Anchorage, Alaska – The Centenary gymnastics team nearly matched its season high score on Friday night as the Ladies placed second to the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in a non-conference dual meet at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Ladies (0-4) scored a 187.500 while the Seawolves (1-8) recorded a 188.825 in their home opener. Centenary's season high was a 187.650 back on Jan. 23 at home versus Air Force. The Ladies, currently ranked 71st in the country in the latest Road to Nationals rankings, finished with a 186.575 team score in their last meet on Jan. 30 at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas.
The all-time series between the Ladies and Seawolves is now tied 10-10 and the teams are now even at 6-6 in Anchorage. The Ladies claimed the first seven meetings in the series history between 1992-2013. The Seawolves now lead 5-0 at the Alaska Airlines Center, winning twice in both 2013 and 2015 before Friday's victory.
Centenary's highest individual score on Friday was a 47.625 followed by a 47.475 on beam, a season-best 46.425 on floor, and finally a 45.975 on bars. Alaska Anchorage scored a 48.125 on beam, a 47.675 on bars, a 46.900 on floor, and a 46.125 on vault. Senior All-American Kendall Sanders (Spring Branch, Texas) won the all-around competition with a season-high 38.475 score. UAA's Kylie Reese finished second (37.525) and Centenary freshman Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.) placed third (37.075).
Sanders won the AA for the first time this season after a pair of runner-up finishes. Her best finish on Friday was third on vault (9.575) followed by a tie for third place on floor (9.575). Sanders finished fourth on beam with her top score (9.775) of the meet and also finished fourth on bars with a score of 9.55. Lavelle earned a runner-up finish on floor with a 9.675 and tied for seventh on vault (9.375). She also finished ninth on beam (9.175) and 10th on bars (8.850).
Juniors Leilani Johnson (Wichita, Kan.) and Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas) tied for the vault title with even 9.60 scores, junior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.) earned a 9.475 for a sixth-place finish and sophomore Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas) tied Lavelle for seventh place with a 9.375. Junior All-American Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) finished fifth on beam (9.725) in her debut in the event and sixth on bars (9.325). Centenary swept the top three spots on vault with Johnson and Huff tying for first place and Sanders finishing third.
Lavelle finished second on floor followed by Sanders in a third-place tie and Johnson finished fifth (9.50). Wedge tied for ninth on floor (8.925), Huff finished 11th (8.750) and junior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.) finished 12th at 8.725. On bars, behind Sanders' fourth-place finish and Wilson's sixth-place finish, junior Madison McCary (Ozark, Mo.) finished seventh (9.20) in her season debut and Deshler placed ninth (9.05). Lavelle placed 10th, senior Kendall Knaps (Prairieville, La.) was 12th (8.70) and Huff was 13th (8.525).
Deshler finished seventh on beam (9.475) behind Sanders (4) and Wilson (5) and freshman Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.) placed eighth (9.325) ahead of Lavelle who was ninth, and sophomore Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.) placed 12th with a score of 8.775.
Centenary and Alaska Anchorage will face off again on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Live stats and live video are available for the meet at the links below:
Live stats: https://roadtonationals.com/results/schedule/meet/27157
Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/c/UAASeawolves
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.
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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