Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

Women's Gymnastics Annual Awards, All-MPSF Announced

3/16/2023 1:00:30 PM

Photo:  2023 MPSF Gymnast of the Year, San Jose State's Lauren Macpherson
By: Kym Fortino

2023 All-MPSF Women's Gymnastics Selections (PDF)
   
San Jose State junior Lauren Macpherson (Gilbert, AZ) had the greatest all-around season in MPSF history in 2023. She leads the conference with a 39.370 National Qualifying Score and broke the MPSF’s all-time record with 39.550 (Mar. 3). This season alone, she penciled herself into four of the top-13 all-around totals in the conference record book, including two of the top-three. In addition to her record-setting night, Macpherson also scored the third-best total all-time in the MPSF with 39.500 (Feb. 17), along with 39.375 in two meets and 39.325 in another. Out of 10 meets, she recorded nine all-around outings of 39-plus with seven titles. She is also the MPSF’s top performer on the balance beam with a 9.895 NQS. She tied the conference beam record with 9.950 (Mar. 3) and recorded a pair of 9.925’s to occupy two more spots in the MPSF’s all-time top-four. Macpherson is tied for second in the MPSF on bars with a 9.855 NQS, scoring 9.800 or better eight times including 9.900 twice. On vault, she scored 9.800 or better in six meets and has a 9.805 NQS. On floor, she scored a 9.825 or higher in six meets including a 9.925. Macpherson, a five-time MPSF Gymnast of the Week this year, is the sixth Spartan to earn the MPSF Gymnast of the Year award (Taylor Chan-2020; Cami Guyer-2015; Julia Greer-2014; Jennifer Greene-2005; Shirla Choy-2004).
UC Davis freshman Amelia Moneymaker (Sacramento, CA) was a three-time MPSF Freshman of the Week, tying for the second-most weekly awards in the conference this year. She picked up one event title and finished in the top-three on three occasions. Moneymaker won the floor exercise with a score of 9.925 against Sacramento State, helping the Aggies post a school record 49.525 in the event and No. 2 all-time school and MPSF total of 196.750. Her MPSF individual NQS rankings include fifth on floor (9.860), 10th on vault (9.750), and 11th on bars (9.760). Her 2023 high scores are 9.80 on vault (Mar. 3), 9.85 on bars (Feb. 12), and a top-20 all-time MPSF mark of 9.925 on floor (Feb. 12). Moneymaker is the third Aggie to be named MPSF Freshman of the Year (Cortney Cunningham-2019; Yasmine Yektaparast-2016).
   
Sacramento State graduate Amber Koeth (Henderson, NV) is ending her collegiate career as one of the all-time great Hornets.’ She set the school record and tied the all-time MPSF Balance Beam record with 9.950 (Mar. 3) to cap a stretch of four-straight meets with 9.90 or better. Koeth also tied the second-best beam score in school history and fourth-best all-time in the MPSF with 9.925. She currently ranks second in the MPSF with an NQS of 9.880, and was named the MPSF Specialist of the Week for three consecutive weeks at the end of the regular season. Koeth also ranks seventh in the MPSF on floor with an NQS of 9.845 and 10th in the conference on bars at 9.770. She has scored at least 9.850 on floor in four meets, including a 9.950 to tie the school record in the same meet which she matched the school beam record. Koeth is the MPSF’s first-ever MPSF Specialist of the Year recipient.  
UC Davis first-year head coach Tanya Ho guided the Aggies to the MPSF’s No. 2 championship seed with a team national qualifying score of 195.965. UC Davis broke 196 in four meets, including twice on the road. The Aggies totaled three of the MPSF’s top-nine all-time scores in the final month of the regular season, including the No. 2 all-time ranking of 196.750. The last seven meets of the season all went for at least 195.250.  In the final regular season meet at No. 7 California, the UCD vault (49.225) and beam (49.275) squads both equaled the third-best total in MPSF history. The Bars team recorded an all-time top-10 MPSF total of 49.200 (Feb. 12). In consecutive weeks in February, the Aggie floor squad tied their school record and tallied the No. 2 all-time MPSF total of 49.525, a score not reached in the conference in two decades. Keanna Abraham posted all-time MPSF top-three scores of 9.975 on floor and 9.925 on vault on Feb. 5. The Aggies earned 10 first team all-conference honors and placed six on the second team. Ho, who earns her third coach of the year honor in the MPSF (2019-UAA Head Coach, 2016-Sacramento State Assistant) is the only individual across all sports in MPSF history to be named an athlete of the year and coach of the year in the conference. She earns the eighth MPSF Head Coach of the Year award for UC Davis (John Lavallee-2017, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2007; Ray Goldbar-2006).
   
Sacramento State eighth-year assistant coach Melissa Genovese helped guide the team to its best season on beam in school history. Sacramento State finished the regular season with an NQS of 48.945 which is the best all-time in school history. The Hornets had a high of 49.225 which ranks third in school history (and top-eight MPSF) and is the highest for the team since 2010. The Hornets were very consistent throughout the season, scoring at least 48.750 in seven of the final eight meets. Individually, Amber Koeth tied Genovese’s school record of 9.95 which had stood since 2008. Koeth additionally set a school record scoring a 9.9 or better in four-straight meets on beam. Genovese also coached Grace Gilman to a school record 9.9 from the leadoff position and had Sarah Lutrel become the first Hornet freshman to score 9.925 on beam since 2002. Three athletes have scored career-bests of 9.9 or better. The beam team also saw its first-ever flashed 10.0 in school history. Beam is the Hornets highest national, regional and conference ranked event, as Genovese has coached three athletes to a NQS of 9.805 or better, and five athletes to a 9.78 NQS or better. Genovese is responsible for the team’s scheduling, apparel, meals, social media, travel arrangements, judges, and administrative duties and is instrumental in recruiting. She also stepped in to help coach the bars squad during the season, and assisted Head Coach Randy Solorio on floor. She serves as the MPSF Regional Score verifier. Genovese is the fourth MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year for Sacramento State (Tanya Ho-2016; Randy Solorio-2015,2014).