Sacramento State

Gymnastics 3/9/2024 6:24:00 PM

GYMNASTICS HOLDS SENIOR DAY ON SUNDAY AGAINST ALASKA ANCHORAGE

Hornets to honor six gymnasts who will be appearing at The Nest for the final time in the regular season

OPENING PASS

The Sacramento State gymnastics team will hold its final regular season meet at The Nest as it welcomes Alaska Anchorage on Sunday, Mar. 10, at 2 p.m. Following the meet, Sacramento State will honor six seniors who will be concluding their collegiate careers this season. The group is comprised of Simone Dumas-Guzman, Sarah Fitzgerald, Bella Lahmidi, Emma Morgenthaler, Torri Tavenner and Katelyn Searle.
The Hornets totaled 194.900 in a loss to then-No. 31 Iowa (196.025) last Sunday at home. The score was third-highest for Sacramento State this season with all three coming in the three most recent meets. The team has averaged 195.650 during that stretch and has scored at least 194.025 in its last eight meets. The Hornets raised their NQS score to 194.740 and would need to score higher than 194.675 this week to improve that number.
Links to live stats and a video stream for this week's meet can be found on hornetsports.com.

OPPONENT PREVIEW

Alaska Anchorage will begin its trip to Northern California on Friday, March 8, when it competes at UC Davis. Life on the road is nothing new to the Seawolves as the they have not had a home meet since Jan. 21. UAA has traveled to Connecticut, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Illinois this season before coming to California. This week will also mark the fifth time that the team has had meets on Friday and Sunday during the year.
The team most recently scored 191.200 to finish third in a four-team meet hosted by Northern Illinois on Feb. 25.
The Seawolves enter week ranked 70th with an NQS of 191.355. The team's high score during the season has been 192425 at Brown. Montana Fairbairn is the NQS leader on the team on vault (9.685) and floor (9.745) while freshman Claudia Lessig has the high marks on bars (9.655) and beam (9.725).

A LOOK AT LATEST ACTION

The Sacramento State gymnastics team battled No. 31 Iowa but came up short in a 196.025-194.900 loss to the Hawkeyes on Sunday afternoon at The Nest.
The two teams were tied through the first rotation with each scoring 48.750. The Hornets tallied 48.525 on bars in the second rotation and trailed Iowa by .325 points at the midway point of the meet.
The Hawkeyes gained some separation in the final two rotations. Iowa scored 49.250 on floor compared to a 48.725 from the Hornets on beam. Sacramento State finished with a 48.900 on floor with the Hawkeyes amassing a total of 49.175 on beam in the final rotation.
Sacramento State was led by Rose Wilson and Sarah Lutrel (9.800) on vault, Kara Houghton (9.850) on bars, Athena Jones (9.850) on beam and Grace Gilman (9.850) on floor.

SENIOR SENDOFF

Simone Dumas-Guzman began her collegiate career at Seattle Pacific before joining the Hornets prior to the 2022 season. In her three seasons at Sacramento State, Dumas-Guzman has competed in 20 meets with the majority of the action coming on floor. This season, she is averaging 9.681 on the event with a career high of 9.900 against Air Force.
Sarah Fitzgerald has been in the lineup in 28 meets over the last three seasons. Fitzgerald has competed in all four events during her tenure. She set her career high of 9.825 on vault in 2022 at Stanford and has matched that score on bars in the last two seasons.
Bella Lahmidi debuted with the team in 2020 where she competed in all 10 meets on vault and bars. This week will mark her 31st meet with the team. Lahmidi set her career high on vault of 9.725 as a freshman and matched that score in 2023. That same season she set
Emma Morgenthaler has competed as an all-arounder in all but two of her 31 career meets. Morgenthaler scored a career high 39.325 earlier this season against Air Force which is tied for 11th in school history. She has scored 39-plus 12 times and has earned individual event titles on vault (five times), floor (once) and in the all-around (four times).
Torri Tavenner was a constant on vault and bars for Sacramento State during her first two seasons (2022-23) before being sidelined by a knee injury this year. Tavenner scored 9.850 on bars as a freshman against UC Davis and again the following season against Air Force. She has also scored 9.800 on vault and 9.850 on floor during her career.
Katelyn Searle joined the team performed six routines on beam during the 2022 season. She scored her career high in her first routine.

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 spring 2024.

THIS AND THAT

Sacramento State's has now scored 194-plus in eight consecutive meets. The team's scoring average of 194.653 is the highest through nine meets in program history and makes this year's Hornets one of just four teams to average at least 194 at this point of the season.
Kara Houghton is the highest ranked Hornet in the MPSF standings. Houghton is fourth in the league on bars with an NQS of 9.845. She has scored at least 9.8 in five of the team's eight meets.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Simone Dumas-Guzman: 5' 2"; Senior

Sarah Fitzgerald: 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior

Grace Gilman: 5' 3"; Junior

Kara Houghton: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Bella Lahmidi: 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior

Sarah Lutrel: 5' 4"; Sophomore

Emma Morgenthaler: 4' 11"; Redshirt Junior

Katelyn Searle: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Torri Tavenner: 5' 3"; Redshirt Junior

Athena Jones: 5' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Simone Dumas-Guzman
: 5' 2"; Senior

Sarah Fitzgerald
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior

Grace Gilman
: 5' 3"; Junior

Kara Houghton
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Bella Lahmidi
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior

Sarah Lutrel
: 5' 4"; Sophomore

Emma Morgenthaler
: 4' 11"; Redshirt Junior

Katelyn Searle
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

Torri Tavenner
: 5' 3"; Redshirt Junior

Athena Jones
: 5' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

Dfp ad