SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Ursinus College gymnastics team's spectacular score over the weekend garnered the Bears plenty of acclaim, and one of their top student-athletes reaped the rewards on Monday. This afternoon, the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) honored junior Alexandra Puryear as the East Region All-Around Gymnast of the Week in recognition of her impressive performances during Saturday's meet at Rutgers, when Ursinus posted a Division III-best 191.350.
Puryear, a first-time Gymnast of the Week, was terrific in her first career all-around meet, scoring a 38.175 to place her at the top of the Division III standings. Competing against gymnasts from a trio of Division I programs in Rutgers, Michigan State, and Cornell, the Bears' tri-captain earned season highs across the board – 9.750 on the floor, 9.700 on the beam, 9.525 on the vault, and 9.200 on the bars.
Puryear has been particularly strong on the floor this season, with a team-leading 9.63 SAS that ranks sixth in the nation. She has compiled an average score of 9.51 on the beam, good for 17th in Division III.
Ursinus has logged the highest score in Division III in consecutive weeks and is one of only two programs in the country to have surpassed the 190-point mark; Brockport tallied a 190.975 on Saturday. The Bears top Division III with an SAS of 189.1917.
The gymnastics team resumes competition at Temple on Saturday, February 4, when the Bears join the Owls, West Chester, and Pittsburg for the Ken Anderson Memorial Invitational.