The Beavers win with a 197.1. Michigan was the closest team, with a score of 196.375. The official recap from www.osubeavers.com:
CORVALLIS – The No. 8 Oregon State gymnastics team put on a dominant performance at the NCAA West Regional Championships at legendary Gill Coliseum Saturday night with a score of 197.100. The Beavers swept the individual awards as they scorched the competition and toppled top-seeded Michigan, which was ranked No. 5 in the nation entering the meet, as they brought home the regional championship title for the first time since 1992 and for the ninth time overall.
OSU record improves to 22-4 on the season and advance to the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Georgia, April 24-26 in Athens, Ga. Michigan, as the West Regionals’ runner-up, also advances to compete at Georgia.
The Beavers received important contributions from a variety of gymnasts with five gymnasts combining to earn five event titles; Yuki Lamb (vault), Jen Kesler (bars), Jami Lanz (beam and all-around) and Mandi Rodriguez and Tasha Smith (tied on floor).
“It ’ s phenomenal to be able to bring the West Regional title back to Oregon State University,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “This team has worked really hard. The teams before them helped us build to get to where we are at. It ’ s a really exciting time for our program to have this. ”
Beginning the first rotation on the uneven bars, Oregon State jumped to a fast start with one of its best bars sets of the season. Kera Bolen and Whitney Watson got the Beavers off to a solid start but it was Laura-Ann Chong’s stuck landing that first got the first roar from the crowd of 3,507 with a score of 9.85. Rodriguez followed with a 9.8 and Lanz nailed her routine to the tune of a 9.875. Then freshman Kesler hit handstand after handstand and drilled her landing to score a career-best 9.95, a score that stood up for the rest of the evening to secure an individual title.
The moved immediately the balance beam with a comfortable lead of over a half-point on Michigan State (Michigan and Sacramento State had first round byes). An uncharacteristic fall by lead-off performer Lamb was quickly swept aside as Kesler followed with a 9.8 to right the ship and get the Beavs moving in the right direction. Chong, Smith and Claire Pierce followed with back-to-back-to-back scores of 9.875 to set up Lanz, who entered the meet ranked first in the nation on the beam. Lanz deftly maneuvered her way back and forth across the apparatus and nailed her dismount bringing the crowd to its feet and a 9.95 to the scoreboard as OSU headed to its first bye of the night.
“ We talked about just digging down deep and finishing it after the first two rotations,” Chaplin said. “We obviously had a few falters, but I ’ m really proud of them. They dug down deep, were mentally tough and focused. That ’ s what it ’ s going to take. There are six people not just one of two on the team.”
Following the bye, OSU led second place Michigan by .450 with the Beavers moving to their favorite event … floor exercise. Once again, Kesler played a key role in getting her elder teammates settled into the event scoring 9.725 to set the tone for the rest of the lineup. Bolen and Lanz followed with excellent routines and scores of 9.825 and 9.85 respectively setting the stage for the “one-two punch” of Rodriguez and Smith. Rodriguez’s huge tumbling and elegant dance drew a score of 9.9 and chants from the crowd of “ten, ten, ten.” Then Smith, who achieved the elusive 10.0 earlier in the season, took the floor. Smith brought the raucous crowd back to its feet with her unique choreography and the massive height of her tumbling to earn the Beavs’ second straight 9.9 and even earned a 10.0 from one judge.
Oregon State finished its competition on the vault with Megan Devencenzi posting a score of 9.75 to get things started followed by Brooke Barclay’s 9.575. Seeking redemption for her earlier miscue, Lamb sprinted down the runway absolutely nailed her Yurchenko with a half-twist to score a meet-high 9.925 and match her career-best score. Lanz followed with one of her best vaults of the season to score 9.9. Smith and Rodriguez added scores of 9.825 and 9.9 to end the scoring for the Beavers.
With Michigan needing a score of 49.650 in its final rotation (vault), the Beavers waited to celebrate their victory through the sixth rotation on a bye.
Following the meet, longtime Oregon State assistant coach Dick Foxal was awarded the West Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
“Any award a coach gets is a reflection of the quality of athletes we work with,” said Foxal. “This team has been so great this year and to be part of it is an honor in itself. This is an example of how good these athletes have been this year and I’m sure these gymnasts will continue to add to their list of accomplishments.”
Notes: Tonight’s meet is the sixth time this season that OSU has swept first place in all four individual events and the all-around … This is the fifth time that Foxal has earned West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Team Scores: No. 8 Oregon State 197.100; No. 5 Michigan 196.375; No. 17 Michigan State 195.125; Washington 194.075, San Jose State 193.850; Sacramento State 193.575.
All-Around: 1. Jami Lanz (OSU) 39.575; 2. Lindsey Bruck (UM) 39.375; 3. Sarah Curtis (UM) 39.350.
Vault: 1. Yuki Lamb (OSU) 9.925; T2. Jami Lanz (OSU), Mandi Rodriguez (OSU), Rhiannon Banda-Scott (MSU), Ashley Houghting (UW) 9.900. Other OSU Scores (49.300): Tasha Smith 9.825; Megan Devencenzi 9.750; Brooke Barclay 9.575.
Bars: 1. Jen Kesler (OSU); 2. Jami Lanz (OSU) 9.875; T3. Laura-Ann Chong (OSU), Sarah Curtis (UM), Nikki Waiss (UW), Lida Gehlen (UCD) 9.850. Other OSU Scores (49.225): Mandi Rodriguez 9.800; Whitney Watson 9.750; Kera Bolen 9.675.
Beam: 1. Jami Lanz (OSU) 9.950; T2. Lindsey Bruck (UM), Kelsey Morley (MSU) 9.900. Other OSU Scores (49.375): Laura-Ann Chong 9.875; Claire Pierce 9.875; Tasha Smith 9.875; Jen Kesler 9.800; Yuki Lamb 9.075.
Floor: T1. Mandi Rodriguez (OSU), Tasha Smith (OSU) 9.900; T3. Sarah Curtis (UM), Lindsey Bruck (UM), Kylee Botterman (UM), Rochelle Robinson (MSU) 9.875. Other OSU Scores (49.200): Jami Lanz 9.850; Kera Bolen 9.825; Jen Kesler 9.725; Laura-Ann Chong 9.175.
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