Gardiner Extends Season with Event Finals Berth

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Three Oregon State gymnasts performed as individual qualifiers at the NCAA Championships Friday afternoon, but it was freshman Madeline Gardiner that ensured the Beavers will be represented on the final day of the 2014 gymnastics season. Gardiner’s performance on the balance beam earned her a spot in Sunday’s Individual Event Finals. In addition, Gardiner earned first team All-America status on the balance beam and in the all-around.

“Today was a good day,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “These three ladies had a strong day of competition and gained a ton of extremely valuable experience. These three women will use this experience as our team prepares for the 2015 season. I am really proud of all three.”

Gardiner, who didn’t join OSU’s all-around lineup until midseason, scored 39.225 to tie for fourth in the afternoon session earning first team All-American honors. The freshman from Cambridge, Ontario, used scores of 9.90 on the balance beam, 9.80 on the vault and uneven bars and a 9.725 on the floor exercise to achieve the high status. Gardiner’s beautiful beam routine tied for second in the session and advanced her to Individual Event Finals on Sunday. As a rookie in 2014, she garnered All-Pac-12 Second Team honors on the beam and was also named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Week for the week of Feb. 10-16 and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the week of Mar. 3-9. She qualified to the NCAA Championships following a fourth-place all-around finish at the NCAA University Park Regional.

Tang, a junior from Eugene, Ore., scored 38.900 in the all-around including scores a 9.80 on the bars and beam, a 9.750 on the vault and 9.550 on the floor exercise. Tang established herself in the all-around lineup last season and has been one of the most consistent gymnasts throughout her time at OSU. In 2014, she scored career-bests of 9.90 on the bars and floor becoming the either gymnast in OSU history to record a 9.90 on all four events in her career. The All-Pac-12 First Teamer in the all-around qualified to the NCAA Championships as the second place all-arounder at the NCAA University Park Regional.

McMillan performed a fantastic routine on the balance beam to score 9.850. The freshman from Coburg, Ore. had her season hi-jacked by a series of injuries but returned to the bars and beam lineups late in the season. She scored a 9.85 on the beam to tie for the event title at the NCAA University Park Regional to qualify to this weekend’s NCAA Championships.

“I’m happy for Maddie. It was fun to watch her come running off the podium  and exclaim ‘that was good,’ and to see that performance earn her first team All-America honors on beam and in the all-around was awesome. Kaytianna did a great job as well. Warming up before the meet and then having to sit for nearly two hours waiting to do one routine and getting out there performing the way she did was phenomenal. That’s not easy to do. Chelsea fought hard all day on a day things didn't come as easy. I’ve never seen her get her toe stuck on the beam and it’s hard to bounce back when your routine is disrupted. But she did and she fought hard all day.”

Gardiner competes again Sunday, April 20 at 12 p.m. PT in the NCAA Championships Individual Event Finals. The meet will stream live on ESPN3.com.

Team Scores: 1. Oklahoma 197.500; 2. Georgia 197.300 ; 3. LSU 197.100; 4. Stanford 196.600; 5. Michigan 196.425; 6. Illinois 195.800.

OSU All-Around Scores: Madeline Gardiner 39.225; Chelsea Tang 38.900.

OSU Vault Scores: Madeline Gardiner 9.800; Chelsea Tang 9.775.

OSU Uneven Bars Scores: Chelsea Tang 9.800; Madeline Gardiner 9.800.

OSU Balance Beam Scores: Madeline Gardiner 9.900; Kaytianna McMillan 9.850; Chelsea Tang 9.800.

OSU Floor Exercise Scores: Madeline Gardiner 9.725; Chelsea Tang 9.550.