The Sacramento State gymnastics team posted its best National Collegiate Athletic Association West Regional score with a 193.575 as the Hornets placed sixth on Saturday at Oregon State. Sac State had scored 192.050 during the 2006 Regional at UC Berkeley.

Coach Kim Hughes said the team recorded a fall on bars and some women didn’t hit their routines.

“We still got a descent total,” he said. “It just shows our team depth.”

Hughes said the team did well on floor and vault, but went to bars and faltered a little, which put pressure on the final event of beam. He said the team had been strong on beam throughout the season and the Hornets scored 48.9, which was the fourth highest during the meet.

Sac State finished 34th in the nation after being ranked 35th going into the regional.

“It was (a little) disappointing to not beat San Jose State and Washington, but we beat two other teams over the nation,” Hughes said.

Senior Melissa Genovese said even though the team didn’t place it is still showing improvement with its best postseason score yet.

Host Oregon State won the meet with a 197.10. The Beavers swept every event and took the top three spots on the vault and bars and the top two spots on the floor. Michigan (196.375) placed second, Michigan State (195.125) came in third, Washington (194.075) was fourth and San Jose State (193.850) was fifth.

Freshman Alycia Chan tied for sixth on the vault with a 9.850, posting the second-highest score for a Hornet in the postseason. Senior Alexis Tsurumoto topped the Hornets on the bars as she tied for 13th with a score of 9.775. Genovese and sophomore Eryn Stubblefield tied for eighth on the beam with scores of 9.850. Genovese also had the highest Hornet score of the floor tying for 15th place with a 9.775.

Genovese placed sixth in the all-around with a score of 38.925. The senior is an alternate for the NCAA Championships in case Haley Bogart of Washington or Rochelle Robinson of Michigan State are injured. Bogart scored 39.050 and Robinson scored 39.025.

“I was shocked,” Genovese said. “I didn’t know I could be in that position.”

“I’m excited for her,” Hughes said. “Melissa has been a joy to work with for four years. We’ve been really happy for what she has done for the program.”

Hughes said Genovese had an outside chance of making it to the championships on beam, but due to tough judging scores the senior was .100 from hitting the mark of Oregon State’s Jami Lanz, who scored 9.950.

“She really hit her routine,” Hughes said. “You don’t want to second guess the judges. That’s just the hard thing about regionals – a lot of good gymnasts.”

Karyn Gilbert can be reached at [email protected]