Gymnastics 1/6/2023 5:35:00 PM

GYMNASTICS TO OPEN 2023 SEASON AT HOME ON SUNDAY

Hornets start the season against UC Davis at 2 p.m.

OPENING PASS

The Sacramento State gymnastics team will open the 2023 season on Sunday, Jan. 9, against UC Davis. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. and take place at The Nest.
The Hornets have started the season against the Aggies each season since 2013 (with the exception of the cancelled 2021 campaign). However, this year will be only the second dual meet between the two teams to start the season. In 2020, UC Davis edged Sacramento State, 191.825-191.175.
Sunday's meet will also serve as Kids Day. All children aged 12 and under will receive free admission. Hornet gymnasts will also sign autograph posters following the meet.
Those not attending can watch the live stream on ESPN+.
Live scoring can also be accessed to via hornetsports.com.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

UC Davis will have a new coaching staff in 2023 but have a couple of familiar faces to the Hornets. Tanya Ho, who competed at UC Davis before serving as an assistant at Sacramento State and head coach at Alaska Anchorage, will be the Aggies' interim head coach in 2023. One of Ho's first hires was Cassie Hall (née Benning) who was a standout for Sacramento State from 2013-16 where she was a five-time all-MPSF honorees.
UC Davis finished second at last season's MPSF Championships and narrowly missed advancing to an NCAA regional as it placed 42nd with an NQS of 195.915.
Along with a new coaching staff, the Aggie lineup will also have a new look as the team graduated five seniors who each played a large role for UC Davis a year ago. Senior Lauren Clagg and junior Emma Otsu are the two returners for UCD which have experience as an all-arounder. Sophomores Keanna Abraham and Megan Ray also return after magnificent freshman seasons which saw the pair advance the NCAA Seattle Regional on vault and floor, respectively.
Sacramento State holds a 58-49 lead over the Aggies in the all-time series. However, UC Davis has won the last 15 meetings and 21 of the previous 22. The Hornets' last victory over the Aggies came on March 16, 2018 (195.275-194.475).

A LOOK BACK

Sacramento State returned to competition last January for the first time since March of 2020. The Hornets finished the season with a 3-16 overall record and finished fourth at the MPSF Championships.
The team's two highest totals during the year both came in dual meets against UC Davis. Sacramento State tallied a 195.000 at home against the Aggies on Feb. 11 and later scored 195.400 at The Nest on March 5.
Four Hornets earned all-MPSF honors led by Amber Koeth and Emma Morgenthaler who were named to the first team on beam and vault, respectively. Koeth was also a second team selection on bars and floor while Morgenthaler also added a second team honor in the all-around. Grace Gilman and Sarah Fitzgerald were named second team all-MPSF on vault.
Following the regular season, Koeth and Morgenthaler each advanced to the NCAA Seattle Regional. Morgenthaler competed on vault while Koeth was a specialist on beam.

SOLORIO ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT FOLLOWING 2023

After close to 40 years at Sacramento State, head coach Randy Solorio announced that he will retire following the 2023 season. Solorio joined the Hornet coaching staff as an assistant coach in 1986 and then transitioned to head coach prior to the 2016 season.
During his career, the Hornets have won eight conference titles, made four NCAA regional appearances as a team and have accounted for all of the team and individual scores in the school top 10.

SUPER SENIORS

The Hornet roster received a couple of added bonuses with the return of Amber Koeth and Karissa Hoffman for their fifth-year of eligibility. Both graduated last season and are pursuing additional degrees at Sacramento State but were allowed to return due to the COVID cancellation of the 2021 season.
Koeth competed on bars, beam and floor in all 11 regular season meets last year. She led the Hornets and ranked second in the MPSF with an NQS of 9.880 on beam. That score ranked second in school history trailing only current assistant head coach Melissa Genovese's mark of 9.885 from 2008. She set career highs in each event during the season with a 9.875 on bars and 9.900 on beam and floor.
Hoffman made her first appearance in four years with the team when she performed an exhibition on bars in the final three meets of the regular season. Her return, following several devastating injuries, was highlighted by a 9.775 against UC Davis.

CALL IT A COMEBACK

Anna LeRoy is slated to return to competition for the first time since 2020. LeRoy was a second team all-MPSF selection on floor as a true freshman that season and then suffered a knee injury prior to last season.
The team is also hoping for a full season from Bella Lahmidi. The senior was sidelined by an ankle injury for most of 2022. She returned for the final two meets of the season. Lahmidi was in the lineup on vault and bars for all 10 meets in 2020 and the final five meets on floor.
On a negative note, the team will be without Katelyn Searle for the 2023 season as she suffered a knee injury.

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

Kara Houghton (Parker, Colo./Colorado Gymnastics Institute): Competed at Level 10 for four years…placed sixth in the all-around and fourth on floor exercise at the 2019 State Championship…in 2021, she placed second in the all-around, first on bars and second on floor at the State Championships…qualified for the 2021 Junior Olympics.
Sarah Lutrel (Citrus Heights, Calif./Byers Gymnastics): Competed at Level 10 for four years…was a two-time Region 1 qualifier…was fifth at the 2022 state championships on vault.
Olivia Schmitt (Kansas City, Mo./Fuzion Gymnastics): Competed at Level 10 for five years…finished first on bars and second in the all-around for her division at the 2021 state championships…advanced to the 2021 national championships.
Rylin Zimmerman (Greenacres, Wash./Dynamic Gymnastics Academy): Competed at Level 10 for three years…two-time national qualifier…finished first in her session at the 2022 state championships on bars, floor and in the all-around.

PROBABLE SACRAMENTO STATE LINEUP

	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor
1.	Bella Lahmidi	Emma Morgenthaler	Emma Morgenthaler	Anna LeRoy
2.	Olivia Schmitt	Torri Tavenner	Grace Gilman	Sarah Lutrel
3.	Sarah Fitzgerald	Sarah Lutrel	Rylin Zimmerman	Olivia Schmitt
4.	Sarah Lutrel	Kara Houghton	Sarah Lutrel	Grace Gilman
5.	Grace Gilman	Bella Lahmidi	Peyton Gillen	Emma Morgenthaler
6.	Emma Morgenthaler	Amber Koeth	Amber Koeth	Amber Koeth
ex.	Rylin Zimmerman	Grace Gilman	Kelly MacLeod	Kara Houghton
ex.	---	Sarah Fitzgerald	Sarah Fitzgerald	Simone Dumas-Guzman

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Players Mentioned

Simone Dumas-Guzman: 5' 2"; Junior

Sarah Fitzgerald: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

Peyton Gillen: 5' 3"; Senior

Grace Gilman: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Karissa Hoffman: 5' 2"; Graduate Student

Amber Koeth: 5' 6"; Graduate Student

Bella Lahmidi: 5' 7"; Senior

Anna LeRoy: 5' 3"; Senior

Kelly MacLeod: 5' 2"; Senior

Emma Morgenthaler: 4' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Simone Dumas-Guzman
: 5' 2"; Junior

Sarah Fitzgerald
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

Peyton Gillen
: 5' 3"; Senior

Grace Gilman
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Karissa Hoffman
: 5' 2"; Graduate Student

Amber Koeth
: 5' 6"; Graduate Student

Bella Lahmidi
: 5' 7"; Senior

Anna LeRoy
: 5' 3"; Senior

Kelly MacLeod
: 5' 2"; Senior

Emma Morgenthaler
: 4' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

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