March 16, 2007

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Washington's gymnasts earned four scores above 9.85 and three top-five individual finishes en route to a third-place finish Friday at the annual Salbasgeon Suites Invitational in Oregon State's Gill Coliseum.

The 10th-ranked Beavers won three of five events, but No. 7 Utah's superior depth led the Utes to victory with a score of 196.675, less than a tenth ahead of Oregon State's 196.600. Washington (4-9, 1-5) was third at 193.625, with Seattle Pacific fourth at 189.750. Of the Huskies nine losses this season, six have been to teams ranked in the nation's top-10, with the other three each coming against teams currently ranked in the top-25.

After opening the meet with its second-highest score of the year on bars (48.825), Washington struggled on beam -- counting two falls -- before recovering with a strong rotations on floor (48.825) and vault (49.150), the latter a season-high.

Washington was led as it has been throughout the year by sophomore Ashley Houghting (Welland, Ont.), who matched her career best with a 9.925 on vault, the highest score recorded by a Husky on the night. Houghting, who entered the weekend tied for sixth in the nation on vault, placed second in the event to Utah's Kristina Baskett (9.95) and tied for fifth on floor at 9.85, marking the sixth time this season that she has scored above a 9.85 on both events.

Freshman Cassidy Lance (Salt Lake City, Utah) also topped 9.85 on vault, while sophomore Kristen Omori (Kirkland, Wash.) and junior Natalie Gillan (Denver, Colo.) each earned 9.80s, and junior Nikki Waiss (Mill Creek, Wash.) scored a 9.775.

Waiss also continued her outstanding season on bars, scoring a 9.85 to place fifth. The Mill Creek native has topped the 9.825 mark in six-straight bars competitions in 2007, including a pair of victories.

Quick Hits: Ashley Houghting's 9.925 on vault matched the career-high she set last year and has equaled four times in 2007, including at each of UW's last three meets -- all on the road ... Houghting's 9.85 on floor was eight floor score this year above 9.825, a score she had never topped in the event prior to 2007 ... Washington recorded a season-high on vault for the second-straight week, topping the 49.125 the team set last week at Minnesota ... the Huskies' 48.825 on bars was its second-highest this year, trailing only the 48.900 scored two weeks ago at ASU ... Natalie Gillan set a career-high on bars (9.775), tied her career-high on vault (9.8), and was UW's top all-arounder (38.825) ... Darcee Schiller also set a season-high on bars (9.75), while Tori Quandt matched her previous season-best (9.75).

