Sac State gymnastics suffers loss in final home meet of season
Hornets host four-team competition during historic senior night
Senior Amber Koeth performs her final floor routine with a smile on her face at The Nest on senior night Friday, March 3, 2023. Koeth’s routine tied two school records, scoring 9.950 in both her beam and floor routine.
March 5, 2023
The Sacramento State gymnastics team finished last in their final home meet of the season at the Nest, on Friday. Despite scoring 195.450, the 10th best score in program history.
First rotation – Vault
The Hornets started their night on the vault where senior Bella Lahmidi and three other teammates tied for 15th place with a team score of 48.725. Lahmidi scored a 9.750, tying her career best on her senior night.
“I messed up the first time, but then I got back in it,” Lahmidi said. “I probably did my best vault of the season.”
Second rotation – Bars
In the next rotation, senior Amber Koeth and freshman Kara Houghton tied for seventh place. Koeth continued her string of amazing performances, leading the Hornets with a score of 9.775 on the bars. Sac State finished with an overall team score of 48.775.
Third Rotation – Beam
The Hornets’ slow start continued onthe beam. Koeth took the spotlight by going last in the Hornets rotation when she received two 9.95’s after an almost perfect routine.
Koeth scored a 9.950 and tied for first in the beam with San Jose State’s all-around junior Lauren Macpherson. The feat also tied Sac State’s associate head coach Melissa Genovese’s record which stood since 2008.
“I’ve been trying really hard to tie my beam coach Genovese’s beam record,” Koeth said. “And it took me five years to do it, but I finally did it”
Final rotation – Floor
Sophomore Grace Gilman started the final rotation for the Hornets. She scored a 9.750, followed by Houghton with 9.775 and 9.875 from redshirt sophomore Emma Morgenthaler.
Koeth then stepped on the floor for her last routine in The Nest. With all eyes on the senior, she delivered her best performance yet, tying another school record with a score of 9.950.
“It was just euphoric, you know what I mean?” Koeth said. “That’s the only word that I could use is euphoric.”
The Hornets ended their last rotation with a team total of 49.200, making it a new team season high for their floor rotation.
Wrap Up
After it was all done, the Hornets celebrated their six competing seniors in The Nest for one last time, followed by honoring long-time head coach Randy Solorio, who is retiring at the end of the season.
“The way I’ve done this whole year, it’s been a farewell tour,” Solorio said. “As much as I love my job, I feel it is a perfect time to retire.”
Next, Sac State competes in a four-team meet hosted by University of California, Berkeley on Sunday, March 12, 2023. In addition to the Golden Bears, the Hornets will face Arizona and UC Davis.
