The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/14/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Freshman Leslie Mak performs on bars during a meet at Gill Coliseum. Mak and teammate Jen Kesler shared the Pac-10 title on the uneven parallel bars.

There will be familiar faces on the floor in Oregon State's national rotation, but despite familiarity with opponents the Beavers will focus on one thing: their bubble.

"There is a comfort level of knowing the teams you have competed against," said senior D'Anna Piro. "Ultimately we have to stay in our OSU Bubble and focus on what we are doing on each routine at the moment we are working on it."

The No. 8 Beavers begin the NCAA Championships in Lincoln, Neb., against five of the country's top teams. Familiar to Oregon State will be opponents No. 2 Utah, No. 7 UCLA, No. 10 Arkansas and No. 14 Illinois. The only team Oregon State has yet to compete against is the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide. The other teams competing at the NCAA Championships are No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Florida, No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 12 Penn State.

"Every team we are going up against has the potential to be there," said Oregon State head coach Tanya Chaplin. "You wouldn't be one of the top 12 teams in the nation if you didn't. We have to continue to focus on ourselves and put our best routines out there. This team has been working very hard on details, and they are stronger than they've ever been going into a post season."

The Beavers are looking to compete in the Super Six for the first time since 1996. In order to get there Oregon State will require steady performances from all its gymnasts, beginning on the balance beam.

Oregon State has been solid on the beam, posting a season high 49.425 on the apparatus against Washington and Seattle Pacific. Heading up the beam team is senior Jami Lanz, junior Laura-Ann Chong and freshman Leslie Mak. An All-Pac-10 First Team member for the all-around, Lanz captured three beam titles during the 2009 season with a season high 9.9 in the event. Chong, who was named All-Pac-10 Second Team on the apparatus, won two titles with a high of 9.925.

A strong competitor on the uneven parallel bars, Mak won three beam titles and put up a 9.925 in the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational to tie Chong for the individual title.

Continued...

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