#21 Washington Posts Highest Season-Opening Score Since 2004

LAS VEGAS – The Washington gymnastics team began their season Jan. 6 with a bang at the Super 16 in Las Vegas, posting the highest season-opening score the program has seen since 2004. The GymDawgs scored a 195,475 and demonstrated many impressive performances in all events.

The #21 GymDawgs were the top ranked team in the first session of the weekend, competing alongside #27 North Carolina, #28 Southern Utah and Fisk.

Despite strong individual performances by the Huskies, Southern Utah came away with the afternoon victory with 195,800. Washington placed second on the quad, with UNC finishing with a 194.625 and Fisk a final of 186.700 in the university’s first collegiate gymnastics action.

Session 1 of Friday afternoon’s quad meet marked the first of the 2023 collegiate gymnastics season.

Amara Cunningham dominated the floor exercise, claiming the afternoon floor winner with a near perfect score of 9.9. Skylar Killough-Wilhelm picked up right where she left off last season as Washington’s lone all-around competitor, finishing with an impressive 39.325 all-around.

Of the 16 teams competing this weekend, 12 were ranked in the WCGA Preseason Top-25.

Amara Cunningham dominated both of her events, scoring a 9.8 on the vault to put her in a tie for third. Cunningham was unstoppable in her floor routine, setting the pace for the event with a 9.9 and taking first place.

The GymDawgs were awarded the Olympic order and began the afternoon with three gymnasts scoring 9.8 on the vault. Pac-12 Preseason Watch Lister Brenna Brooks, Lana Navarro and Cunningham’s 9.8 scores landed the three in a tie for third in the event.

Skylar Killough-Wilhelm, also selected to the conference’s preseason watch list, led the way for Washington on bars, posting a second-place 9.85.

Lilly Tubbs made her collegiate debut with a 9.775 on her bars routine. Taylor Russon and Deiah Moody followed closely behind, each posting a 9.750.

Killough-Wilhelm led the beam with a near-perfect 9.9 routine. Navarro finished second in the event with a 9.825.

Cunningham executed a 9.9 floor routine to take the category, with Navarro landing the Huskies in the top two with a 9.875.

Session 1 was historic in more ways than one. In 2022, Fisk University became the first historically black university to win an intercollegiate women’s gymnastics program, and the 2023 Super 16 competition marked the first of its kind for Fisk.

GymDawgs by event:

safe

Lana Navarro – 9,800

Brenna Brooks – 9.800

Amara Cunningham 9,800

bars

Skylar Killough-Wilhelm – 9.850

Lilly Tubbs – 9.775

Taylor Russon – 9.750

Deiah Moody – 9.750

beam

Skylar Killough-Wilhelm (Winner) – 9.900

Lana Navarro – 9.825

floor

Amara Cunningham (Winner) – 9.900

Lana Navarro – 9.875

Skylar Killough-Wilhelm – 9.850

All-Around

Skylar Killough-Wilhelm – 39.325

other

The GymDawgs head to West Valley City, Utah on Saturday, January 14th to compete in the Wasatch Classic where they take on #16 Boise State, Minnesota and #10 UCLA. The action will begin at 2:00 PM PT.

Washington will then welcome UCLA to Alaska Airlines Arena for the first home meet of the season at 2:00 pm on January 21st.

To purchase tickets for a Washington home date this year or to purchase season tickets, click here.

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