Gymnastics Opens 2013 Campaign With Home Win Over Alaska Anchorage

Bridgeport, Conn.-The four-time defending USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Team Champions, University of Bridgeport Purple Knights, got their 2013 season off to a fine start on Thursday night with a 191.450-187.425 home win over the visiting University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.  UB won three of the four team events on the evening capturing the vault (48.950), the bars (47.525) and the floor exercise (48.425).  UAA won the beam with a score of 46.725 to the Purple Knights, 46.550.

Sophomore Sasha Tsikhanovich (Marysville, Ohio) took the all-around title on Thursday night with a total of 39.000, as she took first place on the beam (9.725) and tied for first place on the vault with Natalie Saimeri (Sr., E. Longmeadow, Mass) with a score of 9.850 plus the floor exercise with Kamri Riles (Jr., Ellenwood, Georgia) with a score of 9.775.  Sasha took second place on the bars with a score of 9.650 behind her teammate Lissette La Fex (Jr., Diamond Bar, Calif.), who won the event with a score of 9.725.

LaFex was second in the all-around with a total of 38.525, and Bridgeport newcomer, junior Melissa Doucette (Somersworth, N.H.) with a total of 37.725.

The Purple Knights took the top three spots in three events (vault, bars and floor exercise).

On the vault, Lissette La Fex tied for third place with a score of 9.800 behind Tsikhanovich and Saimeri.

On the bars, junior Leah Goldberg (Marlton, N.J.) took third place with a score of 9.575, and in the floor exercise, junior Jenna Hamala-Smith (El Cerrito, Calif.) was third with a score of 9.675.

The University of Bridgeport women's gymnastics team returns to action on Saturday, January 19 when they travel to Rutgers University for a Quad Meet that will feature the host Scarlet Knights plus Penn and Ursinus.  Action will get underway in New Jersey at 1:00 p.m.