By Brianna Huffmaster (@bhuffmaster2024) – Spear reporter
Team celebration after Jaudai Lopes performs | Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics
San Jose State gymnastics had a record-breaking Sunday in a quad meet against Denver, Air Force and Lindenwood at Magness Arena in Denver.
The team finished with a final score of 196.675, which breaks the previous record of 196.625 versus UC Davis in 2022.
“[We] just had some amazing routines,” SJSU head coach Joanne Bowers said. “This team continues to improve and are having so much fun together.”
Along with the overall team score, the vault team broke a new school record of 49.200. Jaudai Lopes led the way for the Spartans with a score of 9.900 to tie for first place. Other big contributors to the new record were Madison Kirsch (9.875), Mia Nelson (9.825), Lauren Macpherson (9.800), and Devyn Valuch (9.800).
The floor team also performed well and recorded the second-highest floor score in SJSU history at 49.450. Jada Mazury led the way with a career-high 9.950. Macpherson also scored a career-high of 9.925. Katherine Weyhmiller and Natasha Forrand both scored career-bests of 9.875.
The beam team scored 49.200. Mazury and Macpherson both scored 9.875. Other members of the beam team were Kirsch (9.850), Lopes (9.800) and Marissa Ashton (9.800).
Sophia Konieczny led the bars team with an individual score of 9.800 and a team score of 48.825. Konieczny is a Denver native and performed in her hometown.
In the all-around, Lopes was SJSU’s top competitor with a final score of 39.275. Similar to the beam, Mazury and Macpherson had identical scores, this time at 38.825.
The Spartans finished second in the quad meet and are a couple weeks away from the Mountain West Championship in Logan, Utah.
SJSU gymnastics hosts its final home meet of the season at 2 p.m. on March 10 against Boise State, Illinois State and Yale. It is also the senior meet that honors the five graduating seniors and their accomplishments at SJSU.
