Arlotta, Pearson lead Panthers to season-high scores

The Panther gymnasts spent spring break traveling back and forth to compete in three important… The Panther gymnasts spent spring break traveling back and forth to compete in three important meets.

First they headed to North Carolina to compete in a quad meet against the Tar Heels, West Virginia and Penn. The Panthers finished with an impressive season-high score of 193.500 and placed third overall.

The highlight of the event was the squad’s performance on the uneven bars. The Panthers notched a season-high score of 48.775. Andrea Arlotta won the event title for the Panthers with her season-high 9.825 effort. April Pearson followed her to tie for second place with a career-high score of 9.800. Nicole Drane and Kaitlin Harrison tied for eighth place with matching scores of 9.700, a career high for Drane and a season high for Harrison.

“We just opened up and rocked on the beam and finished up and rocked on the bars,” head coach Debbie Yohman said.

Pitt scored a 48.275 on the balance beam to put them in third place. They increased their team average by more than a tenth.

Next, the Panthers hosted West Virginia and James Madison in a tri-meet at Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt was unable to hold onto their perfect home record as the Moutaineers defeated them with a first-place score of 194.875. Pitt came in second with 193.325, their second-highest score of the season, followed by James Madison in third with a 185.700.

The main attraction of the night was Pitt’s floor exercise. They delivered their strongest performance this season with a first-place score of 48.900. Arlotta pulled through for the Panthers when she tied West Virginia’s Meghan Morris for second place with a score of 9.850.

Pitt’s Jessica Garber and Robyn Marszalek both achieved season highs and shared the fourth-place title with a score of 9.800. Samantha DeBone’s routine earned her sixth place with a season-high score of 9.750.

Finally, Pitt went on the road for the last time this season, traveling to West Virginia to compete against the Mountaineers and Cal-Berkeley. Pitt fell to third place with a score of 188.700, placing the team 11-9 overall and 3-6 in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League. West Virginia won the meet with a team score of 194.450, followed by the Golden Bears in second with a 191.000.

“We basically imploded,” Yohman said. “We started off with some manageable problems on the bars but then totally choked on the beam. Then we ran into additional problems on the floor and vault, including an injury to Andrea. It was very disappointing.”

Senior April Pearson earned Pitt’s lone event title for the night on the vault. She tied for first with a 9.750. Freshman Victoria McGuigan-Carl was the next closest teammate with a ninth place score of 9.575. Pitt finished the event with a 47.575.

Pitt will take on Penn State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in their final regular meet of the season.

“We just want to have a good performance with the kids we have out on the floor, even though it may not be our strongest lineup,” Yohman said. “We are trying to keep everyone healthy for EAGLs.”

The Panthers will also recognize seniors Lindsay Swan and April Pearson for Senior Night.