Anchorage, Alaska – The Centenary gymnastics team posted a final team score of 187.175 and earned another runner-up finish to the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in a non-conference dual meet on Sunday at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Ladies (0-5) also placed second to the Seawolves on Friday with their second-highest score (187.500) of the season. The Seawolves (2-8) scored a 191.500 on Sunday after recording a 188.825 on Friday. Centenary's season high score was a 187.650 back on Jan. 23 at home versus Air Force. Centenary, currently ranked 71st in the country in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, is the sixth-highest ranked division III school in the nation. Alaska Anchorage, a division I school, is ranked 63rd.
Senior All-American Kendall Sanders (Spring Branch, Texas) won the all-around competition on Sunday for the second time this weekend and second time this season with a new season high score (38.750) after recording her previous season high (38.475) on Friday. She finished fourth or better in all eight of her individual events during the weekend and won the vault on Sunday with a 9.675 score. Sanders' superb Sunday also included season highs on both bars (9.70) and floor (9.75). Sanders tied for second on floor on Sunday with that season-high 9.75 and tied for third place on bars. She also finished fourth on beam.
Centenary freshman Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.) also had an impressive meet on Sunday as she scored a season-high 9.575 on vault to tie for third and earned her second-highest score of the season on beam (9.675) to finish third. She finished seventh on floor (9.45), and 10th on bars (8.80). Junior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas) earned a runner-up finish on vault behind Sanders with a 9.65. Huff also finished 12th on floor (8.875). Junior Leilani Johnson (Wichita, Kan.) tied for third place on vault with her teammate Lavelle with a 9.575 and finished 10th on floor (9.05).
Junior All-American Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) had her best finish of Sunday's meet on beam (eighth) as she earned a 9.15. She finished ninth on both floor (9.10) and bars (9.25). Junior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.) finished sixth on floor (9.525), eighth on bars (9.45) and ninth on beam (9.125). Fellow junior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.) finished eighth on floor (9.275) and 11th on vault (8.95).
Freshman Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.) finished sixth on beam (9.475), sophomore Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.) finished 11th on beam (8.775). Junior Madison McCary (Ozark, Mo.) earned an 11th-place finish on bars (8.40) and senior Kendall Knaps (Prairieville, La.) finished 12th on bars with a score of 8.00.
Centenary's top individual event score on Sunday was on vault (47.425) followed by floor (47.100), beam (47.050), and bars (45.600). The Seawolves posted their top score of the meet on bars (48.650) followed by a 47.925 on floor. Their third-best score was on vault (47.650) and finally a 47.725 on beam. UAA's Kylie Reese finished third in the AA (37.250) behind Sanders and Lavelle. The Seawolves won on bars, beam, and floor and had the first and second-place finishers in each event.
Centenary remains on the road for a pair of meets at the end of the month as the Maroon and White are set to face host University of New Hampshire and Long Island University in a tri-meet on Feb. 25 in Durham, N.H. and then complete the weekend against Springfield College, Rhode Island College, and Southern Connecticut State in a quad meet on Feb. 27 in Springfield, Mass.
See the Ladies' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/gymnastics/2021-22/schedule
Live stats and live video are available for all home meets.
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