Teams: UC Davis at Seattle Pacific
Where: Brougham Pavilion – Seattle, Wash.
When: Friday at 7 p.m.
Who to watch: Kendall McCann won the individual all-around against Seattle Pacific last year with a career-high score of 38.300.
The Belmont, Calif. native came out on top on uneven bars and all-around in that event.
McCann, a senior, was also named All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation on bars, balance beam and all-around last season.
Did you know: Freshman Katie Yamamura was selected Tuesday as the MPSF Gymnast of the Week after a stellar performance in her college debut.
Preview: The Aggies scored 191.000 in their season opener on Sunday, finishing second behind the Spartans of San Jose State at the Pavilion.
The team total marked an all-time program high for a season opener, just above the 190.250 tally from last season’s first event.
UC Davis looks to keep the momentum going as the squad heads north this weekend to compete against long-time conference rival Seattle Pacific.
“Seattle Pacific is always good competition, and we have to work hard up there,” said coach John Lavallee.
When the two squads met in Seattle last year, the Aggies triumphed over the Falcons by a margin of 2.325. Two weeks later at home, UC Davis defeated Seattle Pacific by a season-high score of 192.350.
Tanya Ho had a significant impact on the team’s performance during that event. She came out on top on vault and balance beam with scores of 9.675 in both events. These skills led her to win the meet with a final tally of 38.775.
After the first event, Lavallee said he believes the team is in a good position as they roll into the 2010 campaign.
In Friday’s meet, the Aggies plan to place emphasis on individual performance goals. The program, Lavellee said, is focused on taking consistent strides toward a high level of competition by the time they reach midseason.
– Grace Sprague
