Tribe Gymnastics Defeats JMU

W&M scores eighth-highest team total in school history in victory

02/07/03

HARRISONBURG, VA - William and Mary's women's gymnastics squad scored its highest total of the season, defeating conference foe James Madison by a score of 192.650-192.050. The College's team total tied the eighth-highest in W&M history.

The Tribe thrived on the vault, an event that was expected to be one of the team's strongest this year, but where W&M had struggled in the first three meets. Sophomore Jess Patterson (Westfield, NJ) won the event with a score of 9.800 that ties her career-high and is the fourth-best mark in school history. The score also set a Godwin Hall record.

Following Patterson on vault were freshmen Annie Carroll (Virginia Beach, VA) and Kristen Gaidish (Abington, PA). Carroll, in her first collegiate meet, scored a 9.750, while Gaidish, the reigning Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week, tied that mark in another strong performance. Another freshman, Kate Magee (McLean, VA) contributed with a 9.575, while all-arounder Suzanne Chaves (Danvers, MA) turned in a typical consistent performance of 9.675. The Tribe's top four scores on vault were all above that of JMU's highest finisher in the event, as W&M scored a team mark of 48.550, the fourth-best in school history.

On the bars, sophomore Allison Shonerd (Springfield, VA) was the co-champion, scoring a 9.675. Two Tribe athletes were tied for third on that apparatus, as junior Jamie Weinfeldt (Roselle Park, NJ) and sophomore Rachel Glasmire (Center Valley, PA) both notched marks of 9.650. Senior co-captain Amy Van Deusen (Concord, MA) notched a 9.200 for W&M.

The beam was very successful for the Tribe for the second straight week. Leading the way was Weinfeldt, who scored a 9.800, a season-high on the apparatus. Senior co-captain Erin Skinner (Lumberton, NJ) had a 9.750, while Gaidish had a 9.725 and Chaves scored a mark of 9.675. Magee performed an exhibition on the apparatus, scoring a solid 9.625. W&M's 48.300 team mark on beam tied the 1993 squad for the fourth-best performance in Tribe history.

On the floor exercise, W&M was excellent, as the top five scores for the Tribe all registered at 9.650 or above. Sophomore Emma Cross (Ashland, VA) led the Tribe with a 9.775. Then, W&M got a trio of 9.750 scores, from Chaves, Gaidish and Weinfeldt. Add in Skinner and Patterson's scores of 9.650 and the Tribe had a very good meet on the floor. The two exhibition performers, Van Deusen and Magee, also did well, scoring 9.725 and 9.425, respectively.

For the first time this year, two W&M performers competed in the all-around portion of the competition. Chaves scored a 38.050, a season-high, while Skinner, in her first all-around meet of the year, scored 37.000.

W&M is now 4-6 on the season. The Tribe will return to action next weekend, as it travels to North Carolina State for the Sweetheart Invitational on Friday at 7 p.m.