San José State's women’s gymnastics team faced off against Oregon State on Sunday afternoon in a high-energy meet that brought out the team’s best performance of the season with a score of 195.750. at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
Despite falling to the Beavers, the Spartans had a memorable senior night which included facing Jade Carey, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for artistic gymnastics.
SJSU sophomore Devyn Valuch scored an impressive all-around, earning 39.050 only second to Oregon State’s Carey, who led the event with 39.825.
Spartans’ head coach Joanne Bowers reflected on her goodbyes to the seniors, acknowledging the growth she’s witnessed over their collegiate years.
“It’s always bittersweet during senior meet because all you're thinking about is everything from their freshman year, everything they’ve gone through (and) everything you’ve ever gone through with that kid,” Bowers said. “Watching them grow up as people and getting ready for the world is half our jobs as coaches.”
Competing against Oregon State offered a unique opportunity for SJSU to experience elite-level gymnastics in its home arena.
Bowers encouraged the team to watch Carey perform as her skill offered a chance to inspire young gymnasts.
“Normally you just try to stay in your team bubble and you don’t watch the other team,” Bowers said. “Well, I turned around and I’m watching her (Carey).”
SJSU graduate student Jaudai Lopes and junior Mikaela Pitts came out strong on vault with scores of 9.850 to help the team tie with the third-highest score in the school's history, a 49.125, according to a Spartan Athletics web page.
Lopes celebrated one of her last meets with the team and shared how the presence of an Olympian added to the excitement of the meet.
“Honestly tonight was our season high, so it was a really good environment,” Lopes said. “It was really cool competing against an Olympian Jade Carey. I think that kind of pumped us up a little bit, but overall I was just good energy and we're just doing it for the seniors, so it was just good vibes.”
The momentum continued into the uneven bars event with an overall score of 48.80 for the Spartans.
Graduate student Katherine Weyhmiller scored a team-high 9.850 followed by senior Sophia Konieczny earning a 9.800, according to the same Spartan Athletics web page.
Konieczny emphasized that the team’s performance and camaraderie contributed to the energy of the event.
“The team did really good today,” Konieczny said. “This is the season high for us, so I'm super proud that we were able to bring it out for one of our last weeks at home. We all care about each other so much… We had a lot of really good routines and good moments tonight.”
The balance beam proved to be another exceptional moment for the Spartans with freshman Madison Gustitus tying for third overall with a score of 9.875 followed by strong performances from freshman Samantha Macasu who earned a 9.850 and sophomore Marissa Ashton with a 9.800.
Although the Beavers’ heavy lineup ultimately overpowered the Spartans, Lopes and the team stayed focused on themselves.
“I think the biggest challenge is honestly, just trying to keep up with them,” Lopes said. “They're like a top 10 team, like, we were just trying to keep up and also just like stay in our own bubble and just have fun,”
The Spartans closed the meet with a 48.800 on floor exercise with freshman Ava Johnson tying for third overall with a score of 9.850 along with Beavers sophomore Sophia Esposito.
Bowers’s excitement about the opportunity to witness Carey was also reflected by others on the team, recognizing the impact Carey’s career has on bringing new people to watch gymnastics.
“I think it's an amazing opportunity,” Konieczny said. “It's always really good when we could get more people out here and more interest in this sport. Whenever we compete against big teams that have known athletes, I think it's an amazing opportunity for more people to come to see gymnastics for the first time and enjoy the sport and hopefully come back and watch us more.”
The Spartans are preparing to face off against Stanford, Berkeley and Arizona State in a quad meet hosted by the Golden Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m.
