Ladies Gymnastics Take Center Stage
Information provided by GoCentenary
The Ladies Gymnastics are headed to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to participate in the Midwest Independent Championship (MIC) this past week. They are joined by the host, the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks, Lindenwood University, Illinois State University, and Texas Woman's University. The rotation order for the meet is: Centenary, Illinois State, Lindenwood, SEMO, and TWU.
In preparation for this weekend, the Ladies earned their highest score (192.475) in eight years last Saturday to highlight a second-place finish on Senior Night versus Lindenwood in a MIC dual meet at the Gold Dome. The 192.475 is Centenary's season high and its highest team score since posting a 193.775 on March 15, 2015 versus New Hampshire. The Ladies earned their best score of the season on vault (48.325) against Lindenwood and tallied six individual career highs.
Sophomore Carissa Martinez won the vault competition with a new career-high 9.75 and senior Taylor Ann Wilson tied for the bars title with a season-high score of 9.85, matching the Lions' Hannah Appleget. Freshman Amy Foret won All-Around with a career-high 38.425, winning the AA for the fourth time this season and third-straight meet. She also posted a new career high on vault (9.60). Sophomore Emma Lavelle placed second on beam with a new career-high 9.80.
Martinez finished third on floor with another career-high 9.80, and also tied for fourth on beam (9.75). Senior Kendall Huff tied for fourth on vault with a 9.70, Lacey Wedge tied for sixth (9.675), and Foret and Johnson tied for eighth (9.60). Freshman Sophie Schmitz finished seventh on bars (9.675) and the Ladies finished 8th through 11th on beam – Foret (9.70), senior Kennedy Stephens finished ninth (9.65), junior Rylie Molina placed 10th (9.575), and senior Rose Deshler finished 11th at 9.50. Foret set a new career high on bars (9.425).
Senior Leilani Johnson won the floor competition with a career-high 9.90 - marking the highest individual score by a Centenary gymnast since Navia Jordan earned a 9.90 on floor at the 2016 USA Gymnastics Championships. Johnson's score tied Jordan's for the highest in the division III era (2013-present). She is this week's recipient of the MIC Coaches' Choice Award as she earned one of the four individual honors that the conference chooses on a weekly basis and received it for the first time this season. Johnson, in the final home meet of her career, helped lead the Ladies to their highest team score in eight years to highlight a second-place finish versus the Lions in a Midwest Independent Conference dual meet at the Gold Dome. The Ladies' 192.475, their best of the season, is their highest team score since posting a 193.775 on March 15, 2015 versus New Hampshire. She also tied for eighth place on vault with a 9.60.
Good luck to the Ladies!
