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Jami Lanz, continually the team's best perfomer in the all-around, has helped the Beavers earn wins on the road the past couple of weeks, proving they don't have to be in Gill to do well.

Beavers finally find consistency

OSU struggled early in the season after a slew of injuries, but Beavers have found a second wind and are making the most of it

By: Samantha Redmond

Posted: 2/28/07

The Beavers are on a roll.

The No. 11 Oregon State gymnastics team had shown incredible inconsistency away from Gill Coliseum until last Friday, when they earned their highest team score of the season, 196.975, the 11th best team score in OSU history. This score is the second time the Beavers have reached 196 points in a row this season.

Earlier in the season, experienced gymnasts Tasha Smith and Yuki Lamb suffered injuries, and the loss took its toll on the Beavers. Most notably, it caused a disturbance in the vault and floor lineups. With both competitors out of the vault lineup, the Beavers totaled their lowest vault score of the season with a 48.375 against California.

Then recently, floor and beam contributor Claire Pierce suffered a torn ACL, ending her season. Injuries have caused the Beavers to make changes to their rotations.

"I don't know that you can ever avoid injuries in our sport," coach Tanya Chaplin said. "It is day to day with different athletes at different times."

The ability to come through in the clutch is an essential quality in a gymnast. The necessity to perform a flawless routine, under the scrutiny of different judges, is crucial to a strong and consistent performance. Being such a young team with no seniors, the Beavers had struggled to find consistency.

In a sport that demands individual pressures on the competitors, the key to a victory is developing the capacity to cope and overcome pressures of competition. The team has focused on competing as a team - they refer to it as their "OSU bubble" - in an effort to feed off one another's energy.

"We just cope with it by feeding off of each other," sophomore Jami Lanz said, "and giving each other confidence and believing in each other."

In Oregon State's first six meets of the season, the Beavers fell into a win-loss cycle associated with whether or not they were competing on their home floor. Equipment and atmospheres differ from gym to gym, which is likely to cause variations in a gymnast's performance. This cycle was broken with their triangular meet last Friday against Washington and Seattle Pacific as OSU finally discovered the secret to consistency.

"You get a lot more pressure (on the road)," Smith said. "You don't have the entire crowd behind you, so the equipment is different, the landing is different, you have to get used to that in twenty minutes of warm up."

If Oregon State continues to earn team scores in the 196 point and above range, it is possible that they could become one of the top 10 teams in the nation. If the trend of improvement continues, the Beavers may be well on their way to another NCAA National Championship.

"It would mean a lot," Smith said. "For us to work so hard in the gym and then not make it, it wouldn't be nice."

The Beavers have witnessed great performances from several gymnasts this season. Among those expected to earn high scores are sophomores Smith and Lanz. Smith, Oregon State's All- American on the vault, had a career high of a 39.55 in the all-around last Friday in Seattle. Lanz has proved to be a rock for the Beavers, earning high scores on each event and in the all-around without fail.

"Pressure gives me adrenaline," Lanz said. "I want to perform better and I have a lot of excitement."

Aside from the expected, several key gymnasts have also emerged from the shadows and have proved themselves worthy of the spotlight this season.

Sophomore Kera Bolen has come through for the Beavers on the floor and bars and recently made the transition from a recruited walk-on to a scholarship athlete. Freshman Laura-Ann Chong has made her presence known in the bars and beam rotation, as well as freshman Whitney Watson, who made her college debut to the vault lineup last Friday.

"Our freshmen are amazing," Lanz said. "They are really extravagant. Each one of them is completely different."

Powerhouse freshman Mandi Rodriquez has followed in the footsteps of Lanz and Smith, proving herself to be a fierce competitor in her rookie season. She scored a career-best 9.95 on the vault last Friday and continues to produce high scores in the all-around.

OSU has already shown it has the athletes to compete nationally. Now, the Beavers' mission for the rest of the regular season will be to nail the details on every event and maintain their level of consistency on the road.