Gymnastics Wins Four-Team Rhode Island College Invitational

Providence, R.I.-The University of Bridgeport took home first place at the Rhode Island College Women's Gymnastics Invitational on Saturday afternoon as UB amassed a team total of 188.050 points in their second action of the 2011 season.. The Purple Knights, who took first place in all four individual events plus the all-around competition, were followed by Ithaca (182.250), Wilson (160.225) and host Rhode Island College (156.400).

Sophomore Monica Mesalles (Barcelona, Spain) helped lead the Purple Knights to Saturday's victory with an impressive effort. She posted matching first place scores of 9.800 on both the vault and in floor exercise. Mesalles also posted the top score in the all-around (38.075).  She registered scores of 8.950 on bars and was third (9.525) on beam.

UB took the top three places on the balance beam as junior Emily Repko (Gilbertsville, Pa.) won the event for the second straight week turning in a score of 9.675.  Junior Caroline McAvity (Rothesay, N.B. Canada) was second with a score of 9.650 followed by Mesalles.

Senior Lorraine Galow (Suwanee, GA) took second behind Mesalles on the vault with a score of 9.650, and freshman Kamri Riles (Ellenwood, Ga.) was third on the same event with a score of 9.525.

On the bars, Bridgeport freshman Emily Turik (Crystal Lake, Il.) was first with a score of 9.575.  The Purple Knight grabbed third place through fifth place on the bars, as sophomore Adriana Panades Erra (St. Julia de Vilatorta (Barcelona), Spain) was third (9.375), sophomore Natalie Saimeri (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) was fourth (9.300) and Galow was fifth (9.100).

In the floor exercise, following Mesalles in first place were senior Bre Collins (Phoenix, Ariz.) in third place (9.475) and freshman Jenna Hamala-Smith (El Cerrito, Calif.) in fourth place (9.400).

The Bridgeport gymnastics team will return to action next Sunday afternoon, January 30th, at the University of New Hampshire.