Rutgers Gymnastics Places Second In Home Tri-Meet
Feb 04 | Women's Gymnastics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Feb. 4, 2011) – The freshman trio of Alexis Gunzelman (Tabernacle, N.J.), Luisa Leal-Restrepo (Cali, Colombia) and Alyssa Straub (Nazareth, Pa.) each claimed first place finishes in the uneven bars, floor exercise and vault, respectively, to guide the Rutgers gymnastics team to a second-place finish in a home tri-meet with Bridgeport and Brown in front of 723 fans inside the Livingston Recreation Center Friday evening.
The Scarlet Knights recorded a team score of 191.225 to place just behind Bridgeport’s 191.975, while Brown finished third with a score of 188.300.
The Scarlet Knights claimed the top five spots in the floor exercise and posted a team score of 49.025, which tied for the second-highest team score in that particular event in school history. It was RU’s highest team total in the floor exercise since a school-record score of 49.200 on March 4, 2000. The Scarlet Knights also scored a 49.025 on March 1, 2000.
Leal-Restrepo’s career-best total of 9.875 claimed first place in the floor exercise, while senior Kiah Banfield (Newbury Park, Calif.) recorded a 9.850 to place second. Straub and sophomore Danielle D’Elia (Colts Neck, N.J.) scored a 9.775 to tie for third and sophomore Jenna Zito (Rockaway, N.J.) posted a score of 9.750 to tie for fifth place in the event.
RU took the top three spots on the bars, led by Gunzelman’s career-best 9.850 to take first place in the event. Leal-Restrepo scored a 9.775 to place second, while senior Erica Gerlach (Paplillion, Neb.) posted a 9.725 to tie for third place on the bars.
Straub scored a 9.825 to tie for first place on the vault with Bridgeport’s Monica Mesalles, while Leal-Restrepo recorded a 9.700 to place third. Banfield and Gunzelman each recorded a 9.675 on the vault to tie for fourth place.
Bridgeport’s Chelsea Matteson, Breana Collins and Caroline McAvity shared the title on the balance beam with a score of 9.775. Straub led the Scarlet Knights in the event with a score of 9.550 to place sixth overall.
Straub led three Scarlet Knights and placed second overall in the all-around with a score of 38.825 in her first career competition in all four events. Leal-Restrepo scored a 38.125, while Zito posted a 37.600 in the all-around. Mesalles of Bridgeport scored a 38.875 in the all-around to claim first place. Each of Straub’s event scores was a career-best total for the freshman
Rutgers will be back in action Sunday as the Scarlet Knights round out the weekend in New Haven, Conn. against Yale at 2 p.m.
