DAVIS, Calif. -- Sophomore
Kelley Hebert tied her own school record of 9.950 on floor exercise en route to the individual all-around title, as UC Davis women's gymnastics hosted its home finale at the Pavilion Friday night. The Aggies finished third in the four-team meet with a 194.850 team total.
No. 17 Washington pulled away with a winning 196.975 score while Illinois notched a second-place 195.600, marking season highs for each team. Yale placed fourth in the meet at 194.725.
Hebert hit a 9.950 on floor exercise in the meet's final rotation, matching the school record she already shared with Stephanie Stamates (2015), Tiffany Chan (2004), Poppy Major (2001) and Flora Bare (2001). The human development major from Dublin recorded that same score twice as a freshman in 2018. Hebert's score also ties the No. 3 floor score in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation history.
Prior to her floor mark, Hebert stuck a 9.900 on balance beam to finish third in that event. Her 39.225 outdueled Illinois' Mary Jane Otto's 39.125, while fellow Aggie second-year
Gabby Landess finished third with a 39.050 total.
UC Davis overcame a relatively slow start, opening with a 48.400 on vault then counting a fall toward a 48.200 on uneven bars for a 96.600 at the meet's midway point. The bars rotation did have its share of Aggie highlights, however, with
Cortney Cunningham (9.700),
Alyssa Ito (9.825) and Landess (9.850) recording career-high marks.
UC Davis recovered in the third rotation with its sixth 49-plus beam score of the 2019 season. Senior
Aya Suzuki led off the event with a 9.775, Ito scored a 9.800 in the No. 3 slot of the order, then Hebert and Landess finished the rotation with scores of 9.900 and 9.850, respectively.
The Aggies carried their momentum into floor exercise. Senior
Roxanna Agah led off with a 9.775. Freshman
Shannon Sklow, who earned a lineup spot with her debut of 9.850 in exhibition last weekend, scored a 9.800 in the third spot. Landess hit a 9.850 and senior
Yasmine Yektaparast added a 9.825, setting the table for Hebert's school-record performance. As a team, UC Davis compiled a 49.200, marking an MPSF season high and missing the school's all-time top 10 by a .050 margin.
For her part, Hebert has now scored 9.9 or better on floor in five straight meets, and eight times in her young career. Her beam score on Friday marks her third career at 9.9 or higher, a list that includes her share of the school-record 9.925.
Washington's Madison Copiak posted outright wins on vault (9.875) and uneven bars (9.975) while tying teammate Malory Rose for the meet title on beam (9.950).
As the final home meet of the year, Friday's quadrangular also provided a tribute for seniors Agah, Suzuki, Yektaparast and
Kara Jones. The Aggies will break for final examinations, then return to action at the MPSF Championships, hosted by Seattle Pacific on March 23.
TEAM SCORES - 1. Washington, 196.975; 2. Illinois, 195.600; 3. UC Davis, 194.850; 4. Yale, 194.725.
VAULT - 1. Madison Copiak, UW, 9.875; 2. Kasey Meeks, Illinois, 9.850; 3 (tie). Mary Jane Otto, Illinois; Geneva Thompson, UW, 9.825.
UNEVEN BARS - 1. Madison Copiak, UW, 9.975; 2. Jessica Wang, Yale, 9.925; 3 (tie). Mary Jane Otto, Illinois; Michaela Nelson, UW; Maya Washington, UW; Monica Riley, UW; Geneva Thompson, UW, 9.900.
BALANCE BEAM - 1 (tie). Malory Rose, UW; Madison Copiak, UW, 9.925; 3.
Kelley Hebert, UC Davis, 9.900.
FLOOR EXERCISE - 1.
Kelley Hebert, UC Davis, 9.950; 2 (tie). Kylie Noonan, Illinois; Kristyn Hoffa, UW, 9.900.
ALL-AROUND - 1.
Kelley Hebert, UC Davis, 39.225; 2. Mary Jane Otto, Illinois, 39.125; 3.
Gabby Landess, UC Davis, 39.050.
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
