Jan. 10, 2016 Complete Results
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sophomore Alexis Brown finished second on balance beam with a 9.825 while tying for sixth on uneven bars at 9.775, highlighting UC Davis' team total of 192.700 in the NorCal Classic women's collegiate gymnastics meet at the Event Center at San Jose State Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies finished fourth in the meet, ahead of the host Spartans' 191.800. California won the overall team competition with a 195.575, Stanford finished second at 194.800 and Sacramento State followed closely in third with a 194.325 total.
Brown led UC Davis in each of her two events, enjoying the best overall two-event program for the Aggies. Freshmen Kara Jones and Yasmine Yektaparast made strong collegiate debuts with their three-event performances. Jones scored 9.750 on vault, 9.500 on beam and 9.700 on floor. Yektaparast went 9.700, 9.550 and 9.700 in those same events, respectively. Both rookies are alumnae of Edge Gymnastics.
Stanford's Elizabeth Price won or tied all four events plus the all-around. She scored 9.900s on both bars and floor and a 9.850 on beam to win those outright, while her 9.850 tied Cal's Toni-Ann Williams for the vault medal. Price totaled 39.500 in to claim the all-around title by more than a half-point.
UC Davis opened with a 48.500 on floor exercise, with sophomore Amanda Presswood leading the way with her 9.775. The freshman tandem of Jones and Yektaparast each added 9.700 scores in that opening rotation. Presswood's score tied her previous road high, coincidentally set at the SJSU Event Center in a dual meet last February 20. The Aggies then compiled a 48.475 on vault, thanks to Jones' 9.750 and junior Katy Nogaki's 9.775 in the final two routines. UC Davis was tied with Stanford with a 96.975, while Cal led the meet at 97.475 through the first two rotations.
However, the bars squad struggled to a 47.450 coming out of the bye in the fourth rotation. Junior Yonni Michovska turned in a 9.750 performance in the fourth spot in the order, then Brown notched a 9.775 in the anchor position. Sophomore Jordan Helgesen made her first lineup appearance in almost a year, crafting a 9.625 overall. The three missed routines dipped the Aggies to 144.425 through three events, more than a point behind Stanford and Sacramento State for the team race. The Hornets and Cardinal were tied for second with 145.650 while Cal had wrapped up its day with the winning 195.575 total.
UC Davis recovered to a 48.275 on beam to close out the meet. Brown notched a team-leading 9.825 in the fifth slot while senior co-captain Stephanie Stamates turned in the final routine of the meet with her 9.750. Sophomore Rachel Kreager, competing in her first meet back after sitting out 2015 due to injury, contributed a 9.650.
The 192.700 total marks the Aggies' third-highest season opener in program history, following only the 194.350 and 193.450 set in the two previous NorCal meets.
UC Davis enters a short week of practice before hosting Seattle Pacific and Boise State for its 2016 home opener on Friday. Meet time is 7 p.m. at the Pavilion.
2016 NORCAL CLASSIC WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS MEET
January 10, 2016
Event Center at San Jose State University
TEAM SCORES - 1. California, 195.575; 2. Stanford, 194.800; 3. Sacramento State, 194.325; 4. UC Davis, 192.700; 5. San Jose State, 191.800.
VAULT - 1 (tie). Elizabeth Price, Stanford; Toni-Ann Williams, Cal, 9.850; 3 (tie). Nikki McNair, Stanford; Kalliah McCartney, Sac State; Serena Leong, Cal; Arianna Robinson, Cal, 9.800.
UNEVEN BARS - 1. Elizabeth Price, Stanford, 9.900; 2. Nikki McNair, Stanford, 9.875; 3 (tie). Taylor Rice, Stanford; Ivana Hong, Stanford, 9.850.
BALANCE BEAM - 1. Elizabeth Price, Stanford, 9.850; 2. Alexis Brown, UC Davis, 9.825; 3 (tie). Nikki McNair, Stanford; Jessica Howe, Cal, 9.800.
FLOOR EXERCISE - 1. Elizabeth Price, Stanford, 9.900; 2 (tie). Lauren Rice, Sac State; Jessica Howe, Cal, 9.875.
ALL-AROUND - 1. Elizabeth Price, Stanford, 39.500; 2. Lauren Rice, Sac State, 38.950; 3. Taylor Rice, Stanford, 38.350.
