DENTON, TEXAS – The Wildcats battled hard in Denton on Sunday to receive a win over Texas Woman's University, 193.475-192.450. The team improved to 2-0 for the season earning three event titles on uneven bars, balance beam, and the floor exercise.
“There were a lot of highlights and moments of brilliance,” said Arizona head coach Tabitha Yim. “It was nice to see some new faces in the lineup. We had some uncharacteristic performances and gained valuable experience and lessons from our time in Denton. We look forward to getting back to work and for our next home meet on Saturday.”
The Wildcats started strong and took an early lead in the first rotation on bars. The team swept the podium with first, second and third places on the event. Junior Gabrielle Laub received her second bar title of the season with a score of 9.825, junior Selynna Felix-Terrazas earned second with a 9.80 and freshman Dani Spencer and senior Lexi Mills tied for third with a pair of 9.775.
Arizona held on to the lead after the second rotation with senior, Jessie Sisler, Shelby Edwards and junior Maddy Cindric closing out the rotation strong. The trio tied for third place with scores of 9.675.
The team gained momentum with each performance on floor and extended their lead in the third rotation. Sophomore Kennady Schneider garnered another floor victory with a dynamic routine for a 9.80, and a first place finish. Freshman Lauryn Mattson made a splash with her floor debut tying teammates Cindric and Edwards for second place with scores of 9.75.
The Wildcats rallied after counting two falls in the beginning of their final rotation on the balance beam. Skyler Sheppard, a freshman, and teammate Jessie Sisler stepped up big performances to round out the rotation. Sisler earned her first beam title of the season with an #ARIZONASTICK earning her a score of 9.85.
Arizona tallied a number of season and career highs in Denton including Sisler's 9.85 on beam, Cindric's 9.750 on floor and Felix-Terrazas' 9.80 on the uneven bars. The GymCats earned two career highs on the uneven bars from Schneider and freshman Danielle Spencer with 9.75 and 9.775, respectively.
The GymCats look to improve their record to 3-0 when they face No. 5 UCLA at home on Saturday. The Jan. 23 meet will take place at 1 p.m. MST., with doors opening one hour prior to the event. The meet will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
Tickets for Arizona Gymnastics' home meets are on sale through the ticket office (520.621.2287), located on the south side of McKale and can be purchased online at ArizonaWildcats.com. Fans can keep up with the GymCats via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
