University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
Gophers Win Fifth Straight
2/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's team won their fifth straight meet on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Pavilion after defeating Illinois 195.775-195.000.
"There were a lot of highlights today," said head coach Jenny Hansen. "We weren't quite as crisp as I was hoping we would be today. Coming off of a really big meet last week, I would have thought we would be a little more on it today. I was a little disappointed in that. We spoke to the team afterwards and asked them how they felt and they said, " We are so much better than that". That made me feel good knowing that we all felt the same way."
On Vault, there was a three-way tie for first place with junior Bailey Abernathy, senior Lindsay Mable and Gianna O'Connor of Illinois all earning a 9.800.
In addition to the tied title on Vault, Mable also swept the meet with top honors on Uneven Bars (9.875), Beam (9.950), Floor (9.925) and in the All-Around (39.550).
"I finally feel like this was much more "normal me," said Mable. "I think that the last two weeks, I've been thinking a lot to make everything too perfect and trying too hard to make it happen. I finally stepped back and realized you just have to let it happen. You can't try too hard because that never brings the outcome that you're hoping for. Overall as a team, we are still putting things together and taking baby steps in the right direction. There were some performances tonight that we weren't hoping for and weren't ideal, but I think it was really cool for the team to come back together and pull everything back for a victory. That is a huge component of a strong team."
In the opening rotation, Vault, junior Rachel Haines tallied a 9.750 for fourth overall. Sophomore Abby DeMuse tied with Heather Foley of Illinois for sixth place.
On the Uneven Bars, the second rotation of the night for the Maroon and Gold, Mable earned top honors with a mark of 9.875. Junior Bailie Holst tied for second overall with a 9.850 along with O'Connor of Illinois.
After the end of two rotations, the Gophers led Illinois, 97.575-97.175.
The Gophers recorded their highest team mark of the night on Beam with a 49.250. The score is the sixth highest of all time and the second highest recorded at the Sports Pavilion.
Mable finished first with a 9.950, a score that earned her a spot in the program record book as well as her official career high on the apparatus.
Senior Hanna Nordquist and Sunny Kato tied for the second highest score overall with identical 9.875s.
Sophomore Ciara Gardner finished in a three-way tie on the apparatus for fourth with O'Connor and Lizzy LeDuc of Illinois after earning 9.850s.
In the final rotation of the night, Floor, Mable tallied a 9.925 for first followed by Erin Buchanan and Lizzy LeDuc of Illinois who earned a 9.825 and a 9.800, respectively.
Junior Kaitlin Rahon, DeMuse, Gardner and O'Connor of Illinois finished in a four-way tie for fourth place after tallying 9.775s.
In the All-Around, Mable tallied a 39.550 for the crown. O'Connor of Illinois notched a 39.275 followed by LeDuc with a 39.050. Gardner finished fifth with a 38.925 followed by DeMuse who totaled 37.450.
"The sport of gymnastics is so much about perfection and perfection is so hard to obtain," said Mable. "Every turn is different in how it feels and looks, so I think the biggest thing to improve on moving forward is trusting myself and knowing that even if it doesn't feel the same or look exactly the same, it can still be good and that is the biggest thing. You have to trust yourself."
"I feel like the team is holding back a little bit and they aren't quite as aggressive on some of the landings we have been practicing, so I would like to continue to see that," said Hansen. "Believe it or not, we are heading toward the mid-point of the season. I am expecting more, strong landings, and being aggressive as they are in practice.
LOOKING AHEAD
Next Friday, Minnesota will take to Lincoln, Neb. to face the Cornhuskers in a Big Ten match-up. Action is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Are you following the Gophers on the road or from home? Make sure to follow @GopherWGym on Twitter and use the team's hashtag #AlwaysGolden. You can also check for updates on Facebook and Instagram by "liking" Minnesota Women's Gymnastics on Facebook or following the Gophers on Instagram.
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