The Oregon gymnastics team opened the 2024 season on Saturday with a second-place finish in its group at the Mean Girls Super 16 Championships in Las Vegas.
The Beavers, who entered the season ranked 13th in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association poll, scored 196.525 points. No. 18 Minnesota won the group with a score of 196.850. No. 24 Southern Utah finished third (196.025) and No. 31 BYU finished fourth (195.900).
The two-day meet featured 16 of the country’s top teams competing in groups of four at Orleans Arena. The Beavers competed in the first session on Saturday.
Oregon State opened on vault and posted a team score of 48.950. Sage Thompson and freshman Sofia Esposito both scored a 9.850 to tie for fourth place in the group.
Jade Carey took first place on the uneven bars with a score of 9.975. Jennifer McMillan tied for second in the event, matching her career-high score of 9.950. Natalie Briones, Taylor DeVries and Thompson each scored 9.900 points as the Beavers posted their best rotation score of the day with a 49.625.
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Carey also led the Beavers on balance beam with a score of 9.900, which placed her second in the group. Sydney Gonzalez scored a 9.850 to tie for fourth place.
Oregon State finished the floor meet with the highest team score with a 49.225. Ellie Weaver and Kaitlyn Garcia led the way with identical scores of 9.875, which tied for the highest score with Minnesota’s Gianna Gerdes and Mia Hooten.
This was the best result of Garcia’s career and was Weaver’s first competitive bout at the event.
The Beavers will travel to Piscataway, New Jersey for Rutgers’ January quadrilateral road trip that includes Rutgers, Southern Connecticut State and Utica starting at 11 a.m. PT on Saturday, January 13.
Super 16 Championships (196.525)
Thompson – 8,950 (exh.)