Washington Gymnasts Head to No. 3 Utah
March 4, 1999
Seattle - This Week: The Washington women's gymnastics team (10-5) travels to third-ranked Utah for a dual meet Saturday, March 6 at 6 p.m. PT. Last season the Huskies lost to the Utes 196.225 to 195.225 in Seattle.
Last Week: The 21st-ranked Washington womens gymnastics team used a record-setting showing in one event and strong performances on uneven bars and floor exercise to upset 14th-ranked Oregon State 196.000 to 195.600 in Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The Huskies score was their highest of the season. Washington set a school record on uneven bars with a score of 49.400 thanks to career highs by four Husky competitors. Amber Erdos and Lanna Apisukh along with Crystal Collins and Sidney Field all turned in career-bests. Apisukh tied for the all-around title with a career-best score of 39.475. Erdos turned in her best performance with a score of 9.900. Erdos also turned in career highs on bars (9.925), beam (9.750) and floor (9.900). She placed third in the all-around with a career best score of 39.275.
The Rankings: Despite posting its top score (196.000) of the season last week vs. Oregon State, Washington fell out of this week's collegiate gymnastics rankings. The Huskies current regional qualifying score is 193.0312. Washington ranks 13th nationally on balance beam with an RQS of 48.4375. The Huskies are ranked 23rd in both uneven bars (48.4375 RQS) and vault (48.2937 RQS). Individually, Lanna Apisukh is ranked seventh nationally in the all-around (39.100) while Lauren Riesenman is 18th (38.875). Apisukh is ranked 14th in floor exercise with an RQS of 9.8675.
Record-Setting Night: Washington's 196.000 to 195.600 victory against Oregon State ranks as one of the best all-around performances in Husky history. The Husky gymnasts posted 14 career-high scores during the meet. Washington's overall score ranks as its fourth highest. The Huskies' vault score (49.400) crushed the old mark of 49.175 set in 1997.
Riesenman Continues the Hot Hand: Junior All-American Lauren Riesenman enters Saturday's meet coming off back-to-back career best performances in the all-around. The Clovis, Calif., native, won the all-around in a three-way meet at California two weeks with a score of 39.125. It was Riesenman's second all-around victory of the season. She bettered that against Oregon State with a score of 39.175. Earlier in the year Riesenman won the all-around at Arizona State with a score of 38.925. Riesenman's victory at California included season high scores in all four events. Last week's outing included career highs on bars (9.875) and floor (9.975) Washington gymnasts have won the all-around competition at five of the Huskies' seven meets this year.
Apisukh Continues to Impress: Sophomore Lanna Apisukh has proven to be the Huskies' most consistent performer this year. She has racked up four all-around victories and won top event honors eight times this year. Last week Apisukh set her career high in the all-around with a score of 39.475 to tie Oregon State's Megan Murphy-Barcroft for first place in a dual meet at UW. Her score marked the fourth time this year she has scored above 39.000 in the all-around. The Lake Mary, Fla., native won the all-around at the UW Quadrangular by posting a score of 39.300. A week earlier she had set her career high in the all-around with a 39.125 performance at Boise State. This season she has posted new career highs in vault (9.825, twice), bars (9.900, twice) and floor (9.950).
Freshmen of Influence: A trio of freshmen are having an impact on the Huskies this season. Allison Bruce, Sidney Field and Celeste Montalvo have become regulars in the UW lineup. Bruce competes on bars and beam, Field in vault, bars and floor and Montalvo in beam and floor. All three competitors have registered at least a 9.700 on one event this year. Field is capable of boosting the Huskies' all-around lineup. She competed in all four events in Washington's first two meets of the season. Freshman Stacy Wong, slowed by a back injury this year, made her UW debut last week by competing on bars.
Coach Bob Levesque: Bob Levesque is in his ninth year directing the Washington gymnastics program. The past two years Levesque has been named the Pac-10 and West Region coach of the year. He is the first UW coach to lead the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA appearances (1997 & '98). In six of his eight years at Washington, Levesque has seen at least one Husky gymnast compete at the NCAA championships. Levesque is closing in on his 100th career win. He enters this week's meet with a 97-71 record.
All-Arounders: Washington's current lineup features a trio of all-arounders. Sophomore Lanna Apisukh, senior Amber Erdos and junior Lauren Riesenman are competing in all four events. Apisukh has turned in four 39+ scores this season and has four all-around titles to her credit. while Riesenman's best effort was a 39.175 to place second last week against Oregon State. Earlier in the season she scored 38.925 to claim the all-around in a dual meet with Arizona State. Erdos' top score was her career-high 39.275 to finish third last week against OSU. She opened the season was a 38.350 effort vs. defending NCAA champion Georgia. Tiffany Simpson, currently sidelined with an injury, and freshman Sidney Field, have also competed in the all-around for UW this year.
Injury Report: Six-time All-American Tiffany Simpson is currently sidelined with a stress fracture in her right leg. Simpson may be able to return to the Huskies' lineup in time for postseason competition. Freshman Stacy Wong competed in her first meet last week. A back injury forced her to miss the first half of the season and has restricted her to the uneven bars.
Up Next: The Huskies have a week off before traveling to the Pac-10 Championships in Corvallis, Ore. on March 20.
1999 Washington Gymnastics Results Record: 9-5
Date Opponent Result UW Score/Opp.
Jan. 8 GEORGIA 2nd 190.950/193.375
Jan. 15 at Arizona State 2nd 192.250/193.150
Jan. 22 Three-way meet @ UW 1st 193.000
ARIZONA 2nd 190.350
NEBRASKA 3rd 190.250
Jan. 31 at UCLA Quadrangular 2nd 191.475
UCLA 1st 192.350
Maryland 3rd 188.400
UC Santa Barbara 4th 183.575
Feb. 6 at Boise State 3rd 192.550
Utah State 1st 193.125
Boise State 1st 192.700
Feb. 12 UW Quadrangular 1st 192.975
Stanford 2nd 192.750
UC Davis 3rd 187.800
Seattle Pacific 4th 187.700
Feb. 19 at California 1st 193.600
California 2nd 192.475
San Jose St. 3rd 189.075
Feb. 26 OREGON STATE 1st 196.000/195.600
Mar. 6 at Utah
Mar. 20 at Pac-10 Championnships (Corvallis, OR)
Mar. 25 at Seattle Pacific
Apr. 10 NCAA West Regional (Corvallis, OR)
Apr. 22-24 NCAA Championships (Salt Lake City)
UW Home meets at Hec Edmundson Pavilion
Meet-by-Meet Event Scores
Meet Vault Bars Beam Floor Total
Georgia 48.150 46.825 47.600 48.375 190.950
at Arizona State 48.300 47.825 47.725 48.400 192.250
Arizona/Nebraska 47.650 48.975 47.800 48.575 193.000
at UCLA Quad 47.475 47.850 48.050 48.100 191.475
at Boise State Tri-Meet 48.300 48.175 48.500 47.575 192.550
UW Quadrangular 48.400 47.350 48.600 48.625 192.975
at Cal/San Jose State 48.175 48.750 48.600 48.075 193.600
Oregon State 48.500 49.400 48.750 49.350 169.600
