Big Ten Network : Gymnastics Top Stories

Columbus Named site of 2011 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:47:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships will return to St. John Arena in 2011, The Ohio State University and the NCAA announced Thursday. The three-day championships will kick off Thursday, April 14 with two qualifying sessions followed by the team finals Friday, April 15. The 2011 national championships will conclude with the individual finals Saturday, April 16. "Ohio State is honored to be hosting the 2011 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships in St. John Arena," Heather Lyke, Ohio State Associate Athletics Director, said. "For our coaching staff and team, the chance to compete in the most important meet of the season in front of our home crowd is invaluable. We look forward to welcoming the top teams from across the country to Columbus and giving our fans the opportunity to be a part of such a memorable event." Ohio State will be the third Big Ten Conference institution to host the national competition in the last six years after Penn State did so in 2007 and Minnesota in 2009. "I am tremendously excited to host the NCAA championships in Columbus," Miles Avery, 13th-year Buckeye head coach, said. "I am proud to bring a national championships of this caliber to St. John Arena. It hasn't been here since 2001, and it was pretty good to us then, so we look forward to that opportunity again." In 2001, the Buckeyes won the program's third NCAA title and Avery, in his fourth year at the helm, was named the national coach of the year in St. John Arena. Then-senior Jamie Natalie was presented the sport's top honor, the Nissen-Emery award, previous to winning the NCAA All-Around title. Natalie was named an All-American on three events in his home gym, including the all-around, floor and parallel bars. In all, Ohio State saw three athletes collect seven All-America laurels, including 2008 Beijing Olympian Raj Bhavsar. In the last four seasons, the host program of the national championships has won twice with Oklahoma winning in 2006 and Penn State taking the crown in 2007. In 2008, Stanford was upset at home by Oklahoma but returned in 2009 to win the title in Minneapolis.

Former Illini coach to be honored

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:09:00 +0000

CHICAGO - Former Illini standout and three-time U.S. Olympic men's gymnastics head coach Abie Grossfeld will be honored tonight at the 2009 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by Allstate at McCormick Place in Chicago. Grossfeld's many accomplishments include leading the 1984 U.S. Men's Olympic team, to eight medals, including the team gold medal. He also was at the helm for the men's U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and 1988 and the U.S. National team from 1981-88, during which time he led the squad to its first-ever victory over the USSR in 1982. Prior to serving as a head coach, he worked with the men's Olympic team in 1964 and the women's in 1968 as an assistant coach. Grossfeld was active as an athlete as well, participating in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic games, two World Championships (1958 and 1962), three Pan American Games (1955, 1959, 1963) and 17 AAU National Championships (1952-68). He claimed eight gold medals at the Pan American Games and three straight national horizontal bar titles at the AAU National Championships. During Grossfeld's time at the University of Illinois from 1957-60, the 12-time All-American captured four NCAA National Championships, (high bar in 1957 and the all-around, high bar and floor exercise in 1958). He also claimed seven Big Ten Championships in his career and took home the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the first gymnast to receive Illinois' Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year award in 1959. Grossfeld is the only coach in this year's class, which also includes Olympic gold medalists Michael Johnson (athletics), Teresa Edwards (basketball), Mary T. Meagher (swimming), the 1992 Men's Basketball Team; Paralympic gold-medalist Sarah Will (alpine skiing); and Olympic silver medalists Picabo Street (alpine skiing) and Willye White (athletics). Skiing's Andrea Mead-Lawrence was selected in the veteran category, and former USOC Board Chairman and head of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee Peter Ueberroth is the special contributor inductee.

NCAA may change women's gymnastics championships

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:17:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NCAA women's gymnastics committee is recommending changes to the national championship format: It wants four teams to compete in the finals instead of the current six. According to a proposal disclosed last week, byes would be eliminated and the competition would be shortened, something the committee believes would make the event more appealing to fans and television. Thirty-six teams would still compete at regionals and 12 would still advance to the championship round. Other recommended changes include counting the score of each gymnast on each apparatus toward the team's final score, instead of throwing out the lowest of the six individual scores. The format would only be used in regional and national championships. The changes still need final approval before they would be implemented in 2011.

