The Barometer Online

Issue date: 1/16/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Oregon State senior Jami Lanz is No. 17 in the nation for the all-around and is ranked No. 23 on the balance beam. Lanz and OSU welcome the No. 5 Arkansas Gym'backs and California Golden Bears to Legendary Gill Coliseum tonight at 7 p.m.

For the OSU gymnastics team, tonight's meet couldn't come sooner as excitement builds within the tight-knit group of gymnasts to make their 2009 Legendary Gill Coliseum debut.

"It was really important for this year's team to experience what it is like in different environment," junior Mandi Rodriguez said. "In Cancun, we had issues with equipment, and in BYU we experienced some different judging, so it was good to let the freshmen and everyone get the experience."

After two weekends on the road in Cancun, Mexico and Provo, Utah, the No. 13 Beavers (3-1) return to Corvallis for a tri-meet with California (0-2) and No. 5 Arkansas (1-0). Oregon State looks to feed off the energy of Beaver Nation as the freshmen get their first taste of what an OSU home meet is like.

"I expect to be full of adrenaline and able to feed off the crowd," freshman Leslie Mak said. "I have heard that actual home meets are really big and to expect to have a lot of fun with the crowd."

Cal is fresh off a disappointing home tri-meet in which the Golden Bears were defeated by UC Davis and Sacramento State at Haas Pavilion. California was led by senior Jessica Kelley, who finished third in the all-around with a score of 9.725 on both floor and bars.

On beam, Cal's Kelley scored 9.675, good for second on the apparatus. The beam was the top apparatus for the Golden Bears, who finished with a score of 46.950 on the event.

For two Razorbacks, the trip to Corvallis will be somewhat of a trip home, as junior Casey Jo Magee is from Eugene and sophomore Stacy Bartlett is from Tualatin. Bartlett competed at the Metro Gymnastics Center, where Oregon State senior Casey Jo Magee once competed.

Magee is ranked No. 7 in the country for the all-around with an average score of 39.300 and was teammates at the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics with OSU senior Jami Lanz and sophomore Becky Colvin. The two Oregonians and the rest of both schools rosters are heading into a loud Legendary Gill Coliseum.

Continued...

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