Leal-Restrepo Guides Rutgers Gymnastics To Tri-Meet Victory
Feb 06 | Women's Gymnastics
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Feb. 6, 2011) – Freshman Luisa Leal-Restrepo (Cali, Colombia) won the all-around, vault, bars and floor exercise titles to guide the Rutgers gymnastics team to a tri-meet victory over Yale and Ithaca Sunday afternoon inside the John J. Lee Amphitheater on the campus of Yale. The Scarlet Knights posted a team score of 190.575 to take first place over second-place Yale’s 184.975 and third-place Ithaca’s 177.925.
Leal-Restrepo led two Scarlet Knights atop the leader board in the all-around with a score of 38.775. Fellow freshman Alyssa Straub (Nazareth, Pa.) scored a 37.975 to place second overall in her second career meet in the all-around.
The Scarlet Knights once again dominated the floor exercise, capturing the top five spots in the event and tying their season-high team score of 49.025 in the event which is tied for the second-highest mark in school history. Leal-Restrepo took home the event crown with a career-high tying score of 9.875, while senior Kiah Banfield (Newbury Park, Calif.) was a close second with a score of 9.850 and sophomore Danielle D’Elia (Colts Neck, N.J.) was a close third with a score of 9.825. Straub posted a score of 9.750 to place fourth, while fellow freshman Alexis Gunzelman (Tabernacle, N.J.) was right behind in fifth with a score of 9.725.
RU gymnasts placed in the top three on the vault with Leal-Restrepo leading the way with a score of 9.800. Straub placed second in the event with a score of 9.700, while sophomore Jenna Zito (Rockaway, N.J.) placed third with a score of 9.600.
Leal-Restrepo scored a 9.700 to take home the bars title, edging Gunzelman, her freshman teammate, who scored a 9.675 to place second overall in the event. D’Elia placed fourth with a score of 9.300 on the bars.
D’Elia placed a close second to lead the Scarlet Knights on the balance beam with a score of 9.600. Senior Leigh Heinbaugh (Sicklerville, N.J.) tied for third place in the event with a score of 9.500. Yale’s Stephanie Goldstein won the bars title with a score of 9.675.
Rutgers returns to action next Saturday, Feb. 12 when the Scarlet Knights travel to New York to face SUNY Cortland at 2 p.m.