Team Scores        Vault       Bars      Beam      Floor      Total
Utah              49.425     49.250    48.775     49.225    196.675
Oregon State      48.950     49.100    49.175     49.375    196.600
Washington        49.150     48.825    46.825     48.825    193.625
Seattle Pacific   47.350     47.400    46.575     48.425    189.750
Vault
 1. Kristina Baskett, Utah     9.950
 2. Ashley Houghting, WASH     9.925
 3. Mandi Rodriguez, OSU       9.900
 3. Annie DiLuzio, Utah        9.900
 5. Sarah Shire, UTAH          9.875
 5. Ashley Postell, Utah       9.875
 7. Cassidy Lance, WASH        9.850
 8. Tasha Smith, OSU           9.825
 8. Nina Kim, Utah             9.825
10. Kristen Omori, WASH        9.800
10. Natalie Gillan, WASH       9.800
12. Jami Lanz, OSU             9.775
12. Nikki Waiss, WASH          9.775
14. Brooke Barclay, OSU        9.750
14. Jessica Duke, UTAH         9.750
16. Megan Devencenzi, OSU      9.700
16. Yuki Lamb, OSU             9.700
18. Kristin Bryant, SPU        9.650
19. Debra Huss, SPU            9.600
20. Katie Boyko, WASH          9.550
21. Amber Lundgren, SPU        9.375
21. Sarah Sullivan, SPU        9.375
23. Tracy Smith, SPU           9.350
24. Melissa Daniels, SPU       8.825
Uneven Bars
 1. Nicolle Ford, Utah         9.950
 2. Kristina Baskett, Utah     9.925
 3. Jami Lanz, OSU             9.900
 4. Ashley Postell, Utah       9.875
 5. Nikki Waiss, WASH          9.850
 6. Keegan Fitzgerald, OSU     9.825
 6. Tasha Smith, OSU           9.825
 8. D'Anna Piro, OSU           9.800
 9. Natalie Gillan, WASH       9.775
 9. Daria Bijak, Utah          9.775
11. Laura-Ann Chong, OSU       9.750
11. Darcee Schiller, WASH      9.750
11. Tori Quandt, WASH          9.750
11. Ashley Domres, SPU         9.750
15. Christie Chinaka, SPU      9.725
15. Debra Huss, SPU            9.725
15. Jessica Duke, Utah         9.725
18. Ashley Houghting, WASH     9.700
19. Nina Kim, Utah             9.675
20. Chelsea Bakken, WASH       9.650
21. Mandi Rodriguez, OSU       9.550
22. Sarah Sullivan, SPU        9.350
23. Amber Lundgren, SPU        8.850
24. Sadie Johnston, SPU        8.700
Balance Beam
 1. Tasha Smith, OSU           9.900
 1. Jami Lanz, OSU             9.900
 3. Nina Kim, Utah             9.850
 3. Ashley Postell, Utah       9.850
 5. Mandi Rodriguez, OSU       9.825
 5. Laura-Ann Chong, OSU       9.825
 7. Nicolle Ford, Utah         9.775
 8. Kelly Gilbert, WASH        9.750
 9. Courtney Dennison, OSU     9.725
10. Daria Bijak, Utah          9.700
11. Debra Huss, SPU            9.625
12. Sarah Shire, Utah          9.600
13. Tori Quandt, WASH          9.575
14. Brianna Schwartz, SPU      9.525
14. Sarah Sullivan, SPU        9.525
16. Natalie Gillan, WASH       9.475
17. Kristina Baskett, Utah     9.225
18. Brooke Barclay, OSU        9.175
19. Kristen Omori, WASH        9.025
20. Ashley Houghting, WASH     9.000
20. Kristin Bryant, SPU        9.000
22. Christie Chinaka, SPU      8.900
23. Chelsea Bakken, WASH       8.875
24. Ashley Domres, SPU         8.650
Floor Exercise
 1. Jami Lanz, OSU             9.900
 1. Tasha Smith, OSU           9.900
 1. Kristina Baskett, Utah     9.900
 4. Kera Bolen, OSU            9.875
 5. Yuki Lamb, OSU             9.850
 5. Mandi Rodriguez, OSU       9.850
 5. Ashley Houghting, WASH     9.850
 5. Annie DiLuzio, Utah        9.850
 5. Daria Bijak, Utah          9.850
10. Ashley Postell, Utah       9.825
11. Debra Huss, SPU            9.800
11. Stephanie Neff, Utah       9.800
13. Natalie Gillan, WASH       9.775
13. Kelly Gilbert, WASH        9.775
15. Megan Devencenzi, OSU      9.750
15. Celia Short, WASH          9.750
15. Kristin Bryant, SPU        9.750
15. Sarah Sullivan, SPU        9.750
15. Beth Rizzo, Utah           9.750
20. Brianna Schwartz, SPU      9.700
21. Tori Quandt, WASH          9.675
22. Amber Lundgren, SPU        9.425
23. Kristen Omori, WASH        8.950
24. Ashley Domres, SPU         8.800
All-Around
1. Jami Lanz, OSU             39.475
2. Tasha Smith, OSU           39.450
3. Ashley Postell, Utah       39.425
4. Mandi Rodriguez, OSU       39.125
5. Kristina Baskett, Utah     39.000
6. Natalie Gillan, WASH       38.825
7. Debra Huss, SPU            38.750
8. Ashley Houghting, WASH     38.475
9. Sarah Sullivan, SPU        38.000