Second-Half Surge Leads to Oregon State Victory At Washington
SEATTLE - The Oregon State gymnastics team came back in the second half to win, 195.250-194.050, at Washington, Monday afternoon.
Despite a first-half dip, the Beavers earned the win on three events - vault, beam, and floor. For the second time this season, the beam lineup scored over 49 points, beating their previous season-best with a 49.200 score.
Not only did the team win three events, but Oregon State also saw three individual titles. Lacy Dagen returned from an injury to win the vault in her first competition in 2021. Kaitlyn Yanish (floor) and Madi Dagen (beam) combined for their fourth individual title in their respective events.
The Beavers opened the meet on the bars. M. Dagen started the competition off right with a 9.750, a personal record for the junior. Jane Poniewaz injured her knee on her dismount but still completed the routine for a 9.725. Kayla Bird followed for the team-best with a 9.775.
Behind by three-quarters of a point, Oregon State headed to the vault. With Poniewaz out from her injury, Bird led the vault lineup with a 9.750. The highlight of the second rotation came from L. Dagen as she earned a 9.850, upon returning from an injury, to earn the event title.
Closing the gap a bit, the Beavers headed into the second half of the meet looking for a win. The third rotation opened with Niya Mack matching her personal best with a 9.850. The rest of the floor lineup showed up as the lowest counted score was a 9.800.
Now in the lead, Oregon State found its way to the beam. The beam lineup fed off the success of the floor team, earning the season's best score on the beam, a 49.200. Bird, once again subbing in for Poniewaz, earned a career-best with a 9.800, while Jenna Domingo returned from an injury for her 9.850. M. Dagen closed the meet with a strong 9.875.
Both M. Dagen and Bird competed in all four events, earning an all-around score. Bird finished second overall with a 39.050 personal record while M. Dagen, also finishing with a career-best, followed close behind with a 39.000. The all-around competition was very close with Washington's Geneva Thompson scoring a 39.100, making the difference between the top-three scores just 0.100.
The Beavers' next meet against Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 13 has been canceled. Oregon State will continue its competition schedule as it hosts California on February 21 (Sunday) at 2 p.m.
Team Scores:
Oregon State 195.250; Washington 194.050
Vault: 48.900 (OSU); 48.650 (UW)
Bars: 48.650 (UW); 47.800 (UW)
Beam: 49.200 (OSU); 47.875 (UW)
Floor: 49.250 (OSU); 48.875 (UW)
Individual Scores:
All-Around: 1. Geneva Thompson (UW) 39.100; 2. Kayla Bird (OSU) 39.050; 3. Madi Dagen (OSU) 39.000.
Vault: 1. Lacy Dagen (OSU) 9.850; T2. Kaitlyn Yanish (OSU), Amara Cunningham (UW) 9.825. Other OSU Scores: Kristina Peterson 9.800, Kayla Bird 9.750, Sydney Gonzales 9.675, Madi Dagen 9.500.
Bars: 1. Geneva Thompson (UW) 9.900; T2. Kayla Bird (OSU), Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (UW) 9.775. Other OSU Scores: Madi Dagen 9.750, Kaitlyn Hoiland 9.750, Jane Poniewaz 9.725, Niya Mack 9.575, Ariana Young 9.075.
Beam: 1. Madi Dagen (OSU) 9.875; T2. Kristina Peterson (OSU), Jenna Domingo (OSU) 9.850. Other OSU Scores: Sydney Gonzales 9.825, Kayla Bird 9.800, Lexie Gonzales 9.575.
Floor: T1. Amara Cunningham (UW), Kaitlyn Yanish (OSU) 9.900; 3. Madi Dagen (OSU) 9.875. Other OSU Scores: Niya Mack 9.850, Kristina Peterson 9.825, Savanna Force 9.800, Kayla Bird 9.725 (Exhibition - 9.700).
For more information on the Oregon State gymnastics team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverGym, by Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverGym or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverGym.
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