Gymnastics sets new school record of 196.000 in senior meet

Junior+Alyssa+Anderson+performs+the+uneven+bars+in+a+meet+against%C2%A0Utah+State+University+in+the+Hornets+Nest+on+March+15%2C+2015.%C2%A0

Junior Alyssa Anderson performs the uneven bars in a meet against Utah State University in the Hornets Nest on March 15, 2015. 

State Hornet Staff

The Sacramento State gymnastics team competed in the Hornets Nest for the last time this season today against Utah State and placed second with a score of 196.000.

Senior meet honored the Hornets’ seniors as they competed for the last time in the Nest, as well as coach Kim Hughes. Hughes is retiring at the end of this season after 34 years as Sac State’s gymnastics coach.

The meet was one defined by setting personal best scores as well as school records. Seven gymnasts had new personal bests and four tied their current personal records. Sac State’s final score of 196.000 marked a school record.

“I’m ecstatic that everything went so well,” Hughes said.

Hughes had bittersweet emotions coming into the meet, but overall was happy with the team’s performance.

“I’ve been doing this for 38 years, and a lot of emotions have built up and a lot of excitement about, you know, the whole event and being done with your career and all of that, but [I’m] very happy with how the team performed and [the] great crowd,” Hughes said.

Beam was the best event of the day as the Hornets set a season high with the final score of 49.125. Senior Kayla Wonderly set a personal best on beam with a score of 9.875, as did sophomore Julia Konner with a mark of 9.850.

“I had the best meet of my life,” Wonderly said.

Freshmen Courtney Soliwoda and Lauren Rice also broke personal records with scores of 9.825.

Vault was the next event, in which the Hornets finished with a season-high final score of 49.075. Rice and freshman Caitlin Soliwoda set personal bests with marks of 9.850. Freshman Megan Kyle set a personal best with 9.825. Courtney Soliwoda also set a career high with a score of 9.775.

Sac State has two all-around competitors, Rice and Konner, who came in second and third and set personal records. Rice had a final score of 39.225 and Konner put up a 39.175.

Coming into this meet, Hughes was nervous because he wanted all the seniors to perform their best.

“Nervous because this is senior night, I wanted the seniors to have an excellent meet and to perform well and to go out in their last home meet,” Hughes said. “They all performed beautifully and I think they are all very happy with their final meet in the Hornet gym.”

Senior Dallas Smith was proud of the way her team performed in the meet.

“It’s such an honor to be a part of the team that sets a record, but to know that everyone just gave their all for us and for Mr. Kim, it was absolutely amazing,” Smith said.