Jan. 14, 2006

Complete Results

LEXINGTON, Ky. - (Saturday, January 14, 2006) With a young team that features eight freshman, the Redhawks gymnastics team performed like a veteran squad in front of a sell-out crowd in Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. The Redhawks finished second to 13th-ranked Kentucky at the 23rd Annual Excite Night Triangular Meet 194.150-185.200 and ahead of Midwest Independent Conference rival Illinois State, 185.200-181.525.

The freshman seemed unfazed in front of the 5,800 blue clad Kentucky fans in attendance as they performed above expectations for their first collegiate meet.

The Redhawks (1-1) finished second to the Wildcats (3-0) in every event except the balance beam.

The Redhawks excelled on the uneven bars as freshmen Sandra Blake (Tri-Cities, Wash./Mid-Columbia) and Maureen Grimaldi (Kansas City, Mo./Eagles) finished tied for third place with a score of 9.800 as the Redhawks finished with a team score of 47.675.

On the vault the Redhawks posted their best team score as they finished with a 47.725. Freshman Starlyn Bell Schwartz (Pensacola, Fla./First City) was the Redhawks top finisher with a score of 9.700 to place her seventh. Fellow freshman Chelsea Unold (Plymouth, Minn./Twin City Twisters) finished eighth with a score of 9.650. Junior Brystol Powelski (Franklin, Wis./ Salto Gymnastics) showed she was fully recovered from her season-ending injury last season with a ninth place showing with a score of 9.525. Freshman Kelsey Stauffer (San Antonio, Tex./USA Aerial Athletics) and Blake tied for 10th with scores of 9.475.

Grimaldi was the top finisher for the Redhawks on the beam as she finished ninth with a score of 9.375. The team finished third on the beam with a score of 44.400 behind Kentucky and Illinois State (2-2).

Powelski bested her ninth place showing on the vault with a seventh place on the floor with a score of 9.550 for the Redhawks top finisher. The Redhawks scored 45.400 on the floor.

Blake showed promise as she finished fourth in the all-around with a combined score of 35.925.

The Redhawks were inspired by the guest appearances from former Olympians Dominique Moceanu and Svetlana Boguinskaia and UK great and 13-time All-American Jenny Hansen. The former standouts all signed autographs for the fans and spoke to the crowd.

The Redhawks return to action next Saturday, January 21 when they travel to Bloomington, Illinois to face Illinois State in a MIC dual meet at 7:00 p.m. in Horton Field House.