GYMNASTS IMPROVE TO 4-0 IN 2010 AFTER WINNING THEIR OWN UNH INVITATIONAL

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DURHAM, N.H.— The University of New Hampshire women’s gymnastics team posted an outstanding team score of 195.0 to improve to 4-0 on the 2010 season and win its own UNH Invitational in front of 927 fans in Lundholm Gymnasium.

The Wildcats were followed in second place by Ball State (192.850), then Utah State (191.650) and Yale (186.525).

“It was great to score a 195.0 at our first home meet and we were able to hit on 22 of our 24 sets,” said 31st-year head coach Gail Goodspeed. “And because both falls were on different events we did not have to count any. I was particularly happy with our performance on bars and beam, two events that have given us trouble in the past. We hit 6 of 6 on bars and 5 of 6 on beam. The great thing is that this may not even be our top lineup as we will be getting some gymnasts back in the lineup and are capable of scoring even higher as a team.”

UNH’s scores were also through the roof in the floor exercise as the Wildcats posted an impressive mark of 49.125 to lead all four teams in the event. UNH’s top all-time score on floor as a program is 49.4, which was recorded in 2001 and 2004.

Looking at the top individual performances for the meet, senior co-captain Taryn LaFountain (Utica, N.Y.) was strong with first-place scores of 9.85 on balance beam and a high mark of 9.925 in the floor exercise, good for her career-best in the event.

The Wildcats were nearly flawless on balance beam, recording the top four finishes. After LaFountain, junior Chelsea Steinberg (Ridgewood, N.J.) was second (9.80), sophomore Danielle Reibold (Horsham, Pa.) was third (9.775) and senior Julie Sauchuk was fourth with a 9.75.

Steinberg also tied for second on vault with senior Helena Diodati (Scarborough, Maine), as each gymnast recorded a 9.75, and Diodati led the meet with a first-place finish on bars with a judgement of 9.875, followed closely in second-place by Reibold with a 9.85.

In the floor exercise, Sauchuk tied her career-high score of 9.9 to tie for second place overall as the Wildcats notched five of the top nine finishes overall.

The Wildcats return to action next Sunday (Jan. 24) when the squad travels to compete at Brown along with Southern Connecticut and MIT. The meet begins at 1 p.m. The next home meet for UNH is set for Sat., Jan. 30, when the squad entertains EAGL foe Pittsburgh. That meet begins at 4 p.m. in Lundholm Gymnasium.