After several close contests against top-10 ranked team in recent weeks, a strong team effort carried No. 25 State over No. 10 Nebraska and North Carolina in the Sweetheart Invitational Saturday night at Reynolds Coliseum. State finished 195.575, .575 ahead of Nebraska and well ahead of UNC-Chapel Hill’s 193.875.
It was the biggest upset State has ever recorded and the first time it defeated Nebraska.
“Our coaches have been telling us that we are just as good as anybody else, and tonight, it showed,” sophomore Jess Panza said.
Freshman Rachel Fincham won the uneven bars and Panza earned a personal best with a 39.225 in all-around. The Pack had three gymnasts – Panza, senior Taylor Seaman and sophomore Brook Barr – finish over a 39 in all-around, though all three finished below UNC star Christine Nguyen. Barr and Seaman tied season highs.
“If we don’t do our personal bests against a team like Nebraska, we’re not going to win,” head coach Mark Stevenson said. “They hit a home run for us tonight.”
All three teams dressed out in leotards featuring pink designs in order to honor breast cancer survivors. UNC-Chapel Hill’s and Nebraska’s included the pink ribbon that has become synonymous with breast cancer research.
State started on vault. Brittany Vontz and Taylor Seaman went first and second and set up the meet with two nearly flawless performances. Vontz earned a 9.775 and Seaman scored a 9.875.
“I was super impressed with Taylor Seaman,” Stevenson said. “She’s really struggled on vault this year, but that was the best vault I’ve seen her do probably since her freshman year. It was beautiful.”
Fincham’s 9.875 on bars allowed the Pack to win the event even though Vontz fell early in her routine. She dusted herself off and finished. Fincham’s event win was the first of her career and put her right ahead of teammate Seaman, who leads the EAGL in that event. State finished 48.925 on bars, tying a season high.
Though ranked No. 10 in the event leading up to the meet, Nebraska had a rough night on the balance beam, falling twice and allowing State to sneak in and beat the visiting Huskers. Panza led her team with an 8.875, second overall behind Nguyen.
“At the time, I was saying ‘it’s not over, it’s not over,'” Panza said. “I stuck with it and did what I wanted to do.”
Nebraska west last on vault and the Huskers’ Erin Davis scored a 9.95. State needed a solid performance on floor in order to maintain its lead and Sophomore Becca Teich led off with a 9.85. Stevenson said Teich’s performance was the best of her two years at State.
Barr led her team on floor and came in second overall with a 9.85. Fincham fell in the middle of her routine, but said her teammates made up for the mistake.
“I fell on floor, but it was a new skill,” Fincham said. “My teammates did really well in front of me so I was able to put it out there.”
State will almost certainly move up in the rankings before taking on Pittsburgh this Saturday at 7 p.m. Though Fincham said she and her teammates see room to improve, this win will stick with them for a long time.
“All week we’ve been coming in here, not really trying to beat them, but just trying to do the best we could,” Fincham said. “And when you come in here and things work out, you get what you deserve and you upset the No. 10 team, that’s big. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
