PISCATAWAY – The Rutgers gymnastics team came into their conference opening meet with the tenth-ranked beam team in the nation, and it would be that team that would ultimately prove to be the difference in the Scarlet Knights’ victory over Big Ten newcomer Washington.
Leading by only a slim 0.125 margin after two rotations, the Rutgers beam lineup produced a strong performance in the third rotation to push the Scarlet Knights’ lead up to 0.825, allowing Rutgers to weather a ferocious comeback attempt by Washington in the final rotation to win the meet by 0.5, 194.550-194.050.
Going in Olympic order as the home team, Rutgers began their afternoon on vault, scoring a season-high 48.675 and securing an early 0.6 lead after one rotation. Rachael Riley led the way for the Scarlet Knights scoring a 9.8 to finish in a tie for first place on the event with Washington’s Emily Innes. Elia Aird and Anna Pagliaro recorded identical 9.775s to finish in a three-way tie for third place with the Huskies’ Mary McDonough.
While Rutgers did place two gymnasts in the top three on the uneven bars, the Scarlet Knights struggled on the event with two falls. Keeley Smith scored a 9.825 to take home top honors on the event for Rutgers while Delaney Adrian took third with a 9.775. Washington’s Olivia Oppegard was sandwiched between Smith and Adrian in second place recording a 9.8 for the Huskies on the event. Rutgers’ two falls on bars and a decent showing on vault by Washington allowed the Huskies to cut into the Scarlet Knights’ lead heading into the third rotation.
In the third rotation, the Rutgers beam team showed why they are a top ten team nationally. The Scarlet Knight beam lineup of Aird, Pagliaro, Riley, Delaney Adrian, Jacqueline Manifold, and Gabrielle Dildy was consistent from top to bottom. The Scarlet Knights had no falls compared to Washington’s one, and while Rutgers’ 48.900 score would fall shy of the Huskies’ beam score of 49.100 a rotation later, it was good enough to give the Scarlet Knights a big enough cushion heading into the final rotation.
Adrian, Manifold, and Pagliaro led the way for Rutgers on the beam, recording identical 9.8s to finish in a five-way tie for third place with Innes and Oppegard. Washington’s Taylor Russon and Lana Navarro placed first and second in the event.
Rutgers closed out the afternoon on the floor exercise where they put together a good enough performance as a team to hold off a Washington comeback attempt. Donna Uhlenberg led the way for the Scarlet Knights, scoring a 9.8, to finish in a tie with McDonough in second place. Innes took top honors on the event for the Huskies with a 9.85.
Adrian took the top spot in the all-around for Rutgers, amassing a 38.775 over the four events, while McDonough finished in second for Washington with a cumulative tally of 37.325.
Rutgers’ win over Washington was the Scarlet Knights’ first regular-season win over a Big Ten foe since defeating Maryland 195.550-194.925 on Jan. 22, 2022, and it was Rutgers’ first home conference victory since the Scarlet Knights topped Penn State on March 13, 2021. Additionally, at 9-1, Rutgers is off to their best start since the 2013 season when they started 10-1. That was their last season in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) before joining the Big Ten.
Of note, Head Coach Umme Salim-Beasley was not coaching during Rutgers’ meet against Washington as she has been placed on paid administrative leave after the findings of an investigation into the handling of her program were recently released.
Rutgers will next travel to University Park, Pa. to face Penn State in a Big Ten dual meet. The Scarlet Knights will then return home on February 2 to host a quad meet against Maryland, Fisk, and Utica. The meet will serve as Rutgers’ annual Pink Out and Black Excellence meet.
