Arkansas opens season with win
Gymnastics
Nic Schluterman
Issue date: 1/12/09 Section: Sports
The No. 12 Arkansas gymnastics team began its seventh year with a 195.775-194.625 home win over No. 21 Ohio State on Friday night.
The score was the best to open a season in school history, and was the fourth highest total recorded in the nation over the weekend.
Razorback junior Casey Jo Magee won her fifth career all-around title with a total score of 39.300 in four events, including a 9.875 on the balance beam.
Magee took the top event honors on the beam, floor, and uneven bars.
Arkansas junior Michelle Stout won the only event that Magee did not, earning a 9.85 on the vault.
"I thought it was a great beginning for the team," said Magee. "We are at an exciting point."
Arkansas swept the all-around individual podium, with Stout taking second and another junior, Sarah Nagashima, finishing third.
"Sarah is really the driving force for us in the gym, and she is so consistent, and we are excited that she is stepping up and being one of the people we are counting on," said Arkansas co-head coach Rene Cook.
The Razorback gymnasts suffered a shaky start on the traditionally generous vault. A series of bounced landings yielded a team score of 48.675, which was only the team's second sub-49 mark on the apparatus in the last 14 meets. The Buckeyes, after dropping a fall on the uneven bars from their score, held a narrow 0.075-point lead after the first rotation.
Arkansas took control of the meet in the second rotation with a score of 49.075 on the uneven bars. The Razorbacks failed to count a score of lower than 9.80 in the event.
The home squad turned in another solid performance on the balance beam, missing a score of 49 by the slimmest possible margin. Freshman Jaime Pisani committed the only misstep for Arkansas on the night, but her fall and resulting 9.20 score did not count against the team's total. Sophomore Stacy Bartlett made her only appearance of the meet and contributed a 9.80 on the beam to Arkansas' column.
The score was the best to open a season in school history, and was the fourth highest total recorded in the nation over the weekend.
Razorback junior Casey Jo Magee won her fifth career all-around title with a total score of 39.300 in four events, including a 9.875 on the balance beam.
Magee took the top event honors on the beam, floor, and uneven bars.
Arkansas junior Michelle Stout won the only event that Magee did not, earning a 9.85 on the vault.
"I thought it was a great beginning for the team," said Magee. "We are at an exciting point."
Arkansas swept the all-around individual podium, with Stout taking second and another junior, Sarah Nagashima, finishing third.
"Sarah is really the driving force for us in the gym, and she is so consistent, and we are excited that she is stepping up and being one of the people we are counting on," said Arkansas co-head coach Rene Cook.
The Razorback gymnasts suffered a shaky start on the traditionally generous vault. A series of bounced landings yielded a team score of 48.675, which was only the team's second sub-49 mark on the apparatus in the last 14 meets. The Buckeyes, after dropping a fall on the uneven bars from their score, held a narrow 0.075-point lead after the first rotation.
Arkansas took control of the meet in the second rotation with a score of 49.075 on the uneven bars. The Razorbacks failed to count a score of lower than 9.80 in the event.
The home squad turned in another solid performance on the balance beam, missing a score of 49 by the slimmest possible margin. Freshman Jaime Pisani committed the only misstep for Arkansas on the night, but her fall and resulting 9.20 score did not count against the team's total. Sophomore Stacy Bartlett made her only appearance of the meet and contributed a 9.80 on the beam to Arkansas' column.
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