Pitt
Ohio State
Panthers Fall to Ohio State in Season Opener
1/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Complete Results
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh women's gymnastics team opened the season Saturday evening at Fitzgerald Field House, falling to Big 10 rival Ohio State by a score of 194.375-192.800.
A total of 15 gymnasts competed for Pitt, as senior Tracey Pearson finished second in the all-around with a score of 38.900.
Apart from last month's exhibition with Kent State, the contest was Pitt's first time competing as a team since it won the first East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) title in program history.
"Overall, I was surprised," said head coach Debbie Yohman. "I was really happy with how we started on vault. We did a good job on bars, especially after we made a freshman mistake. That was kind of goofy, but I don't think she'll make that [mistake] again, and we picked it up.
"I'm really disappointed in beam because we're better than that. I was surprised again on floor because that was the event that we were initially worried about. They finished really strong, and that was a lesson in itself."
The Panthers tallied a total of 192.800 points in the four events. Pitt performed best on floor, posting a 48.900 in the event. The Panthers scored 48.350 on vault and nearly matched that on bars with a 48.425. On beam the Panthers notched a mark of 47.125.
It was freshman Alecia Petrikis and junior Taylor Laymon who were the standout performers for Pitt.
"Wasn't that pretty," Yohman said of Petrikis, "What's great about her is that she's a local kid. That [floor] is her best event, and she just shone."
"Taylor [Laymon] was gorgeous," added Yohman. "That was probably the best bar routine that I've ever seen her do. The handstands were so precise, and she just nailed it. I'm so proud of what she did there."
VAULT
Pitt began the meet on vault and had two gymnasts turn in top-five performances as Pearson (9.825) and sophomore Krista Collins (9.675) finished tied for second and fifth, respectively.
BARS
Laymon gave a brilliant performance on bars and took home first place in the event with a score of 9.850. Freshman Rachel Dugan posted a score of 9.700, which was good for fourth place. Sophomore Lucy Brett (9.650), junior Dani Hall (9.625), and Pearson (9.600) grabbed places six through eight in the event.
BEAM
The Panthers were led by senior Kelly Burak on beam, who finished second with a 9.775. Pearson came in sixth, earning a score of 9.650, while Brett and West each finished with a 9.300.
FLOOR
Pearson and Petrikis each impressed on floor and tied for second in the event with a score of 9.825, while Hall came in fifth with a 9.775. Sophomore Charli Spivey and Reichert also performed well in the event as they turned in scores of 9.750 and 9.725, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will return to Fitzgerald Field House on Friday, Jan. 13, hosting West Virginia in the first Backyard Brawl of the season. Things are set to get underway at 6:30 p.m. between the Panthers and Mountaineers.
The following week Pitt will take to the road for the first time in the 2017 season, traveling to Durham, NH for a tri-meet with EAGL rival New Hampshire and Southern Connecticut.
TICKETS
Individual meet tickets are now available for each of the Panthers' four regular season home meets. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-643-PITT. Fans who purchase tickets in advance will receive a discounted price of $3 per meet, with tickets at the door costing $5. Those with groups of 15 or more can purchase a special discounted rate of $1 per person.
#H2P | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Players Mentioned
