The Sacramento State gymnastics team tumbled its way to its first win of the season over Seattle Pacific Friday night in the Hornets Nest.

Despite recording four falls toward its total score, Sac State posted a 191.6 to 189.5 victory over the Falcons in the Hornets’ home opener.

“We always like winning but our main goal is to post scores that will qualify us for (NCAA) Regionals,” Sac State coach Kim Hughes said. “We counted too many falls tonight to do that.”

One of those falls belonged to senior Jessica Hoffman while competing on bars. On a flying release while attempting to regain hold of the highest bar, Hoffman found it just out of reach and met the mat face first.

After posting the lowest score of the meet on the uneven parallel bars (8.6) Hoffman recovered to post an impressive 9.825 during the final apparatus for the Hornets with an up-tempo floor routine.

“We just take one event at a time and (after the fall on bars) I just had to get over it,” said Hoffman, who finished third in the all-around competition as she was one of just four athletes to compete on all four apparatus. “If you don’t get over it, it’s all downhill from there.”

Conversely, Sac State’s first two meets have been an uphill battle. Sac State placed fourth with an impressive 192.275 despite counting three falls last Friday at a four-way meet at Cal State Fullerton.

“We could have easily met our goal of (a score of 194 or better) if not for the falls,” Hughes said. “We don’t compete like we train. We do really well in practice and then we get out here and we’re full of adrenaline and energy and don’t put it to good use.”

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Debra Huss just likes to show off.

A native of Orangevale in her senior year at Seattle Pacific, Huss won the all-around competition in Friday night’s meet in front of what she considers her home crowd.

“I’ve competed in this gym a lot–probably more than a few of (Sac State’s) girls,” Huss said. “It’s more comfortable and with my family here, it’s home.”

Huss’ best performance of the night came in the floor routine where she earned a 9.85, just 0.05 of a point behind Sac State’s Stefanie Aeder, the event winner with the m.

“I typically have more success in the floor routine because I’m kind of a showoff and that’s what you do in floor,” Huss said, “You just get a chance to showoff to the crowd.”

Notes:

Freshman Alexis Tsurumoto won the bars with a score of 9.85. Coupled with her performance in last week’s meet at Cal State Fullerton Tsurumoto has now won each of her first two collegiate meets after sitting last year as a redshirt.

A Hornet won all four individual titles as Hoffman won the vault (9.725) and junior Kimiye Narasaki claimed the title on the balance beam (9.775) in addition to Aeder and Tsurumoto.

Sac State’s next meet is Sunday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. against Brown in the Hornets Nest.