One of the best seasons in school history got even better for the UAA gymnastics team this week.
The Seawolves posted the highest team score in school history and junior M'Rcy Matsunami registered the highest all-around score in school history Monday at a meet in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
UAA racked up a team score of 193.825 to break the record of 193.75 set in 2004.
Contributing 39.2 points to the cause was Matsunami, whose all-around score broke the 11-year-old school record of 39.125, set by Dominique Ingram.
The big numbers came at a three-team meet hosted by Air Force. Denver, the nation's 17th-ranked team, won with 196.45, with UAA beating Air Force by 1.6 points for second place.
"At the beginning of the year, I thought this group had the potential to be our best ever," said Paul Stoklos, the only head coach in UAA's 31 seasons of NCAA gymnastics. "Luckily they have proven me correct over the past few weeks.
"They are performing with confidence and poise, and hopefully we are peaking as we head into the conference meet at home in two weeks."
The Seawolves, whose previous-best team score this year was a 192.75 recorded at a March 1 home meet, will host the six-team Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships March 21 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Matsunami's performance included a 9.9 on uneven parallel bars (good for second place), a career-high 9.825 on floor exercise (fourth place), a 9.75 on balance beam (fourth place) and a 9.725 on vault (ninth place).
All of that put Matsunami in first place in the all-around standings, ahead of runnerup Kara Witgen of Air Force, who trailed Matsunami by .425 points.
A junior from Omaha, Nebraska, Matsunami has been threatening the UAA all-around record all season.
In each of the three meets previous to Monday's, she recorded all-around scores that rank in the top five of UAA's all-time bests. At the March 1 home meet, she broke the 39-point barrier for the first time, scoring 39.025 points.
"M'Rcy is performing better and more consistently than any gymnast we've ever had," Stoklos said. "Her bars set was amazing, especially the way she stuck her landing. She also showed that she can perform under pressure, because we needed every percentage point in such a tight team race."
Claiming fourth place in the all-around for UAA was senior Morgan Cook, whose 38.2 included a career-best 9.8 in the vault, placing her sixth in that event.
Kallie Randolph, a sophomore from Anchorage, enjoyed career highs in two individual events, earning a share of first place in floor with a 9.85 and finishing third in beam with a 9.775.
Also racking up top-10 finishes in individual events for the Seawolves were Emily Ramberg (fourth in beam, 9.75), Nicole Larkin (eighth in bars, 9.825) and Marie Sophie-Boggasch (10th in vault, 9.7).
The meet marked the end of UAA's regular season. The Seawolves get two weeks to prepare for the conference championships.