Tribe Shows Improvement At George Washington Invitational

Senior Christina Padilla, Sophomore Becca Bacharach Highlight Tribe Effort

01/21/07 10:00PM

Washington, DC - William and Mary women’s gymnastics team added over four full points to its team tally from a week ago in the season opener, but the effort was only good enough for a fourth-place finish at Sunday’s George Washington Invitational in the nation’s capital. North Carolina, which defeated the Tribe in a dual meet last weekend, captured the team title Sunday with a final total of 190.650, narrowly defeating the host Colonials (190.000). Cornell edged the Tribe for third with a final mark of 185.925.

Although still competing without a number of its key performers, the Tribe showed a noticeable improvement from last week’s season-opening loss to UNC. Senior Christina Padilla (Sterling, Va.) and sophomore Becca Bacharach (Lancaster, Pa.) highlighted the afternoon for W&M.

Padilla was strong in both of her events, finishing with team-high scores on both vault and bars. She earned a team-best third-place finish on bars with a 9.675 and placed eighth on vault with a 9.500. Bacharach turned in a solid showing in three events, including a pair of personal records. The sophomore was the Tribe’s top scorer on beam with a career-best 9.400 and tied for the team lead on floor, dancing to a personal best 9.400 to share ninth place. Bacharach also recorded a 9.375 on vault.

Sophomore Tricia Long (Humble, Texas) placed fourth in the all-around, adding over a full point to her total score from last week with a final tally of 37.550. Long matched Bacharach on vault (9.375) and also shared team-high honors on floor (9.400). She also contributed to an improved team performance on bars, placing 11th with a 9.575. Long rounded out her all-around tally with a 9.200 on beam.

Freshman Stephanie Bevan (Bridgewater, N.J.) continued her strong start, equaling both Long and Bacharach on floor with a career-best 9.400 in her young rookie season. Sarah Jacobson (Brecksville, Ohio) also came through on bars, registering a career-best 9.475 in just her second bars’ routine.

Final Score
UNC 190.650, GW 190.000, Cornell 185.925, W&M 184.625

William and Mary Team Scoring
Vault: 47.225
Bars: 44.650
Beam: 45.575
Floor: 43.025
Total: 180.475

Top W&M Individuals
Vault: Christina Padilla (9.500)
Bars: Christina Padilla (9.675)
Beam: Becca Bacharach (9.400)
Floor: Tricia Long, Stephanie Bevan, Bacharach (9.400)
All-Around: Long (37.550)