March 4, 2005
Salt Lake City, Utah - The Stanford women's gymnastics squad set several team and individual season-highs in placing third at the Utah quad meet in Salt Lake City on Friday evening. The No. 3 ranked Utes captured first place with a 197.425 team score, while No. 6 Florida took second with a 196.450, and Cal scored a 191.500 to finish fourth. The Cardinal's score of 196.025 set a team season-high, eclipsing a last week's high score of 195.300 against Arizona State.
The Cardinal was exceptionally strong on both uneven bars and floor exercise on Friday, finishing second in both events. Stanford registered a team score of 49.125 to edge Florida for second place on bars, and finished just behind Utah's team score of 49.275. The team was led by freshman Tabitha Yim, who tied Utah's Nicolle Ford for second place with a 9.900 score. Freshmen Lauren Elmore and Liz Tricase tied for fifth on bars, receiving identical 9.825 scores.
Coach Smyth's squad finished second in the floor exercise, scoring a team season-high 49.250 to finish behind Utah's 49.525. Tricase and junior Natalie Foley were two of six gymnasts to tie for third on floor, posting 9.900 scores that also tied the team's season-high in the event. Elmore and freshman Stephanie Gentry contributed to the team score, with each scoring a 9.825 to tie for ninth on floor.
Yim was also impressive on balance beam, finishing fourth with a score of 9.875 and tying her own personal season-high on the event. Tricase competed on beam for the first time since January 28th, tying for sixth place with a 9.825. As a team, the Cardinal registered a score of 48.825 on beam, tying a season-high score that was set at Central Michigan on February 4th.
Tricase was the top all-around competitor for the Cardinal, finishing in fourth place and setting a team season-high with a 39.325. Foley captured sixth in the all-around with a 39.250, while Elmore set a personal season-high with a 38.950 score to finish 10th.
Gentry was Stanford's top finisher on vault, scoring a personal-best 9.850 to tie with Florida's Katie Rue and Chantelle Tousek for seventh place. Foley and Tricase tied for 12th on vault with 9.800 scores.
The Cardinal competed without junior All-American Glyn Sweets for the second straight week due to an injury.
Utah's Ford captured the all-around title, notching a score of 39.625. Ford's teammate, Ashley Postell, finished second with a score of 39.600. Utah gymnasts captured the top two spots in every event, while placing the top three finishers on vault and the top four finishers in the floor exercise. As a team, the Utes placed first in all four events to round out the quad meet win.
Stanford returns to The Farm on Sunday to face No. 7 ranked Alabama in a dual meet at Maples Pavilion, matching up the two teams that tied for third at last season's NCAA Super Six.
Utah Quad
1. Utah - 197.425
2. Florida - 196.450
3. Stanford - 196.025
4. Cal - 191.500
Top Cardinal Finishers
Vault
7. Stephanie Gentry9.850
12. Natalie Foley9.800
Liz Tricase9.800
Bars
2. Tabitha Yim9.900
5. Liz Tricase9.850
12. Natalie Foley9.775
Beam
4. Tabitha Yim9.875
6. Liz Tricase9.825
14. Natalie Foley9.775
Floor
3. Liz Tricase9.900
3. Natalie Foley9.900
9. Lauren Elmore9.825
9. Stephanie Gentry9.825
All-Around
4. Liz Tricase39.375
6. Natalie Foley38.250
10. Lauren Elmore, Stanford38.950