Heading into the conference championship, UC Davis simply looked to eliminate an early 191.575 tally to boost its regional qualifying score and earn a spot in postseason competition.
The Aggies accomplished all of that and more.
The team claimed the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title as Erika Van Dyke and Lida Gehlen helped the team to a 194.150 team total.
Van Dyke tied the school balance beam record with a winning 9.900 score, while Gehlen led a 1-2-3-4 sweep on uneven parallel bars.
Additionally, Kendall McCann captured the MPSF all-around title with a 38.575 score while she delivered a career-high 9.850 score on balance beam in the final rotation.
On bars, Gehlen posted a 9.800 to edge teammate Tanya Ho’s 9.775 mark. Marcy Miller and Jessica Rea weren’t far behind, as they tied for third with matching 9.750 tallies.
Katie Yamamura’s 9.750 score led UC Davis on vault and landed her in second place in the event.
Yamamura and Van Dyke also scored 9.825 as they took part in a five-way tie for third on floor exercise.
Yamamura’s 38.325 total was good for third place in the all-around, just ahead of Ho’s 38.300.
On the previous Sunday, the Aggies honored five athletes at Senior Day as they competed in a non-conference dual meet against No. 8 Stanford.
In addition to honoring seniors Gehlen, McCann, Ho, Christine, Tao and Michelle Bobonski, UC Davis paid tribute to Eve Hui, the team’s student assistant and meet director, and Katie Reinhardt, the 2006 All-American whose career was cut short by injuries.
Despite UC Davis’ effort in posting a 194.575 total – the second-highest team score of the season – Stanford won all four events and the all-around with a final score of 196.600.
Sophomore and Canadian national team member Alyssa Brown placed first on bars with a 9.900 score, as Cardinal Ashley Morgan claimed the meet title on floor exercise with the same 9.900 score.
Carly Janiga scored a winning 9.950 on vault and a 9.925 to take first on balance beam.
Yamamura finished with a second-place 39.075 score in the individual all-around, just behind defending Pacific-10 Conference champion Janiga with 39.575.
Yamamura and Tao posted matching 9.775 scores on balance beam to tie for third, while Gehlen led the Aggies on uneven parallel bars with a tally of 9.775.
After competing against Stanford, UC Davis moved to a 13-4 dual record for the season.
Now, the Aggies await the official word on its status for an NCAA West Regional. If the team does not capture one of the top-36 team berths, several gymnasts are in position to earn individual at-large qualifications.
GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
