March 15, 2016

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis gymnastics senior co-captain Stephanie Stamates and freshman Yasmine Yektaparast respectively won Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Specialist of the Week and Newcomer of the Week for the period ending March 13, the league office announced on Tuesday. This is the third time the pair won these two awards together, joining honors won on February 2 and March 1.

Stamates, an alumna of San Ramon Valley High and the California Gymnastics Academy, extended her MPSF record to nine Specialist of the Week nods. She tied her balance beam career high of 9.875 in Friday's triangular with No. 14 California and rival Sacramento State, then added a team-high 9.900 on floor exercise. That makes the 52nd and 53rd times Stamates has scored 9.8 or better in an event, and the sixth time she has cracked the 9.9 barrier.

Yektaparast, who arrived at UC Davis by way of Edge Gymnastics and St. Vincent de Paul High, tallied a 9.650 on vault, a 9.775 on balance beam and a 9.850 on floor exercise in Friday's tri-meet. This is the fourth time in the 10 total weeks of the 2016 season that the Aggie freshman has been noted as the league's top rookie of the week.

Both Stamates and Yektaparast helped contribute to a meet full of all-time top 10 performances. Overall, the Aggies amassed a 196.025, marking only the third time in school history and the fourth time in conference annals that a team broke the 196-point threshold. The beam total of 49.125 is tied for third in UC Davis history, while he 49.200 total on floor ranks eighth. The uneven bars squad (the only event that does not include either honoree) also cracked the school top 10 list with a 48.950, tied for seventh.

UC Davis returns to action at the MPSF Championships, hosted by Sacramento State on Saturday. Meet time is 6 p.m. The Aggies have won six team titles: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.