Gymnastics hosts No. 4 UCLA in Gill Saturday
Published: Friday, February 15, 2013
Updated: Friday, February 15, 2013 01:02
Meet notes for when No. 13 Oregon State faces No. 4 UCLA on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Gill Coliseum.
• Senior Makayla Stambaugh has been exceptional this season on uneven bars. In the past four meets, Stambaugh has scored 9.900, 9.925, 9.875 and 9.950 (a season-high score for OSU gymnasts on any event).
Stambaugh changed up her bar routine early in the 2013 season. In the simplest terms possible for gymnastics jargon, this was the change: When Stambaugh is on the high bar, she’ll do a front flip and catch the high bar again, but instead of doing it in a straddle position, it is now in a pike position.
“I really like the new change in my bar routine and I feel like it’s a little bit more impressive,” Stambaugh said. “I feel confident with that, especially being last up and being in that anchor spot.”
• The Beavers haven’t had a home meet in more than a month now. The last four meets were all on the road. Of the six meets this season, the only one in Corvallis was on Jan. 11 when the Beavers defeated Ohio State,
“It kind of feels like it’s been forever,” said senior Stephanie McGregor. “But I know we’re all really excited to be back out in front of Beaver Nation.”
The gymnasts have always taken pride in competing at Gill Coliseum, because of the top-10 national attendance rate they get yearly.
“It’s obviously always exciting to be in Gill. Being away from it for so long really gets you more excited for this coming week, and the next few weeks as well,” said senior Melanie Jones.
• Last week, Oregon State defeated Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., and scored the team’s second-highest total of the year, 196.300. It was an especially tough meet for the Beavers, because it was only five days after their previous road meet. The team was only in Corvallis for four days last week.
“I was really pleased with the focus we had on the road,” said head coach Tanya Chaplin. “Now we want to take that focus into Gill.”
Warner Strausbaugh, sports editor
is a member of the 
