Tribe Women's Gymnastics Places Second at N.C. State

W&M picks up first team win of the season

01/29/05 11:50AM

Raleigh, NC - RALEIGH, NC (1/29/05) – North Carolina State swept all four events and compiled a team score of 192.875 to defeat the College of William and Mary (184.725) and James Madison (183.300) in women’s collegiate gymnastics action Saturday night at historic Reynolds Coliseum. Finishing second in the meet, the Tribe picked up its first team victory of the season, edging ECAC-foe JMU.

The Tribe began the evening with the floor exercise, where the team has been hampered by the loss of several key performers with injuries in the early season, and tonight was no different, as the team got off to a slow start. Leading the Tribe on floor was freshman Tricia Long (Humble, TX), the reigning ECAC Coaches Choice Award-winner, who started a solid all-around evening with a score of 9.400. Senior co-captain Jess Patterson (Westfield, VA) posted the only other score over 9.000 on the floor for the College with a season-high 9.250, as the Tribe went on to post a team score of 44.650.

After floor, W&M moved on to vault where things began to pick up in what has been the teams most consistent event of the young season. For the third consecutive week, sophomore Christina Padilla (Sterling, VA), the reigning ECAC Athlete of the Week, paced the Tribe on vault with a score of 9.725 to take third place. Right behind Padilla in fourth place was senior Jaci Lynn (Copley, OH), who registered a 9.700. Long and junior Annie Carroll (Virginia Beach, VA) tied for 10th place with scores of 9.4250. The Tribe posted a team score of 47.650 on vault.

The uneven bars were up next for the College, where freshman Steven Waldman (Downingtown, PA) continued the outstanding start to her collegiate career with a personal-best score of 9.725, good enough for third place. Junior Brittany Gibbs (West Chester, PA) continued the Tribe’s surge with a sixth-place score of 9.625 in just her second meet of the season, while sophomore Andrea Dochney (Westmont, NJ) took seventh with a 9.450, as W&M compiled a team score of 47.050 in the event.

The final event of the night for the College was the balance beam, where, again, the team has been slowed by the absence of some of its top scorers, which has led to up-and-down performances this season. Dochney had the top score for the Tribe in the event on Saturday with a 9.525, which placed fourth. Waldman took sixth in the event with a 9.400, while Long rounded out her all-around score with an 8.950. The Tribe posted a team score of 45.375 on beam.

Waldman and Long posted the first two all-around scores for the Tribe this season, finishing second and third, respectively. Waldman tallied an all-around score of 37.200 on the night, while Long finished with a 36.575.

The Tribe is back in action on Friday night, when it again faces conference-foe JMU at 7:00 p.m. Harrisonburg.

Complete Results


Team Scoring
1. North Carolina State - 192.875
2. William and Mary - 184.725
3. James Madison - 183.300

W&M Top Scores
Vault - Christina Padilla (9.725)
Bars - Stevie Waldman (9.725)
Beam - Andrea Dochney (9.525)
Floor - Tricia Long (9.400)