TUCSON, Ariz. – The GymCats opened the 2019 season on the road in Mount Pleasant, Mich. on Sunday to compete against Central Michigan, Illinois, and Bridgeport. Arizona placed second in the quad meet with a final score of 194.750
CMU finished first with a final score of 194.875, Illinois finished third with a 192.850, and Bridgeport finished fourth with a 192.575.
"We came in with the mindset to focus on our competition goals and to have fun," said head coach
John Court. "There were some fantastic performances by several athletes and the bar team was amazing today. In the end, the second-place finish was a result of the team's focus and we have a starting point to improve on into our meet next weekend."
Great Start to the 2019 Season
Arizona had top individual finishes on vault, uneven bars, and balance beam. On vault,
Maddi Leydin earned gold for her first-place finish with a career-high of 9.875 and
Heather Swanson tied CMU's Sydney Williams for second with a score of 9.825. On the uneven bars,
Christina Berg tied her career high as she placed first with a score of 9.925, and
MacKinzie Kane and
Danielle Spencer tied for second with CMU's Gianna Plaksa, scoring 9.825. On the balance beam, senior
Haylie Hendrickson placed second with a score of 9.800.
Arizona Earns a 49.100 on the Uneven Bars
The GymCats dazzled fans when they earned a 49.100 on the uneven bars to open the season.
Christina Berg led Arizona with a 9.925,
MacKinzie Kane and
Danielle Spencer both finished with a 9.825, Swanson earned a 9.775, and
Haylie Hendrickson scored a 9.750.
Maddi Leydin Takes First Place in the All-Around Competition
Maddi Leydin competed in the All-Around competition for the second year in a row. She came in first place with an All-Around score of 39.050, ahead of four other All-Around competitors from CMU, Illinois, and Bridgeport.
New Career Highs
Christina Berg: UB – 9.925 (tied)
Courtney Cowles: FX – 9.650
Sydney Freidin: BB – 9.700
Haylie Hendrickson: FX – 9.525
MacKinzie Kane: V – 9.650; UB – 9.825
Maddi Leydin: V – 9.875
Adra Parks: BB – 9.700
Heather Swanson: UB – 9.775
The Cats will host their first home meet of the season against Arkansas next Saturday, January 12 at 3 p.m. MST.
Stay connected with Arizona Gymnastics!
You can follow the team at arizonawildcats.com/gymnastics, on Facebook (Facebook.com/ArizonaGymnastics), Twitter (@ArizonaGymCats) and Instagram (@arizonagymnastics).
