Women’s gymnastics team scores win

Catherine Dion earned top scored Friday. Photo: Steve Woltmann

The women’s gymnastics team collected a 193.175-193.100 victory over conference-foe Texas Woman’s University Friday at the Physical Education Building. 

Senior Catherine Dion and sophomores Alexandra Vedenin and Kerensa Mitchell finished with the Flames’ best scores, with Dion and Vedenin taking first-place on two events.

“We had a very strong start of the meet, as vault and bars were the best of the year,” co-head coach Peter Jansson said. “We dug ourselves in a hole with the first four beam routines, but we came back strong on floor and were excited to get another conference win.”

“Catherine (Dion), as usual, was very strong, but it was nice to see Sasha (Vedenin) win vault, Kerensa (Mitchell) score 9.800 on beam, Nicole (Szabo) hit a great routine on bars and Nikki (Woodruff) hit her best vault.”

The Flames picked up first- and second-place finishes right from the start on vault. Vedenin took the top score of 9.850 for a career high and redshirt-junior Kimberly Randall just behind with 9.825, contributing to UIC’s best score of the season at 48.800.

Freshman Nikki Woodruff scored a career-high 9.700 for fifth.

On bars, Texas Woman’s took the top score, but Dion came in a close second with 9.825, followed by freshman Nicole Szabo with 9.800 to tie for third.

UIC stumbled on beam but Mitchell produced a personal-best with 9.800 for third place, followed by Dion in fourth with 9.750.

Dion claimed the title on floor (9.825) to end the meet. Junior Gabrielle May scored 9.750 for a three-way tie for third.

In the all-around, Dion scored a 39.175 and junior Citlali Cuevas collected 37.625.

The Flames travel for back-to-back meets this week, competing at the Illinois Classic Championship in Normal at 7 p.m. Friday, then at Iowa at 3 p.m. Sunday.