earned a 9.625 on vault, the Ladies' best score in the event, Sanders was second with her 9.525, junior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.) scored a career-high 9.50. Junior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas) earned a 9.45, Lavelle finished with a 9.40 and sophomore Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas) earned a 9.250.
Junior All-American Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) had the Ladies' top score on bars with a 9.55 followed by Sanders' 9.30 and a 9.225 from senior All-American Xian Baumgartner (Albuquerque, N.M.). Lavelle was next with an 8.975, senior Kendall Knaps (Prairieville, La.) scored a season-high 8.475, and junior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.) earned an 8.15.
Lavelle led the way on beam with her 9.775 and Sanders was right behind her with a 9.60. Baumgartner and sophomore Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.) each scored a 9.525 as Molina recorded a season high. Freshman Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.) scored a 9.45 and Deshler an 8.825. Lavelle's 9.70 on floor led the way in the event followed by a 9.375 from Sanders, a 9.35 from Huff, an 8.80 from Johnson, an 8.45 from Deshler, and a 7.75 from Wedge.
Six Ladies - Huff, Johnson, Lavelle, Plaza, Sanders, and Wedge have competed on vault this season with Sanders' 9.80 being the top score of the season in the event. Eight Ladies (freshman Chloe Armentor (Harvey, La.), Baumgartner, Deshler, Huff, Knaps, Lavelle, Sanders, and Wilson) have competed on bars with the top score of the season being a 9.70 by Wilson.
Six Ladies (Baumgartner, Deshler, Lavelle, Martinez, Molina, and Sanders) have competed on beam topped by Lavelle's 9.775. Eight Ladies have made an appearance on floor (Baumgartner, Deshler, Huff, Johnson, Lavelle, Martinez, Sanders, and Wedge) with Lavelle's 9.70 being the top mark for the season.
Sanders is currently Centenary's top-rated gymnast as she ranks 127th in the country while Lavelle checks in at number 134. Sanders' average AA score this season is a 37.867 and her high score is a 38.050 while Lavelle's average is 37.442 and high is 37.850. The individual rankings are among division I, II, and III gymnasts.
The Ladies and Seawolves are familiar with each other, despite the distance between them. Centenary lead the overall series with Alaska Anchorage 10-9 and is 6-5 all-time in Anchorage. The Seawolves won the most recent meeting between the two, on Feb. 11, 2018 in Shreveport by a score of 189.050-188.750. UAA, though, has won eight in a row dating back to 2013. The Ladies claimed the first seven meetings in the series history between 1992-2013. The Seawolves lead 4-0 at the Alaska Airlines Center, winning twice in both 2013 and 2015.
Centenary remains on the road for a pair of meets at the end of the month as the Maroon and White are set to face host University of New Hampshire and Long Island University in a tri-meet on Feb. 25 in Durham, N.H. and then complete the weekend against Springfield College, Rhode Island College, and Southern Connecticut State in a quad meet on Feb. 27 in Springfield, Mass.
See the Ladies' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/gymnastics/2021-22/schedule
Live stats and live video are available for all home meets.
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
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