Rutgers gymnastics continuing season to remember
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (BVM) 鈥� The Rutgers women鈥檚 gymnastics team has set a new standard for its program in the 2022 season.
The season has been filled with records and high scores, including the Scarlet Knights recording their highest overall scores for a meet and the Big Ten Championships.
All of this has followed a record-breaking 2021 season, when Rutgers showed it was an up-and-coming program.聽
Coming into the season, the expectations surrounding the team were higher than ever. Despite collecting only six wins in 2021, the Scarlet Knights achieved their best place and score at the Big Ten Championships, highest road score, and ninth-highest overall score. In addition, Belle Huang and Hannah Joyner gave the program its first pair of All-Big Ten First Team selections in the same season, and were both NCAA Regional qualifiers. Joyner also became the program鈥檚 third National qualifier, competing in the beam.聽
This season, the Scarlet Knights upped their record to 11-24 while showing plenty of improvement under fourth-year head coach Umme Salim-Beasley.
On March 11, Rutgers finished second in a meet with host N.C. State, Florida and UPenn, notching an overall score of 196.400 for the highest mark in program history. Previously, the record was 196.255, set in 2014.聽
The Scarlet Knights followed that up on March 19 with their highest overall score at the Big Ten Championships (195.750) in Columbus, Ohio, beating the team鈥檚 total from the 2021 season. It also marked their ninth-highest score in program history and the sixth-highest road score.
Now, the Scarlet Knights are looking forward to continuing to cement this season鈥檚 place in program history. For the first time since 2018, three of their gymnasts have qualified for the NCAA Regional on April 2 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
To no one鈥檚 surprise, two of the three qualifiers are Huang, a graduate student who participates in beam and floor, and Joyner, a junior who is involved in the all-around. Sophomore Emily Leese will also get her chance to compete in the vault.
Huang and Joyner, both team captains, have both been selected to the All-Big Ten First Team for the second straight year. Huang has set a career-high score on floor of 9.975, which is the second-best score in the event in Rutgers history. She also ranks No. 30 in the country on floor with a National Qualifying Score of 9.920.
Joyner is ranked No. 34 in the nation in all-around, No. 36 on beam, and No. 44 on floor. She has recorded a career-high score of 9.950 on floor, plus a 9.9 or higher on beam 19 times in her career, which is a program record.聽
Leese鈥檚 score of 9.855 on vault has earned her first NCAA Regional appearance. She has contributed to the team鈥檚 success by scoring a 9.850 or higher on vault seven times, while also setting a new career-best 9.900 in the event.聽
This season has already been one to remember for the Scarlet Knights. However, there is still more work to be done for the three remaining gymnasts. Their program continues to rise to new heights.
