W&M Continues Torrid Pace in Meet at GW

The Tribe scores over 194 points for only the second time in team history.

03/16/03

WASHINGTON, DC - At this rate, the 2003 William and Mary women’s gymnastics squad may rewrite the entire school record book. The Tribe continued its torrid streak of outstanding gymnastics, scoring over 194 points as a team for only the second time in W&M history in a meet at George Washington. The Colonials won the meet, scoring 196.100 compared to W&M’s 194.100.

The catalyst for the Tribe’s success was the uneven bars, which was W&M’s first event. The first five W&M performers all nailed their routines en route to a team score of 48.950 on bars, the second-highest bars score in school history. Senior co-captain Amy Van Deusen (Concord, MA) led the Tribe, scoring a 9.875, a career-high and the third-best bars mark in W&M history. Of the five scores counted towards the team total, none was below a 9.750. Junior Jamie Weinfeldt (Roselle Park, NJ) got things started with a 9.750, a score that was matched by senior co-captain Erin Skinner (Lumberton, NJ). All-arounder Suzanne Chaves (Danvers, MA) topped that with a 9.775, setting up sophomore Allison Shonerd (Springfield, VA), who promptly topped Chaves with a 9.800. That led to Van Deusen, who beat her previous best of 9.850 with a beautiful routine.

Next, W&M went to vault, where sophomore Jaci Lynn (Copley, OH) continued to provide a solid start for the Tribe on the event. Lynn notched a 9.750, the fifth-straight meet that she has topped 9.600 on her vault. Skinner followed with a 9.475, and then freshman Kristen Gaidish (Abington, PA) scored a 9.700. Sophomore Jess Patterson (Westfield, NJ) then vaulted to a 9.775. Freshman Annie Carroll (Virginia Beach, VA) continued to impress on vault, scoring a 9.700. The last W&M vaulter was Chaves, who had a solid 9.675. W&M’s team vault score of 48.600 is tied for the fifth-highest in school history on the event.

The floor exercise was next for W&M, and it was another impressive performance. The College matched the 48.875 that it scored on floor in the home meet against JMU last Wednesday. Four Tribe gymnasts scored at or above 9.800, led by sophomore Emma Cross (Ashland, VA), who tied the school-record that she shares with three others by scoring a 9.900. Gaidish notched a personal-best with a 9.850, while Skinner anchored the lineup by closing the meet out with a 9.825. Also, Chaves scored a 9.800.

The College closed out on the balance beam, where some struggles ensued, but the end result was still solid. Cross led the beam workers with a 9.775, while Weinfeldt had a 9.725. Also, Chaves pitched in with a 9.600.

By virtue of her four good performances, Chaves was W&M’s top all-around finisher with a 38.850, the second-best mark in school history. The Tribe will try to continue its run of success on Thursday night at 7 p.m. with the Senior Meet at William and Mary Hall against N.C. State

Team Scoring
1. George Washington 196.100
2. William and Mary 194.100

Top Individuals
Vault
1. Lindsay Parks GW 9.875
2. Heather Kaufman GW 9.825
3. Jess Patterson W&M 9.775

Uneven Bars
1. Amy Van Deusen W&M 9.875
Melissa Suter GW 9.875
Tiffany Jones GW 9.875

Balance Beam
1. Rachel Mann GW 9.850
2. Emma Cross W&M 9.775
Lauren Bernstein GW 9.775
Heather Kaufman GW 9.775

Floor Exercise
1. Emma Cross W&M 9.900
Rachel Mann GW 9.900
Meagan Wilson GW 9.900

All-Around
1. Rachel Mann GW 39.325
2. Suzanne Chaves W&M 38.850
3. Heather Kaufman GW 38.550
4. Erin Skinner W&M 38.175