CORVALLIS – Oregon State gymnastics can put up a good score, as it showed Friday night in posting a 197.6 during a dual meet against San Jose State at Gill Coliseum.
Can the No. 14 Beavers produce a similarly lofty number later in the season, when trophies and accolades are at stake?
Led by three-time Olympic medalist Jade Carey, the Beavers have been to three consecutive NCAA regionals, but not the championship meet. OSU coach Tanya Chaplin said she sees the potential, going back to last year when a young team began to grow.
“If they continue to improve each week, they have a great opportunity to go back to the NCAA championship,” Chaplin said.
The Beavers’ 197.6 is the seventh best team score in school history. Competing before 4,824 at Gill, Carey teased perfect 10s in uneven bars and balance beam, settling for 9.975 in each. Carey’s all-around score was 39.8, a season best and tied for ninth of her college career.
Carey didn’t steal the entire show, though. Sophia Esposito won the vault with a career-high 9.925. Kaitlin Garcia matched Carey on floor with a 9.95. Lauren Letzsch and Jennifer McMillan posted 9.9s on balance beam.
It was a runaway victory, as San Jose State scored 192.850.
In what is likely Carey’s final college season, the individual goal is winning the NCAA all-around. Carey took silver in the NCAA all-arounds last year, and fourth in 2022. The 2025 NCAA meet is nearly three months away, but it’s not too early to start eyeing as to what will work come championship weekend in April.
“I focus on every day, how I can better myself,” Carey said. “I’m definitely pretty hard on myself and know the ares that I need to fix.”
Outside of an NCAA championship team appearance and all-around gold, there’s little left for Carey to accomplish in college. But there’s always something to tinker with, and for Carey it’s a one-and-a-half on vault.
“It’s something I’ve never done before,” Carey said. “This year, if college gymnastics is all that I’m focusing on, I wanted to have something new and exciting to play with, and also to push me and challenge me.”
As for the Beavers’ performance Friday, Chaplin thought the team cut loose after a couple tentative efforts to open the season.
“They were really aggressive and attacked,” she said. “They’re starting to relax and do what we see in the gym.”
Oregon State has some challenging meets ahead, beginning Friday at No. 12 Auburn. The Beavers face five top-20 opponents this season, all on the road. While that’s not a good deal for local fans, it could prove beneficial for Oregon State, as it’ll get to experience various judges and scoring.
“You just don’t know what you’re going to get. So, we have focus on the routines that we’re doing, and not get caught up in the scores one way or the other,” Chaplin said.
—Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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