NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's gymnastics team opened the season with two meets on the road, but Sunday the Redbirds returned home to Horton Field House and came away with a 188.825-186.150 win over Alaska Anchorage in their home opener.
"We were really glad to be competing at home," ISU head coach Bob Conkling said. "Gabi (Cooke) had a good meet today, but I know that she is even better than what she showed and I'm sure she will prove that throughout the rest of the season."
Cooke won the all-around with a score of 38.875, her second all-around win of the young season. The sophomore took first on vault with a score of 9.775, followed by teammate Meredith LaRoche with a score of 9.750. Cooke also performed a solid floor routine, as she took first place with score of 9.875 and was second on the beam overall.
ISU jumped out to an early lead after the first rotation on vault, thanks to the strong efforts of Cooke and LaRoche. The Redbirds maintained their lead after the second event, thanks to Anna Marema's win on the uneven bars with a score of 9.750. After struggling on the beam on the third rotation, Cooke and Alyssa Wiggle (9.700) closed out the meet with standout performances on the floor
"I was very pleased with Alyssa today, as she had great performances on the bars, the beam, and the floor," Conkling said. "We made a few mistakes today, and pulling Meredith LaRoche hurt us after the bars. However, I was proud of those that stepped up and helped us get the win in our opener. Now it's back to work in practice and learn from this performance. "Â
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The Redbirds will get back on the road next week to take on Ohio State and Minnesota in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m.
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