Feb. 16, 2002

PITTSBURGH-For the second consecutive week, the Pittsburgh gymnastics team set a school record on one of the four apparatuses. On Saturday evening, the Panthers scored 49.325 points on the floor exercise en route to a 193.95 team score in a tri-meet with Central Michigan and Ursinus.

The 193.95 points are the eighth most in Pittsburgh school history and it came a week after tying the fifth-best score with 194.35 points against Rutgers, James Madison and Wilson College.

The Panthers lost to the Chippewas (195.525) but defeated the Ursinus Bears (182.75) to keep their record at .500 with a 6-6 mark. Pittsburgh's floor routines were nearly flawless as five consecutive gymnasts set career highs in the event.

The final three floor routines - senior Raya Mullin (Runnemede, N.J./Triton), sophomore Diandra O'Connor (Owasso, Okla./Owasso) and junior Heather Launse (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) - all earned a 9.875 to tie for second place in the meet. The other two gymnasts that recorded career highs were sophomores Marcy Blitz (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and Alyse Zeffiro (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem), both earning a 9.85 from the judges.

Central Michigan's Michele Orloski had a score of 9.9 for first place in the meet on the floor exercise.

Mullin also tied a career high on the balance beam with a score of 9.825 and set a season high on the uneven parallel bars with a 9.85. Senior Rebecca Singleton (Poland, Ohio/Boardman) had a season-high 9.85 on beam to lead the Panthers on that apparatus. O'Connor had the team's third highest score on the balance beam with a 9.75.

Mullin's score on the bars tied the Chippewas' Kara Reighard for the highest in the meet. Central Michigan had the meet's top three vaulters in Shanna Duggan (9.85), Sarah Dame (9.825) and Tammy Verrinder (9.825). Pittsburgh's top score on the vault came from Zeffiro with a 9.725.

The Panthers' next three meets will be on the road starting with a contest at Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.