The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Luke Wenker Junior Yuki Lamb scores a 9.775 to help beat the the Wildcats in the NCAA Regional Championships.

TUCSON, Ariz. - Oregon State's eighth-ranked gymnastics team needed a 9.900 on its final floor routine to earn a berth at the NCAA Championships, and Tasha Smith rose to the occasion with a 9.925. The Beavers overcame an incredible performance by Arizona on the beam during the final rotation to edge the Wildcats at McKale Center in front of a crowd of 1,390.

OSU finished second at the NCAA South Central Regional with a score of 196.075, while No. 4 Stanford scored 196.600 to win the regional title. No. 15 Arizona finished third (196.025). No. 20 Illinois was fourth (194.625). Arizona State was fifth (194.375), and Illinois-Chicago was sixth (190.925).

"I'm really proud of the fight this team showed tonight," said head coach Tanya Chaplin. "We knew it wouldn't be easy tonight … regionals never is. But they were solid and clean all the way around. This is a very determined group."

Having drawn the "Olympic Order," OSU benefited from beginning the meet on vault, where it ranked ninth entering the meet. Sophomores Jami Lanz and Tasha Smith each notched scores of 9.850 to lead the Beavers, and freshman Mandi Rodriguez added a 9.825. OSU finished the rotation with a score of 48.950 to trail top-seeded Stanford by just .025 following the opening stanza.

Following the team's first bye, Oregon State moved to the uneven bars, where the Beavers experienced a few difficulties. Junior Keegan Fitzgerald got the Beavers off to a solid start with a 9.750, and freshman Laura-Ann Chong provided the team's highest score at a 9.800, but steps on dismounts prevented the Beavers from mounting higher scores. Smith scored a 9.750, despite jamming an ankle during her dismount.

Moving to the balance beam, OSU trailed Arizona by .025, needing to pick up the pace. Junior Courtney Dennison provided a strong start, matching her season-high 9.775. Following another solid routine by Chong, who scored 9.800, freshman Brooke Barclay tied her career-best with a 9.900. Smith and Lanz rounded out the scoring for the Beavers with a 9.825 and 9.800 heading into their final bye of the night.

Entering the final rotation, the Beavers led the Wildcats by .200, with OSU on floor and Arizona on beam. However, the Wildcats produced a wonderful beam set, counting a 9.800 as its lowest score. Meanwhile the Beavers did their jobs one after the other, with each gymnast setting up the next for a better score. Junior Megan Devencenzi led off with a 9.750, and Yuki Lamb followed with a 9.775. Rodriguez and sophomore Kera Bolen added 9.850s, and Lanz scored 9.875 as the Wildcats finished up on beam. Smith, the anchor to the Beavers' floor lineup, needed a 9.900 to top the 'Cats and tumbled and danced her way to a 9.925.

The Beavers compete next at the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, April 26-28. Other teams to qualify for nationals are Stanford, Florida, Michigan, UCLA, Louisiana State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Nebraska, Utah and the University of Denver.

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