Shreveport – The Centenary gymnastics team earned its highest team score of the season as the Ladies posted a 191.575 and finished second to the Texas Woman's University Pioneers in their annual Senior Night meet on Saturday evening at the Gold Dome.
Centenary honored its four seniors on Saturday night - All-Americans Kendall Sanders (Spring Branch, Texas) and Xian Baumgartner (Albuquerque, N.M.), Kendall Knaps (Prairieville, La.), and Madison McCary (Ozark, Mo.).
The Ladies and Pioneers, fellow Midwest Independent Conference members, met for the third time this season. Centenary finished second to the host Pioneers back on Jan. 30 in Denton, Texas and then placed fourth in the TWQ Quad 1 meet on Feb. 25 in Denton. TWU claimed Saturday's meet with a final team score of 194.825.
Centenary's previous season-best score was a 188.100 earned last weekend at home in a runner-up finish to the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks in a MIC dual meet.
The Ladies, currently ranked 72nd in the country in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, are the seventh-highest ranked division III program in the country while TWU, a division II program, is ranked 50th. In an interesting note, Saturday's 191.575 is Centenary's best score since earning a 192.300 on March 12, 2021 against TWU also on Senior Night, exactly one year ago.
Five Ladies set or tied career highs in the meet, highlighted by a new career high in the All-Around (38.875) by Sanders as she claimed her third AA title of the season. Centenary also recorded its highest score on floor (48.575) since the 2018 season and highest vault score (48.275) since 2015.
Sanders earned a season-best 9.725 on bars and tied for third place on floor with a 9.775. She won the all-around twice earlier this season in a pair of non-conference meets on the road versus the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Feb. 11 and 13. Baumgartner also had a memorable Senior Night as she recorded a career-high (9.75) on floor and a pair of season highs on bars (9.55) and beam (9.675).
Junior All-American Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) won the bars competition with a season-high 9.85. Fellow junior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas) tied her career-high on floor with a 9.725 and junior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.) set a new career high on floor (9.60). Junior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.) set a new career high on vault (9.70) and sophomore Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.) tied her career high on beam (9.65).
Next up for the Ladies is the annual MIC Championships on Friday, March 18 at 5 p.m. in Denton, Texas and hosted by TWU at Kitty Magee Arena.
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.
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
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