Gymnastics 2/16/2023 5:17:00 PM

GYMNASTICS RETURNS TO THE NEST TO HOST SAN JOSE STATE ON FRIDAY

Hornets back home for Wellness Night; First meet at The Nest in nearly a month

OPENING PASS

The Sacramento State gymnastics team will start a stretch of three-consecutive home meets when it welcomes San Jose State to The Nest for a dual meet on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be the second of four between the two teams this season.
The Hornets most recently scored 194.625 in a dual at UC Davis last Sunday. The score raised the team's average to 193.650 through the first six meets of the season. However, over the last four meets, Sacramento State is averaging 194.531 with a high of 195.100.
This week's meet will be just the third home competition for the Hornets this season. The meet will also serve as Wellness Night. Each Hornet gymnast will wear a ribbon in their hair to help support and raise awareness for a cause that is meaningful to them.
Links to live scoring and a live video stream can be found on hornetsports.com.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

San Jose State is ranked 33rd in the latest national standings with an average of 195.670. The Spartans have scored at least 195.150 on all five of its meets and own a high of 196.300 which came on Feb. 5 at UC Davis.
Lauren Macpherson earned her third MPSF Gymnast of the Week award — and second in as many weeks — following her performance against Air Force. Macpherson won the all-around with a total of 39.375 which tied for the sixth highest score in school history. She currently leads the MPSF with an all-around average of 38.150 and also owns the high score of 39.375.
Macpherson is not the only Spartan to lead the MPSF this season. Emma Milne owns the top spot on bars (9.870) and beam (9.870) and Jada Mazury has an average of 9.885 on floor.
San Jose State is coached by Joanne Bowers who is now in her fifth season. Prior to coming to SJSU, Bowers was the head coach at Washington from 2007-16.
The Spartans lead the all-time series against the Hornets, 60-53-1, dating back to 1992.

A LOOK AT THE LATEST ACTION

Emma Morgenthaler scored a career high 39.250 to win the all-around to help a depleted Sacramento State team to a score of 194.625 on Sunday at UC Davis. The host Aggies won the meet with a season best 196.750.
The Hornets opened the meet with a season high total of 48.825 on bars and were led by career bests from freshman Kara Houghton and Sarah Fitzgerald who each scored 9.800. Fitzgerald had not competed in the lineup this season but was inserted after Amber Koeth was ruled out due to illness. Bella Lahmidi added a 9.775 while Morgenthaler and Sarah Lutrel each scored 9.725.
The team then turned to vault where it scored 48.425. Morgenthaler set a season high 9.875 to place second in the meet and pace the Hornets. Fitzgerald followed with a 9.775 to finish fifth. The team also counted a 9.725 from Lutrel and a 9.700 from Lahmidi.
Sacramento State followed its season high of 48.850 on floor set last week at Air Force with a 48.800 on Sunday. Morgenthaler had a season high 9.850 to pace the team. The Hornets also counted four scores between 9.700 and 9.775.
Morgenthaler completed her career best all-around with a 9.800 on beam to lead Sacramento State to a team score of 48.575. Lutrel and Grace Gilman each scored 9.750. Morgenthaler's all-around of 39.250 topped her previous vest of 39.175 against Alaska Anchorage/San Jose State/Texas Woman's on Feb. 18, 2022.
UC Davis accounted for the individual event winner on all four events as Keanna Abraham won vault with a 9.925; Marisa Laird scored 9.875 on bars, Rachel Schuelke-Lombardi received a 9.875 on beam and Amelia Moneymaker and Abraham tied for first on floor with 9.925s.

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.

STEPPING UP

The Hornets were without the services of Amber Koeth and Peyton Gillen last weekend at UC Davis, leaving the team four routines to fill. Redshirt sophomore Sarah Fitzgerald did a lot of the heavy lifting, recording season highs in her three events. Fitzgerald started the meet with a 9.800 in her first competitive routine on bars this year. She followed with a 9.775 on vault and then ended her day with a 9.600 on beam (also her first competitive routine of 2023).
Bella Lahmidi was a late add on floor and responded with a 9.725 in her first routine in the lineup this year. The senior also had a career best 9.775 on bars and was just shy of her season high on vault with a 9.725.

LOOKING TO CRACK THE TOP 100

All-arounders Sarah Lutrel and Emma Morgenthaler both find themselves just outside the top 100 in the nation in the all-around heading into this week. Lutrel is 101st with an average 38.650 while Morgenthaler is 106th at 38.567. The pair have competed as all-arounders in each meet this year and have recorded identical scores in two of the first six meets, scoring 38.45 in the opener against UC Davis and 39.150 in the home meet against Alaska Anchorage.
With the first rounds of National Qualifying Scores being released this week, Lutrel moved all the way up to 42nd nationally with Morgenthaler three spots back. However, not every team or gymnast have enough scores to create an NQS at this point of the year. Another high score for Lutrel could result in a large increase in her NQS as she is currently counting a 37.525. Morgenthaler's current low is 38.100.

THIS AND THAT

Sacramento State has competed 13 gymnasts this season, including all four freshmen.
The Hornets have not used the same lineup in any event this season. The closest the team has come is on bars and beam where they have used the same six for four of the last five meets.
Sacramento State will generate its first NQS following this week's meet. NQS is used to determine postseason berths and is created by taking a team's/athlete's top six scores, removing the top score and then averaging the next five. Of those top six scores, only three can come at home.

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Players Mentioned

Sarah Fitzgerald: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

Peyton Gillen: 5' 3"; Senior

Grace Gilman: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Amber Koeth: 5' 6"; Graduate Student

Bella Lahmidi: 5' 7"; Senior

Emma Morgenthaler: 4' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

Kara Houghton: 5' 3"; Freshman

Sarah Lutrel: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sarah Fitzgerald
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

Peyton Gillen
: 5' 3"; Senior

Grace Gilman
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Amber Koeth
: 5' 6"; Graduate Student

Bella Lahmidi
: 5' 7"; Senior

Emma Morgenthaler
: 4' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

Kara Houghton
: 5' 3"; Freshman

Sarah Lutrel
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

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