Feb. 8, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - Five-time All-America Nicole Ourada scored a career-high in the all-around to help the No. 6 Stanford women's gymnastics team to a 197.1-189.35 victory over UC Davis on Sunday before 1,035 fans at Burnham Pavilion.
Ourada, a senior who was a second-team all-around All-America the past two years, scored 39.625 points to edge teammate Carly Janiga, who scored a season-best 39.55. Behind their efforts, Stanford scored its season-high in total points, and had its best team scores in two events, the floor exercise and vault (each 49.35).
Stanford's 9-0 start is a school record and it came in a meet in which UC Davis (3-4-1) was a late-week replacement for UCLA, which was forced to withdraw because of an illness that afflicted most of the team.
Stanford's strong performance came in the wake of its season-low score in a narrow victory over Arizona last week, and after a poor practice on Friday.
"The Arizona meet was a wakeup call for us," Stanford coach Kristen Smyth said.
"And so was that practice. This was a team that needed to prove to themselves how good they can be."
Stanford certainly did so, especially Ourada and Janiga, who entered with meet with three season all-around victories in as many tries. Janiga scored a season-best of 9.925, matching her career-best.
"They gave us big scores everywhere," Smyth said. "As steady as they are, they added so much in every event. The team really feeds off them and put it all together."
Ourada, who had competed in one all-around so far and began the season nursing a shoulder injury, won all four events, scoring 9.9 in the vault, 9.925 on the bars, 9.875 on the beam, and 9.925 to tie her career high in the floor exercise. Her scores on vault and bars were season-bests as well.
"She was spectacular," Smyth said.
Ourada said a highlight was being able to try a layout on her dismount. Because her teammates had all hit their routines before she closed out the rotation, Ourada could take a chance instead of being conservative, as in past meets.
"We came through by hitting 24 of our 24 routines," said Ourada, who career all-around best was 39.575 in 2007. "We're letting the work that we do in the gym come through in competition. This is what we should expect every weekend."
Other Stanford highlights included season-bests of 9.85 each on floor by Danielle Ikoma and Nicole Pechanec.
The following are complete results for the meet:
Stanford 197.1, UC Davis 189.35
Vault:Stanford 49.35, UC Davis 46.675
Uneven Bars:Stanford 49.25, UC Davis 47.5
Balance Beam:Stanford 49.15UC Davis 47.4
Floor Exercise:Stanford 49.35, UC Davis 47.85
Vault
1, Nicole Ourada (Stan) 9.9; 2, Shelley Alexander (Stan) and Alyssa Brown (Stan), 9.875; 4. Carly Janiga (Stan) and Blair Ryland (Stan) 9.85; 6, Danielle Ikoma (Stan) 9.75;7.Marcy Miller (UCD)9.675;Adee Schoffman (UCD)9.675;9.Lida Gehlen (UCD)9.45;10.Ashley Lachman (UCD)8.975;11.Betsy Lim (UCD)8.9
Uneven Bars
1.Nicole Ourada (Stan)9.925;2.Carly Janiga (Stan)9.9;3.Alyssa Brown (Stan)9.825;4.Kelly Fee (Stan)9.8;Allyse Ishino (Stan)9.8;Nicole Pechanec (Stan)9.8;7.Lida Gehlen (UCD)9.775;8.Adee Schoffman (UCD)9.6;9.Michele Hurlock (UCD)9.55;10.Kayla Koch (UCD)9.3;11.Katie Reinhardt (UCD)9.275;12.March Miller (UCD)9.0
Balance Beam
1.Carly Janiga (Stan)9.875;Nicole Ourada (Stan)9.875;3. Kelly Fee (Stan)9.825;Michele Hurlock (UCD)9.825;5.Heather Purnell (Stan)9.8;6.Shelley Alexander (Stan)9.775;Allyse Ishino (Stan)9.775;8. Erika Van Dyke (UCD)9.75;9.Marcy Miller (UCD)9.725;10.Eve Hui (UCD)9.275;11.Kayla Koch (UCD)8.825;12.Adee Schoffman (UCD)8.4
Floor Exercise
1.Carly Janiga (Stan)9.925;Nicole Ourada (Stan)9.925;3.Danielle Ikoma (Stan)9.85;Nicole Pechanec (Stan)9.85;5.Shelley Alexander (Stan)9.8;Andi Dolinky (UCD)9.8;7.Kelly Fee (Stan)9.775;8. Adee Schoffman (UCD)9.6;9.Ashley Lachman (UCD)9.575;10.Betsy Lim (UCD)9.55;11.Lida Gehlen (UCD)9.325;12.Kayla Koch (UCD)8.475
All-around
1.Nicole Ourada (Stan)39.625;2.Carly Janiga (Stan)39.55;3. Adee Schoffman (UCD)37.275