Women’s gymnastics wins final home meet

Catherine Dion won the bars and floor events Saturday. Photo: Steve Woltmann

The women’s gymnastics team registered its best score of the season in its last home meet Saturday with a 195.200-191.825 victory over Illinois State at the Physical Education Building.

Catherine Dion, who was honored in a Senior Day presentation after the meet, won bars and floor, redshirt-junior Kimberly Randall claimed first on vault and freshman Michelle Lozneanu took the Flames’ top score on beam.

The Flames compete in the MIC Championships at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Horton Field House in Normal.

“This is a great finish for us to get into conference next week with big performances all the way around,” co-head coach Peter Jansson said.

Beginning the meet on vault, Randall, Dion and sophomore Alexandra Vedenin finished first (9.800), second (9.775) and third (9.750) to outscore the Redbirds, 48.600-47.225.

On bars, the Flames produced a collection of career bests: Dion, who took first with 9.925, junior Gabrielle May with 9.900 for second place and Randall with 9.850 for fourth.

Illinois State took first on beam, but Lozneanu scored a personal-best 9.850 for second. Dion came in a tie for third with 9.825. The Flames posted their best score of the season on the event with 48.950.

The Flames closed out competition by taking the top four places on floor. Dion finished first with 9.825, Vedenin and May tied for second with 9.800 and Randall collected fourth place with 9.775, a career best. UIC also came away with their best floor score of the season with 48.950.

Dion won the all-around (39.350), while May set a personal best with 39.075 for second.

“I can’t say enough of our senior, Catherine Dion, and what she put out here today,” Jansson said.