Magee wins all-around; Arkansas downs Penn State
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FAYETTEVILLE –University of Arkansas sophomore Casey Jo Magee won her first all-around title of the season scoring a 39.20 and helping the No. 10 Gym’Backs down No. 12 Penn State in Barnhill Arena Friday.
Magee also won the beam title and paced Arkansas to a 195.250-194.625 win over the Nittany Lions in the non-conference meet.
Arkansas set or tied 10 season-bests in the hard-fought, come-from-behind win. Trailing after three events, 146.275-146.150, the Gym’Backs rallied with a 49.10 on the floor for the win.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Magee. “It’s hard because the team didn’t have as great of a performance as we would have liked, but I’m excited to have a good performance.”
“A win is a win,” said Arkansas co-head coach Mark Cook. “It was a great win tonight. Even if we have mistakes, we come back strong and fight all the way to the end. We have to be consistent and 195 in three straight meets is pretty good. We’re trying to do a little better and fix little things, but I think it speaks for this team’s consistency.”
Arkansas opened the meet with a season-best 49.025 on the vault behind 9.85s from senior Samantha Cortez and sophomore Michelle Stout. Cortez’s Yurchenko layout and Stout’s Yurchenko layout full were crowd pleasers and Arkansas’ solid landings were the early difference in the first rotation of the meet.
In addition to Cortez and Stout, Arkansas got 9.775s from junior Alexandra LaChance and sophomores Magee and Ashly McPherson.
The Gym’Backs moved to the bars getting a season-best 9.80 from sophomore Amy DeFilippo in the opening routine. A team-best 9.85 from Stout paired with a 9.825 fromsenior Emily Peacock helped Arkansas to a 48.70 and a 97.725-97.60 lead over the Nittany Lions after two rotations.
Arkansas posted or tied four season-bests but a 48.425 on the event saw the Gym’Backs slide behind Penn State who scored a 48.575 on floor to take the lead. Magee was out front for Arkansas with a 9.875 and Peacock was close behind with a 9.825. Cortez set a season-high with a 9.775 while DeFilippo tied her top score with a 9.75.
Penn State rallied late on the floor exercise getting a 9.90 from all-arounder Brandi Personett as well as a 9.875 from Aslynn Satterfield in the final two routines to creep ahead of Arkansas in the team totals.
McPherson opened for Arkansas on the floor in her first collegiate floor routine scoring a solid 9.725 to get the Gym’Backs started. Stout followed tying her season-high with a 9.80 and Magee tied her career-best with a 9.825 for the Gym’Backs.
But Penn State’s beam scores matched Arkansas and the crowd of 2,336 knew the meet would come down to the final performers.
LaChance stepped up big for Arkansas tying her career-best with a 9.85 but a stumble in the fifth floor routine kept the door open for the Nittany Lions.
But the Gym’Backs saved the best for last with Peacock anchoring the floor exercise with a season-high 9.90 as the crowd jumped to their feet for the finale.
