ANCHORAGE - Led by solid all-around performances from freshman Morgan Cook and sophomore Melissa Doucette, the Alaska Anchorage gymnastics team delivered a season-high score Sunday as it dropped a 190.875-189.300 decision to Air Force at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
The Seawolves (3-6) got a career-high 37.775 all-around from Cook and a 37.725 from Doucette as they also topped their previous season-high of 188.125 by more than a point.
The Falcons (2-4) earned their second dual victory of the year thanks to a winning 38.500 all-around from Katie Hawthorne, who also took top honors on bars with a 9.725.
"It's always disappointing to lose, but I think we saw some good things come out of today's meet, including the continuing improvement of Morgan Cook," said UAA head coach Paul Stoklos. "She has shown a great deal of maturity and confidence already as a freshman. Now that our lineup has stabilized, I feel good about our ability to keep posting higher scores as we head into the home stretch of the season."
UAA was neck-and-neck with its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals after one rotation, trailing just 48.250-48.225, but the Seawolves struggled early in their bars lineup and the Falcons took control on vault. UAA sliced into its deficit slightly in the fourth and final rotation, getting a 9.6 from senior Shakea Sanders and a 9.625 from Doucette on floor, before Air Force clinched it on beam thanks to a 9.6 from Hawthorne and a 9.55 from Jessica Wallander.
Doucette claimed the win on floor, while her career-best 9.825 vault was good for the win and equaled the 12th-best vault score in program history. UAA's team total of 48.225 on vault also made the program's top-20 list, tying for No. 15.
Meanwhile, Cook recorded her career-best all-around for the second straight meet, boosted by personal-bests of 9.625 on vault and 9.525 on balance beam.
Sophomore Emily Petersen produced UAA's best score on bars, finishing third with a 9.7, while Sanders was runner-up on floor.
The Seawolves get a full two weekends off from competition before traveling to California for meets Mar. 2 at UC Davis and Mar. 4 at Sacramento State.
