Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

All-MPSF Women's Gymnastics Announced

3/17/2022 10:00:37 AM

Photo: 2022 MPSF Gymnast of the Year, Kyla Kessler-UC Davis (By: Mark Honbo)

2022 All-MPSF Women's Gymnastics Selections (PDF)
   
UC Davis senior Kyla Kessler (Fremont, CA) competed in the all-around in nine of 10 regular season meets, in which she accumulated three MPSF all-time top-10 totals, and hit 37 of 39 total routines. On March 5, Kessler posted the MPSF’s highest all-around (39.425) and floor score (9.95) in the regular season. Her all-around that day ranked fifth in the MPSF record book, while her floor routine was the third-best in the history of the conference. She also recorded a pair of 39.375 all-arounds in February to share the No. 10 all-time conference ranking. In her national qualifying scores, Kessler finished second in the MPSF in the all-around (39.270), tied for third on the balance beam (9.840), third on floor (9.875), tied for fourth on vault (9.845), and 11th on bars (9.780). She has the highest conference all-around average on the year of 39.119, surpassing the 39-point threshold eight times. Kessler was recognized as a 2022 MPSF Gymnast of the Week four times and was the only gymnast to earn four first-team All-MPSF awards (V, BB, FX, AA). She has been accepted to physical therapy school at the University of Iowa. Kessler represents the conference-high 10th MPSF Gymnast of the Year award for UC Davis (Kelley Hebert-2019 & ’18; Alexis Brown-2017; Katie Yamamura-2013 & ’12; Tanya Ho-2010; Andi Dolinsky-2009 & ‘07; Michelle Kulovitz-2008).  
Air Force freshman Genevieve Sabado (Pomona, CA) was a conference-high four-time recipient of the MPSF Freshman of the Week award in 2022. She competed in all 12 Falcon events during the regular season. Her 466.25 total all-around points lead all Air Force Gymnasts, while her 116.875 points on the balance beam and 117.4 points on the floor exercise are also the most on the team. Sabado became only the fourth Air Force Gymnast to record a 9.900 on the balance beam (Feb. 11). Her 39.300 all-around score on Feb. 5 was tied for the second-highest in Academy history. She totaled 16 first-place finishes (6 AA, 5 BB, 3 FX, 2 UB) in the 2022 regular season, and played a vital role in Air Force recording separate scores of 195.700 and 195.400, two of the four highest scores in team history. Sabado owns a 39.035 national qualifying score, second-best among first-year MPSF Gymnasts and No. 6 overall. Sabado is also tied for third in the MPSF on beam (9.840), and eighth on both floor (9.835) and bars (9.800). Sabado is the first-ever Air Force MPSF Women’s Gymnastics Freshman of the Year, and the first from the Academy to earn an end-of-the-year major award in over a decade (Brittany Dutton-2011, Abbey Rogers-2008 & ‘09 as gymnasts of the year).
   
San Jose State fourth-year head coach Joanne Bowers guided the Spartans to the MPSF Regular Season Title with the highest national qualifying score in the conference of 196.165. San Jose State broke 196 in four of nine regular season meets, and reached 195 in all but one meet. The Spartans re-wrote the MPSF record book nearly every week during the 2022 season. On Feb. 27, the team totaled 196.625, which ranked No. 2 in MPSF history and was the highest team score in seven years. In fact, with the four 196-plus results this year, the 2022 Spartans own two of the top-three, three of the top-seven, and four of the top-11 MPSF team totals in the history of the conference. On Feb. 6, the Spartan balance beam squad broke the all-time MPSF record in the event with a 49.300 total, and leads the MPSF with a 49.105 NQS. Five days later, the uneven bars team reached 49.350 to rank No. 2 all-time. The Spartans surpassed 49 on bars six times this year, and lead the MPSF with a 49.150 NQS. Individually, Jada Mazury equaled the MPSF’s all-time bars record of 9.95 (Feb. 27). Emma Milne recorded three 9.925’s on beam to share the school and conference record in that event. Jaudai Lopes hit a 9.925 on vault (Feb. 18), the best in the MPSF in eight years and tied for second all-time. Bowers is the second Spartan Head Coach of the Year in the 21-year history of MPSF Women’s Gymnastics (Wayne Wright, 2003).
   
San Jose State fourth-year assistant coach James Williams is the lead coach on the uneven bars and handles the Spartans’ conditioning program and team travel. He has gone through all the developments the Spartans have done with the program since he and Coach Bowers arrived in September, 2018. This season’s bars team has six scores in the all-time top-10 at SJSU, including the school record and all-time MPSF No. 2 score of 49.350 (Feb. 11). Individually, the Spartans have tied the individual school and conference record at 9.950 and have six scores of 9.900 or better on bars. This year marked the first time in MPSF history in which one team swept first-team all-conference honors in an event, as the Spartans collected all five placements on the bars. San Jose State’s bars team ranks 23rd nationally with a 49.150 NQS. Williams is the second MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year for San Jose State (Shella Martinez-2017).