W&M Gymnastics Third at West Virginia Meet

Junior Jess Randall Has Big Day for Tribe; Junior Janelle Green Records Two Season-Highs

02/26/06 5:45PM

Morgantown, WV - The William and Mary women’s gymnastics team compiled 11 individual season-high marks and scored above its season average in three of four events, but the Tribe fell to West Virginia and 25th-ranked New Hampshire in a tri-meet in Morgantown Sunday afternoon.

W&M had one of its best team outings on vault (47.625), missing its previous season-best score by just .025, and topped its season averages on bars (46.800) and floor (47.425), but the Tribe was once again slowed on beam by a season-low 42.800 to finish with a total of 184.650. The host-Mountaineers gained individual titles in all four events and scored a season second-best 194.900 to down EAGL-conference foe UNH (190.875) and W&M.

Tribe junior Jess Randall (West Hartford, Conn.) continued her mid-season resurgence with a terrific after-noon, scoring season-highs in three events, including a career-best 9.750 on floor, en route to a season-high all-around total of 37.825, which is the second-best all-around score by a Tribe gymnast this season. Junior Janelle Greene (Fairfax, Va.) also had a nice day for the tribe, recording a pair of season-highs on vault (9.350) and bars (9.700).

Greene’s first vault of the 2006 season was one of five season-high scores set by the Tribe Sunday afternoon. Christina Padilla (Sterling, Va.) continued to show the consistency that earned her the ECAC Vault title a year ago, as the junior notched a 9.700, besting her previous season-high by a full tenth of a point to place eighth. Freshman Sarah Jacobson (Cleveland, Ohio) continued the strong start to her collegiate career with a career-high 9.525, and sophomore Tricia Long (Humble, Texas) followed with a season-best 9.525. Randall matched her career-high with a 9.500 and Greene’s tally rounded out the team score.

Without senior Brittany Gibbs (West Chester, Pa.) in the bars line-up again, Greene stepped up and filled the void with a season-high 9.700 to place fifth against a very strong field, not far off her career-high score of 9.775. Long was solid with a 9.400, and rookie Monica Goldblatt (McLean, Va.) followed with a 9.375 and Padilla added a 9.300. Randall rounded out the team score with a 9.025.

W&M also put together a solid effort on floor this afternoon, keyed by Gibbs’ near-flawless routine that garnered a season-high 9.775. Gibbs’ mark put the senior in seventh place, while Randall followed in a tie for eighth with her career-best 9.750. Senior Kate Magee (McLean, Va.) also got into the act on floor, scoring a career-best 9.675.

On beam, however, the Tribe only had five gymnasts compete in the line-up, as the squad has been hurt by injuries and illness recent weeks, particularly in the beam event. Randall was the top scorer for W&M with a season-high 9.550, which gave her a third-place showing in the all-around. Junior Andrea Dochney (Westmont, N.J.) also had solid outing with a 9.400, but that was the only other Tribe score over 8.550.

W&M returns to action next weekend, visiting ECAC-foe Towson on Saturday night.


Final Scores: West Virginia (194.900), #25 UNH (190.875),
W&M (184.650)

William and Mary Team Scoring
Vault: 47.625
Bars: 46.800
Beam: 42.800
Floor: 47.425
Total: 184.650