University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Missouri, Auburn and Brigham Young
Gymnastics Tops No. 21 Auburn in State Farm Cat Classic
2/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 4, 2002
PITTSBURGH-The Pittsburgh gymnastics team scored a big upset in the 22nd annual State Farm Cat Classic at the University of Missouri with a win over No. 21 Auburn. The Panthers' 193.05 points was a season high and topped the Tigers' 192.5 for third place in the team event. Brigham Young and Missouri, ranked 15th in team average, took first and second place, respectively, with 194.95 and 194.475 points, respectively.
Sophomore Diandra O'Connor (Owasso, Okla./Owasso) led the charge for the Panthers by recording a career-high 38.9 points in the all-around and qualifying for three events in the individual competition to be held on Saturday evening.
O'Connor had a career-high 9.775 points on the vault and scores of 9.825 on both the balance beam and floor exercise. Also qualifying for Saturday night's competition were senior Raya Mullin (Runnemede, N.J./Triton) on the uneven bars and balance beam and Alyse Zeffiro (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem) on the vault.
Zeffiro had the second-highest vault score for the Panthers with a 9.75 and Nathalie Sulpher (Ottawa, Canada/Franco-Quest), followed with a 9.675 to help Pittsburgh gain 48.45 points on the apparatus.
Mullin and Marcy Blitz (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) were tops on the uneven bars for Pittsburgh with scores of 9.8 and 9.75, respectively. Sulpher was third for the Panthers with a 9.575 from the judges.
O'Connor and Mullin were again the leaders on the balance beam with Mullin scoring a 9.75 behind O'Connor's 9.825. Five Panthers tallied scores of 9.725 or above on the floor exercise, leading to a season-high 48.825 points in the event. O'Connor led the way followed by junior Heather Launse (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) (9.775), Zeffiro (9.775), Sulpher (9.725) and Mullin (9.725).
The Panthers' record is now 2-5 on the season, but four of the losses have come to top 25 teams in West Virginia, Penn State, Brigham Young and Missouri.
