Jan. 23, 2004
STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford University women's gymnastics team responded to last week's setback versus Arizona State with a resounding 197.300-194.625 defeat of No. 6 University of Arizona, Friday night in Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal improved their record to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Pac-10 competition in front of 1,022 fans. The Wildcats fall to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference meets.
"The way we performed last weekend, we were disappointed," said Stanford Head Coach Kristen Smyth. "This week in practice we talked about being courageous and competing with our hearts and not over thinking."
Led by senior Lise L?veill? and sophomore Natalie Foley, the Cardinal captured the top three spots in the all-around en route to tallying a season-high score of 197.300. L?veill? and Foley tied for first in the all-around with a score of 39.650, while teammate Lindsay Wing was right on their heels with a score of 39.500.
"Lise and Natalie are two of the best gymnasts in the country," said Smyth. "They have such an amazing work ethic. They are just incredible."
The Cardinal started the night on the vault and set the tone for the rest of the evening, scoring a 49.225 as a team to capture the lead, which they wouldn't relinquish. Foley and L?veill? shined for the Cardinal, posting scores of 9.925 and 9.900, respectively.
Stanford led 49.225-48.625 after the first event and moved on to the uneven bars, where the Cardinal captured the top four scores in that event. Foley posted the highest score of the night, recording a 9.900, while L?veill? registered a 9.850. Senior Caroline Fluhrer and Wing tied for the third best score of the evening, each collecting a 9.825.
The Cardinal moved on to the balance beam where they posted a team score of 49.425. Wing, the three-time defending Pac-10 champion on the beam, was near flawless, turning in a 9.950, tying the fifth best score on the beam in program history. L?veill? and Foley also turned in extraordinary performances as well posting scores of 9.925 and 9.900, respectively.
The Cardinal needed a strong finish in the floor exercise to wrap up the win and they didn't disappoint. Needing to hit 5-for-5 routines because of a scratch in the lineup, the Cardinal were spectacular. Senior Shelly Goldberg started things off, registering a 9.775, followed by Wing who turned in a 9.875. It was Fluhrer's turn next and the senior from Seattle, WA tied Arizona's Katie Johnson for the highest score of the evening on floor with a 9.950. Foley capped her night with a 9.925 performance. For the evening, Foley scored no lower than a 9.900 in any of the four events. L?veill? was the final performer of the evening for the Cardinal and the senior from Burnaby, British Columbia ended the meet with an exclamation point, recording a 9.950 to tie for the highest score of the night on floor and tying Foley for first place in the all-around.
The Cardinal are back in action next weekend when they host the Washington Huskies on Friday, January 30th.