PISCATAWAY, NJ - The Utica University gymnastics team placed fourth at the Rutgers February Quad on Sunday afternoon. University of Maryland took first place with a score of 194.625, Rutgers took second place with a score of 194.475, Fisk University took third with a score of 191.375, and the Pioneers took home fourth place with a score of 186.250.
In the first rotation, the Pioneers put together a strong outing on the floor exercise with a combined team score of 47.000. In the second rotation, the Pioneers combined for a score of 46.600 on vault. On the uneven bars, Utica scored 45.200. In the final rotation, Utica combined for its best team event score of the afternoon with a score of 47.450 on beam.
In the all-around, Emmy Graff (Boulder, CO/Connections) took home third place with a score of 38.575.
On the floor, Emmy Graff (Boulder, CO/Connections) led the way for the Pioneers with a score of 9.650. Grace Marra (St. James, NY/Smithtown East) was not too far behind Graff with a score of 9.600. Emily Plone (Hudson, OH/Hudson) was the next highest scoring Pioneer with a score of 9.525. Rounding out the scorecard for the Pioneers on the floor was Christina Troche (Manalapan, NJ/Saint John Vianney) and Julia Pecora (Drums, PA/Hazleton Area) with scores of 9.225 and 9.000, respectively.
On vault, Graff led Utica once again, with a team high score of 9.900. Grace Marra (St. James, NY/Smithtown East) scored a 9.475 on her attempt. Madison Villani (Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue), Ainsley Pinckard (Pflugerville, TX/St. Dominic Savio Catholic), and Jenna DiPalo (Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue) rounded out the Pioneers on vault with scores of 9.200, 9.175, and 9.150.
On the uneven bars, the Pioneers averaged over 9.040 for each athlete on the apparatus. Graff took the team's top score with a 9.675. Alyssa Langston (Pearland, TX/Pearland) took the second top score on the team with a 9.425.
On the final rotation, balance beam, Pinckard led the way for the Pioneers with a score of 9.700. Graff and Marra each scored a 9.650. Langston scored a 9.550 in the event, while Haley Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) rounded out the scorecard with a score of 8.900.
The Pioneers will next compete at the Empire State College Championships, hosted by Cornell University. Other teams in attendance will include Brockport, Cortland, Ithaca and Long Island University. Start time on February 9 in Ithaca, NY is set for 1pm.
