Tribe Finishes Fourth at Tar Heel Invitational

03/01/08 6:20PM

Chapel Hill, N.C. - The William and Mary women’s gymnastics team returned to action Saturday afternoon at the Tar Heel Invitational and recorded a solid team score of 189.025, placing fourth at the competitive quad meet. Junior Becca Bacharach (Lancaster, Pa.) and sophomore Ali Medeiros (Hudson, Ohio) highlighted a number of standout individual performances, as Bacharach recorded a career-high on vault and Medeiros posted a pair of top-10 finishes.

North Carolina used a strong outing on beam to capture the team title in its home gym, edging New Hampshire, 193.775-193.600. Maryland wasn’t far behind either, placing third with a total of 193.250.

The host Tar Heels weren’t the only team to impress on beam Saturday afternoon though, as the Tribe put together its finest outing of the season in the event with an even 48.000. W&M also recorded a season-high on floor (47.950), giving the team two outstanding performances in the two events it struggled with in the early part of the season. In a cruel twist of fate however, the Tribe had to count three falls on bars and scored a season-low (45.500) in what had been the team’s most consistent event.

Bacharach, who had only competed on floor this season coming into Saturday’s competition, delivered three remarkable performances, which included a personal best 9.625 on vault. Bacharach also contributed to the success on beam with a 9.625 to place 14th, and the junior added a solid 9.525 on floor.

Medeiros continued her recent resurgence and led the charge on beam with a 10th-place and season-high score of 9.650. Medeiros also matched her season-high on bars with a 9.650 to place 10th and added a solid 9.500 on floor.

Senior Tricia Long (Humble, Texas) recorded the team’s top individual finish with an eighth-place showing on floor and posted a total all-around score of 37.725. Long was solid on vault with a 9.625 and also hit her beam routine with a 9.550.

Sophomore Jen Stack (Enfield, Conn.) continues to develop into a reliable scorer for the Tribe on vault, as she led the team in the event with a career-high 9.650. Junior Meg Vincent (Newport News, Va.) was also strong on vault Saturday scoring a 9.625.

Freshman Melissa Cream (West Windsor, N.J.) and junior Lauren Jackson (Westwood, Mass.) rounded out the team’s season-high score on beam with matching marks of 9.575. For Jackson, the effort on beam stands as a career-high.

Freshman Dina McNaughton (Stoneham, Mass.) also recorded a season and career-high on Saturday, adding to the strong performance on floor with a 9.650 to place 11th. Sophomore Stephanie Bevan (Bridgewater, N.J.) matched her career-high in the event as well, placing 16th with a 9.600.

W&M returns to action next Sunday night at N.C. State.

Final Results

Team Scores: UNC 193.775, UNH 193.600, Maryland 193.250, W&M 189.025

Top Individuals:
Vault: Jen Stack (9.650)
Bars: Ali Medeiros (9.650)
Beam: Ali Medeiros (9.675)
Floor: Tricia Long (9.675)
All-Around: Tricia Long (37.725)