ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Apr. 8) – Freshmen gymnasts Erin Alderman, Jenna Cashmore and Megan Gentry posted new career highs on their respective events and the Pioneers scored a season-high 194.275 as they finished third at the USA Gymnastics National Championships team semifinals.
 
Brown scored a 195.175 to finish first while the host Lindenwood scored a 195.150 to place second and Yale finished fourth with a 192.350.  Brown and Lindenwood advances to team finals on Saturday.  The Pioneers will miss out on the team finals for the first time in school history as they have advanced to 24 consecutive finals prior to this season.
 
TWU was in second place going into the final rotation behind Brown and ahead of Lindenwood by .100.  The home team, LU dominated their final event scoring a 49.475 on floor and move into second place.
 
The Pioneers opened the meet on bars in the first rotation and scored a season-high 48.775.  Four gymnasts scored a 9.775 or higher led by freshman Jenna Cashmore with a career-high 9.850.  Junior Katie Simpson and sophomore Alyssa Kelly both posted a 9.800 while sophomore Schyler Jones scored a season-high 9.775.
 
TWU stumbled on beam in the second rotation and scored a 48.250 after counting a fall.  Three Pioneers scored a 9.750 or higher led by Jones and freshman Megan Gentry with a 9.825.  Gentry's score is a career-high for the rookie.  Sophomore Taylor Vincent posted a 9.750.
 
TWU regrouped and scored a 48.700 on floor in the third rotation.  Three gymnasts scored a 9.800 or higher led by freshman Erin Alderman with a career-high 9.875.  Jones scored a 9.825 while Kelly posted a new career-high of 9.800.
 
In the final rotation the Pioneers scored a 48.500 led by Gentry with another career-high.  Jones finished with a 9.775.
 
Jones tied her career-high in all-around with a 39.200 and tied for second overall.  Simpson finished with a 38.425.
 
"I am proud of our bars line-up for starting strong and putting us in a good position going into the next three events," said TWU head coach Lisa Bowerman.  "We had couple of mistakes on beam and then did a good job on floor but still not our best.  We gave everything we got on vault and finished out strong.  It's rewarding to see Megan get back in the beam line-up and see her perform really well.  Erin had a great competition with a nice floor routine and a nice vault and Jenna did a great job on bars in a pressure situation after a fall.  Moving forward we have all our routines returning next year and something to build on."
 
Season will continue for some of the gymnasts as TWU also qualified numerous gymnasts for the Individual Event Finals on Sunday, Apr. 10. Alderman (floor), Cashmore (bars), Gentry (vault and beam) and Jones (beam) will all compete for individual titles on the final day of competition.
 
Team Scores:
Brown – 195.175 (VT 48.525, UB 48.875, BB 48.650, FX 49.125)
Lindenwood – 195.150 (VT 48.825, UB 48.050, BB 48.800, FX 49.475)
Texas Woman's – 194.275 (VT 48.500, UB 48.775, BB 48.200, FX 48.700)
Yale – 192.350 (VT 47.775, UB47.400, BB 48.775, FX 48.400)
 
Individual Scores:
Vault: Cashmore 9.575, Alderman 9.675, Moredock 9.650, Simpson 9.525, Gentry 9.825, Jones 9.775
Bars: Veresemann 9.075, Vincent 9.600, Jones 9.775, Cashmore 9.850, Kelly 9.800, Simpson 9.800
Beam: Simpson 9.700, Moredock 8.450, Gentry 9.825, Kelly 9.150, Vincent 9.750, Jones 9.825
Floor: Veresemann 9.525, Simpson 9.400, Moredock 9.675, Kelly 9.800, Alderman 9.875, Jones 9.825
All-Around: Jones 39.200, Simpson 38.425