DAVIS, Calif. -- Taking the floor for its first meet in nearly two years, the UC Davis women's gymnastics team came out of the gate strong on Sunday afternoon, scoring a 194.625 to finish second in a three-way meet with Michigan State and Sacramento State in the season opener for all three squads at the University Credit Union Center in Davis, Calif.

The Spartans took home top team honors with a 195.875, followed by the Aggies in second and the Hornets in third with a 190.825. UC Davis' scored was its highest in a home opener since meet-by-meet records are available beginning with the 1998 season, its highest since posting a 194.875 in a dual with Sacramento State in the final meet before the pandemic shut things down in March of 2020, and its highest in a home meet since posting a 194.850 in a quad meet with Washington, Illinois, and Yale, on March 15, 2019.

After opening with a 48.925 on vault and a 47.600 on bars, a large part of the Aggies success came on beam on Sunday afternoon as they tied the school record with a 49.250, matching the mark set against Air Force on March 2, 2018.

No UC Davis competitor scored lower than a 9.70 on the apparatus as freshman Megan Ray and senior Kyla Kessler tied for the top spot with a 9.90 -- both setting personal bests in the process. Sophomore Kaitlyn Lyle scored a 9.85, while sophomore Emma Otsu and freshman Ava Scafani finished with identical 9.80's as UC Davis edged the Spartans' 49.200 for the top team score in the event.

Otsu and Ray continued their stellar debuts on floor, finishing second and third with scores of 9.85 and 9.825, respectively, helping the Aggies to a 48.850 as a team. 

Kessler, who finished third in the all-around with a 49.050, tied for team high honors on vault alongside Ray with a 9.825 -- good for a tie for fourth at the end of the day -- while junior Logan Clagg's 9.675 took home top team honors on bars, placing her fifth overall for the meet.

Michigan State finished 1-2 in the all-around with Delanie Harkness scored a 39.175, followed by teammate Skyla Schulte and her 39.125. Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen took home individual honors on vault with a 9.875, while Harkness added a bars title with a score of 9.90. Giana Kalefe and Baleigh Garcia joined Ray and Kessler atop the beam podium, while Ashley Hofelich won the floor with a score of 9.875.

UC Davis remains at home next week as Sacramento State makes a return trip across the Causeway for a dual meet at the University Credit Union Center. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

TEAM SCORES - 1. Michigan State, 195.875; 2. UC Davis, 194.625; 3. Sacramento State, 190.825.

VAULT - 1 (tie). Skyla Schulte, Michigan State; Gabrielle Stephen, Michigan State, 9.875; 3. Emma Morgenthaler, Sacramento State, 9.850.

BARS - 1. Delanie Harkness, Michigan State, 9.90; 2. Jori Jackard, Michigan State, 9.775; 3. Amber Koeth, Sacramento State, 9.725.

BEAM - 1 (tie). Megan Ray, UC Davis; Kyla Kessler, UC Davis; Giana Kalefe, Michigan State; Baleigh Garcia, Michigan State, 9.90.

FLOOR - 1. Ashley Hofelich, Michigan State, 9.875; 2. Emma Otsu, UC Davis, 9.85; 3 (tie). Megan Ray, UC Davis; Skyla Schulte, Michigan State, 9.825.

ALL-AROUND - 1. Delanie Harkness, Michigan State, 39.175; 2. Skyla Schulte, Michigan State, 39.125; 3. Kyla Kessler, UC Davis, 39.050.
 

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