INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Gustavus gymnastics team put on its best performance of the year, and in program history, in a memorable and record-shattering victory over Simpson on Sunday, Feb. 23.
"Today was indescribable. Breaking records is always special, but doing it the way we did it today, after the rollercoaster we've been on so far this season, was magical," said Head Coach
Aryn DeGrood '09 following the meet.
All four event totals were season-highs for the Gusties, who also broke the program records for team scores on vault and beam. The vault record, now 47.800, marks the fourth time this season the Gusties have bettered their total in the event. The beam record, now set at 48.300, bettered the previous 48.050 program record, and was the final event to lead Gustavus to its first 190 as a team. The 190.275 total is also a new program record, bettering the previous by over 1.5 points. DeGrood's Gusties set season-highs on bars (45.925) and floor (48.250), as well.
In the first rotation,
Maddox Lee (Jr., Hugo, Minn.) matched her season-high 9.550 on bars to lead the Gusties in the event, taking second overall.
Lili Guy (Sr., Glendale Heights, Ill.) was next in fourth with a 9.150, followed by
Cara Wong's (Fy., Sacramento, Calif.) 9.125 for fifth. Both
Marley Michaud (Sr., Sartell, Minn.) and
Lily Horsch (Sr., Somonauk, Ill.) tied for sixth with a 9.050. Michaud's score was a season-best for the senior.
Vault has been the Gusties' best event all season, and Sunday was no exception, as Guy, who set the individual program record the week before, collected a 9.700 for second overall. Horsch was fourth with a 9.575, while Wong posted a 9.550 to tie for sixth and tie her season- and career-best score.
Malia Narciso (Fy., Roseburg, Ore.) added a career-best 9.500, while Michaud posted a season-high 9.475, and
Lindsay Bangs (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) rounded out the Gustie vaulters with a 9.450. Simpson's Kaelyn Tally won the event with a 9.800, the highest score of any event in the meet.
Every Gustie that competed on floor posted a 9.400 or above, led by Guy's 9.775, a new career-high for the senior, who set her personal best mark of 9.750 earlier this season in Rhode Island. Guy finished second in the event, with Bangs behind her in third, collecting another career-best for the Gusties with a 9.700.
Olivia Jahnke (Sr., Hanover, Minn.) added a 9.675 for fourth overall, while Michaud was sixth with a 9.650. Wong posted a 9.450 and
Lily Tews (Fy., Minneapolis, Minn.) a career-high 9.400 to help the team to a new season-best score and the second highest in program history.
Lee highlighted the Gustie performances on beam, tying her own program record individual mark with another 9.775. Gustavus owned the top four beam scores of the meet, with Lee in first, followed by Jahnke's 9.725 for second, Michaud's 9.700, and Wong's 9.625. All four top scores were career-bests for the Gusties.
Kate Clairmont (Fy., Grand Rapids, Minn.) added a 9.475 for eighth as well.
In the all-around competition, Michaud combined for a 37.875 for a new career-high, beating out her previous mark of 37.150. Wong finished with a 37.750 for the second-highest all-around total of her young career.
"This group has worked their tails off for this," DeGrood continued. "We have dreamed of a 190 for years and to finally hit it, it's better than imagined. This was a true team effort today. All 21 athletes were directly involved in making this record happen. It's the direct result of the work they have put in since September, whether they were in the line-up or not today, they got us here.
"It was truly special. A moment none of us will forget."
The Gusties (3-7, 3-5 WIAC) return home to host UW-Stout (6-4, 5-2 WIAC) for their dual meet finale and Senior Night on Friday, Feb. 28.
