GYMNASTICS STARTS HOMESTAND AGAINST AIR FORCE ON FRIDAY

Hornets to compete at The Nest in next three meets

OPENING PASS

The Sacramento State gymnastics team will start the first of three-straight home meets as it welcomes Air Force on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. The matchup against the Falcons is the second this season and comes just two weeks after the teams met in Colorado. This week's action will serve as the annual "Tied Together" meet. Hornet gymnasts will wear tie-dyed leotards to help raise awareness for understanding and acceptance.
The Hornets are coming off a season-high 195.225 in a three-team meet hosted by Boise State and also containing Southern Utah. The score was the highest on the road for Sacramento State since 2017.
Links to live stats and a video stream for this week's meet can be found on hornetsports.com.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

Air Force finished second in a home three-team meet last Friday. The Falcons scored 194.350 to finish behind UC Davis (195.475) and ahead of Centenary (185.375). Freshman Maggie Slife won the all-around for the fourth time this season, totaling 39.225 to finish a tenth ahead of UC Davis' Amelia Moneymaker.
Slife lead the team on vault (9.806 average) and floor (9.819) and is second on bars (9.765) and beam (9.787). Her all-around average of 39.306 ranks 40th nationally.
Air Force is coached by Jennifer Green who is in her fourth season. The Hornets lead the all-time series with the Falcons, 24-9, but have come up short in five of the last six meets.
In the most recent meeting, Air Forced edged Sacramento State (194.875-194.475) on Feb. 9 in Cadet Gym. Slife finished first on vault, bars and in the all-around and also tied for first on beam along with Sarah Lutrel.

A LOOK AT LATEST ACTION

Sarah Lutrel scored a career high in the all-around and Sacramento State recorded its highest score of the season in a three-team meet at ExtraMile Arena last Friday night. The meet was won by Boise State which scored 196.650. Southern Utah was second at 196.250 while the Hornets score 195.225.
Sacramento State opened the meet on beam and scored a season-best 48.700 while being led by Lutrel's 9.825. The team then moved to floor and totaled a 49.050 for its highest score on any event this year. Four Hornets scored at least 9.800 led by a 9.850 from Emma Morgenthaler.
Sacramento State was led by a 9.825 from Lutrel on vault to total 48.800. The team closed the meet on bars where freshmen Rose Wilson and Jillianne Lastra each scored 9.800.
Along with Lutrel's career high in the all-around, Emma Morgenthaler had a four-event total of 38.975.

A LONG TIME COMING

Sacramento State will unveil a new training facility early in the 2024 season. The building, which is located on Folsom Blvd. and is within walking distance of campus, will be mark the first time the Hornets will have access to its own facility in school history.
The training site will have a full size competition floor and several sets of the other apparatus. The facility is expected to open in February 2024.

NUMBERS GAME

Sacramento State's team total of 195.225 was its highest road score since a 195.275 on March 10, 2017 in a three-team meet against Arizona State. The team has had five scores higher than last week's mark since that point, but all five have been at The Nest. The recent occasion came last season where the Hornets scored 194.450 against San Jose State, UC Davis and Southern Utah on March 3.
The team's scoring average 194.307 is the second-highest in school history through seven meets. The only team with a higher average was the 2016 team which had a mark of 194.568 on its way to the MPSF championship.

TAKING IT UP A NOTCH

A week after scoring 39 points for the first time this season in the all-around, Sarah Lutrel raised the bar higher with a career high 39.175 against Boise State and Southern Utah. The score topped her previous high of 39.150 which came last season at home against Alaska Anchorage. Most recently, Lutrel scored a season-high 9.825 on vault, 9.700 on bars, a season-high tying 9.825 on beam and 9.825 on floor.
Lutrel is now averaging 38.779 in the all-around this season which places her 104th nationally and fifth in the MPSF. The Citrus Heights, Calif., native also leads the team with an average of 9.754 on vault and 9.654 on beam.

RAISING THE ROOF ON FLOOR

Sacramento State scored over 49 points on a event for the first time this season when the team totaled 49.050 on floor last week at Boise State. The Hornets got off to a fast start as Simone Dumas-Guzman and Kara Houghton each received 9.800s. The score was a career-best for Dumas-Guzman. Following a career-high tying 9.775 from Athena Jones, Emma Morgenthaler added a team-high 9.850. Lutrel completed the rotation with a 9.825.
The score was the highest on any event for the team since a 49.200 on beam at the Cal quad meet on Mar. 12, 2023. The last time the team broke 49 points on floor was a 49.200 at home against San Jose State, Southern Utah and UC Davis on Mar. 3, 2023. Friday night's score was the highest on floor in a road meet for Sacramento State since scoring 49.225 at UC Davis/Cal on Mar. 11, 2016.