SEATTLE, Wash. - Juniors Christina Ghani and Decelia Willacy
finished among the top three in the all-around competition as the
top-seeded Tigers set a meet record with a 195.625 team score to win
the USA Gymnastics Women¹s Collegiate Championship, presented by
Leisure Care, at Brougham Pavilion.
Ghani won the all-around
competition with a seasonal high 39.125 score while Willacy placed
third with a career best 39.05 all-around score.
The Tigers earned three scores of 9.900 or higher from senior Stacie Hogan, freshman Alise McDonald and Ghani. The Tigers' 195.625 team score was the seventh-highest score in school history.
Host Seattle Pacific managed to post its sixth-highest score on record, 193.150,
and
finish second. It was the Falcons' best finish since 1998. Louisiana¹s
Centenary was third (191.675) and defending champion Texas Woman¹s
(191.650) finished fourth.
Towson became the 10th team in 13 years to win the title after finishing with the high score in the preliminary round.
"It¹s great to bring back a title to the school," said Coach Dick Filbert.
"We were 24 for 24 (on performances) last night and 24 for 24 tonight.
It¹s rare. We were calm and confident. It was like batting a
thousand."
Ghani, who had won the meet all-around crown
Thursday, achieved the highest score of evening, hitting a 9.925 on
floor, to edge Hogan and Seattle Pacific¹s Sarah Sullivan both with 9.900. Ghani's 9.925 score is a career high.
McDonald won vault with a 9.900, setting a career high.
Senior Christine Logan took third on vault with a 9.85 score. She also finished second on beam (9.75).
Courtney Arno of Texas Woman¹s won bars with a 9.900 score while Willacy tied for second place (9.775).
Team Scores- 1. Towson 195.625; 2. Seattle Pacific 193.150; 3. Centenary 191.675; 4. Texas Woman¹s 191.650.
Vault- 1. Alise McDonald, TOW, 9.900; 2. Kristin Bryant, SPU, 9.875; 3. Christine Logan, TOW, 9.850
Bars- 1. Courtney Arno, TWU, 9.900; 2. Decelia Willacy, TOW and Jessie Angus, CEN, 9.775
Beam- 1. Sarah Sullivan, SPU, 9.800; 2. Christine Logan, TOW, 9.750; 3. Jackie Schweitzer, TOW, 9.725
Floor- 1. Christina Ghani, TOW, 9.925; 2. Sarah Sullivan, SPU, and Stacie Hogan, TOW, 9.900.
All-Around- 1. Christina Ghani, TOW, 39.125; 2. Sarah Sullivan, SPU, 39.100; 3. Decelia Willacy, TOW, 39.050.
