Friday, January 12
Sacramento, CA
7:00 PM
University of Washington
at
Sacramento State
After Big 2017, GymDawgs Set Sights Higher For 2018
January 11, 2018 | Gymnastics
SEATTLE - The 2018 season is set to kick off for the GymDawgs on January 12 at Sacramento State and the team is raring to improve on an impressive 2017. Washington returns 11 gymnasts from last year's team, which finished eighth in the nation, the second-best finish in Washington history.
"The team has worked tirelessly since September, so we are ready to go," said Head Coach Elise Ray-Statz. "We're very excited to start off the season with a two-meet weekend, including one meet on podium."
Two 2017 All-Americans are back for the GymDawgs in Hailey Burleson and Madison Copiak. Burleson was honored for her impressive showing at Nationals, putting up a 39.400 in the all-around thanks in part to scores of 9.875 on floor and 9.8875 on beam. Copiak also earned her All-American award with her bars performance at Nationals and put up a 9.9 in that event earlier in the year at Oregon State.
Burleson took home two All-Conference honors in beam and all-around in addition to her All-American nod. Joslyn Goings joins her as a returning All-Conference performer. The senior earned the award on the beam, an event she won five times in 2017. Goings record scores over 9.9 on the beam four times that season.
Four other 2017 event winners return to the GymDawgs this year. Kristyn Hoffa won the floor event against Stanford and put up a 9.9 against Utah during her sophomore year. Zoey Schaefer and Malory Rose won beam events during the 2017 season, with each of them putting up new career-highs of 9.875 in that event. Haley Roy also picked up a vault win with a 9.9 score against Oregon State.
Two newcomers join the GymDawgs for 2018 as well. Hannah Willmarth comes to Seattle with six top-three finishes in the Colorado State Championships over the last two years, including a third-place finish on bars and second-place finish on floor in 2017. Geneva Thompson finished third on vault at the 2017 JO National Championships following a clean sweep of the Region 2 Championships, with wins in every event.
Those newcomers will be a part of a group that also includes returners Michaela Nelson, Monica Riley, Evanni Roberson, and Maya Washington. Nelson had seven performances of 9.8 or better in 2017, twice reaching that mark on bars and hitting 9.85 three times and 9.825 twice on beam. Riley had a season-high score of 9.875 on vault at the Kentucky quad meet, then hit 9.8 at the Cal quad meet. Washington had three 9.9 scores, coming on the bars against Arizona and twice on floor, against Arizona and Seattle Pacific.
"We have a stacked schedule, competing against excellent teams, but competing against the best will only help us be the best," said Ray-Statz. "I continue to be so proud of the young women Chad, Ralph and I coach, and we're all excited to start the season off strong."
The season kicks off on the road at Sacramento State on January 12. The GymDawgs will also be at the Elevate the Stage meet that weekend, competing with Utah, UCLA, and Stanford on January 14 in Reno, Nevada. Two of those three teams finished in the nation's top five last year, with Washington joining Utah and UCLA at 2017 Nationals. Competition at Elevate the Stage is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
After that road trip, the GymDawgs return to Seattle for the first home meet of the year on January 20 against Cal. That is one of five home meets for the GymDawgs this season. Washington will host Oregon State on February 10 and Stanford on February 24 as well as tri-meets against UC Davis and Seattle Pacific on March 9 and Boise State and BYU on March 15. Tickets for all home meets are available online.
Make sure to follow the GymDawgs on Twitter with the username @UWGymnastics and on Instagram at uwgymnastics.
"The team has worked tirelessly since September, so we are ready to go," said Head Coach Elise Ray-Statz. "We're very excited to start off the season with a two-meet weekend, including one meet on podium."
Two 2017 All-Americans are back for the GymDawgs in Hailey Burleson and Madison Copiak. Burleson was honored for her impressive showing at Nationals, putting up a 39.400 in the all-around thanks in part to scores of 9.875 on floor and 9.8875 on beam. Copiak also earned her All-American award with her bars performance at Nationals and put up a 9.9 in that event earlier in the year at Oregon State.
Burleson took home two All-Conference honors in beam and all-around in addition to her All-American nod. Joslyn Goings joins her as a returning All-Conference performer. The senior earned the award on the beam, an event she won five times in 2017. Goings record scores over 9.9 on the beam four times that season.
Four other 2017 event winners return to the GymDawgs this year. Kristyn Hoffa won the floor event against Stanford and put up a 9.9 against Utah during her sophomore year. Zoey Schaefer and Malory Rose won beam events during the 2017 season, with each of them putting up new career-highs of 9.875 in that event. Haley Roy also picked up a vault win with a 9.9 score against Oregon State.
Two newcomers join the GymDawgs for 2018 as well. Hannah Willmarth comes to Seattle with six top-three finishes in the Colorado State Championships over the last two years, including a third-place finish on bars and second-place finish on floor in 2017. Geneva Thompson finished third on vault at the 2017 JO National Championships following a clean sweep of the Region 2 Championships, with wins in every event.
Those newcomers will be a part of a group that also includes returners Michaela Nelson, Monica Riley, Evanni Roberson, and Maya Washington. Nelson had seven performances of 9.8 or better in 2017, twice reaching that mark on bars and hitting 9.85 three times and 9.825 twice on beam. Riley had a season-high score of 9.875 on vault at the Kentucky quad meet, then hit 9.8 at the Cal quad meet. Washington had three 9.9 scores, coming on the bars against Arizona and twice on floor, against Arizona and Seattle Pacific.
"We have a stacked schedule, competing against excellent teams, but competing against the best will only help us be the best," said Ray-Statz. "I continue to be so proud of the young women Chad, Ralph and I coach, and we're all excited to start the season off strong."
The season kicks off on the road at Sacramento State on January 12. The GymDawgs will also be at the Elevate the Stage meet that weekend, competing with Utah, UCLA, and Stanford on January 14 in Reno, Nevada. Two of those three teams finished in the nation's top five last year, with Washington joining Utah and UCLA at 2017 Nationals. Competition at Elevate the Stage is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
After that road trip, the GymDawgs return to Seattle for the first home meet of the year on January 20 against Cal. That is one of five home meets for the GymDawgs this season. Washington will host Oregon State on February 10 and Stanford on February 24 as well as tri-meets against UC Davis and Seattle Pacific on March 9 and Boise State and BYU on March 15. Tickets for all home meets are available online.
Make sure to follow the GymDawgs on Twitter with the username @UWGymnastics and on Instagram at uwgymnastics.
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