(Photo by John Culbertson)
By John Culbertson (@Johnculb3) – Reporter
San Jose State gymnastics left it all on the floor in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, winning the event with a total score of 196.425.
The Spartans were filled with an energy that trickled into the crowd at UC Davis, as many opposing fans were spotted being distracted by the show they were putting on.
The Spartans started the first rotation with a bye, allowing them to size up the competition before starting on the uneven bars in the second rotation.
The Spartans started off with a strong performance, letting their opponents know that they meant business. Multiple gymnasts scored 9.800 or higher to lead SJSU to a team-score of 49.025.
The balance beam started off rough for the Spartans, as freshman Katherine Weyhmiller struggled to keep her balance, falling off the beam. The Spartans are not known for quitting when the going gets tough, and Weyhmiller was living proof of that, picking herself back up and getting right back on the beam.
Junior Emma Milne, driven by the cheers of her teammates, put on a show during her performance on the balance beam. Graceful as a feather from the start to her dismount, Milne was able to match her career high 9.925 to help give the Spartans a team-score of 49.025 on the balance beam.
The Spartans continued by lighting the floor on fire in the 4th rotation … metaphorically of course. The floor team had a great showing, with a performance to remember from junior Jada Mazury. While Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” played throughout the gym, Mazury let loose her inner rockstar, tying her career high 9.925 on the floor.
In the final rotation, SJSU took to the skies, as the vault team came running down the stretch. The road crowd, draped in blue and gold, let loose their Spartan screams. We saw multiple solid performances, including sophomore Jaudai Lopes closing the day for the Spartans with a 9.825.
San Jose State is surely happy to see the culmination of their hard work manifested in a beautiful, mantle-worthy trophy.
“This is surreal for all of us,” head coach Joanne Bowers said. “Our junior class hasn’t been to a conference championship yet until today [due to the COVID-19 pandemic], so we’ve all been working really hard the last three years and haven’t been able to show people … we’re just proud.”
The Spartans were rewarded for all their hard work this season, as they will return home with a conference championship on their resume.