New job ends competition for Olympic gymnast

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:38:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Olympian Justin Spring is moving up at Illinois -- and moving on from competitive gymnastics. Spring, part of the U.S. men's team that won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, was promoted to associate head coach at Illinois on Wednesday. The move follows the retirement of longtime Illini coach Yoshi Hayasaki, and means an end to Spring's competitive career. "It wasn't much of a tough decision," said Spring, who became an assistant at Illinois after a standout college career that included four NCAA titles and the Nissen-Emery Award. "I will, of course, miss competing and being a part of it. But I'm also excited for the new opportunity and when it came about, I was more than happy to jump on it." Spring was one of the most dynamic and entertaining gymnasts on the U.S. squad, with a dazzling high bar routine that rivaled any circus act. He made the Olympic team despite blowing out his knee at the U.S. championships one year earlier. He also was on the 2005 world team, and won U.S. titles on high bar (2005 and 2007) and parallel bars (2008). Spring's promotion is part of a restructuring to replace Hayasaki, the Illini's coach for 33 years. While Spring will be responsible for all coaching duties in the gym, women's coach Bob Starkell will have administrative responsibilities for both teams as the new director of gymnastics. Starkell, the Big Ten coach of the year, will continue coaching the Illinois women's team. Ivan Ivankov, a two-time Olympian and world champion in 1994 and 1997, becomes the assistant coach of the men's team. The native of Belarus was a visiting assistant coach this year. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Long journey brings Olympic gymnast to coach Illini

Kyle Diller — Fri, 8 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Justin Spring makes the toughest gymnastics routine look effortless, but his road to Olympic glory was far from easy. It was the kind of journey only the most determined and the most dedicated could make, but that's Justin Spring in a nutshell. He twists and turns through midair with grace, seemingly defying gravity as he performs. He executes the most difficult routines with apparent ease. He sticks his landing perfectly and takes his bow. His golden locks are a spiky mess as people from around the world watch him accept his Olympic bronze medal in Beijing. "It was my biggest example of how hard work truly pays off in my life," Spring said. It's those qualities that prepared Spring as he embarks on a career in coaching. Spring was named associate head coach of the Illinois men's gymnastics team on April 22. Along with his new job comes the end of his competitive career as he retires from gymnastics. Spring's journey began early in life through his family's ties to gymnastics. "I think where he really started to see that he liked it was through his older sister when we got her started," said Debbie Spring, Justin's mother. "We drug him to the gym, and he just refused to sit there. He was just like, 'I can do that! I can do that!'" Spring joined the Illini men's gymnastics team in 2003, where he not only earned himself a place in the University's history books, but also placed himself in the national spotlight. Spring won four NCAA individual titles and became a 12-time All-American in a collegiate career that also saw him lead Illinois to a Big Ten title in 2004. "When you have somebody like him, it's always a plus to the program," said Yoshi Hayasaki, Spring's former coach and the man who Spring replaces. "This is where he trained. This is where he made his name. This is where he improved his gymnastics to become an Olympian." It was during his junior year that Spring made the U.S. Men's Senior National Team. That same year, Spring won hardware outside of collegiate competition, becoming the first Illini gymnast to become a national champion when he took the gold medal on the high bar at the 2005 Visa Championships. Spring closed out his illustrious collegiate career when he graduated in 2006 and accepted the role of assistant coach the same year. Spring also focused on his Olympic dreams after graduation, but his journey to Beijing was injury-plagued. It was in the buildup to Beijing that Spring's strong character was put on display, as he battled through an injury to his ACL to accomplish his childhood dream. After months of rehab, he made his comeback in dramatic fashion; he made the six-man team that would travel to Beijing to represent the United States. "It's hard to explain what your body is going through because every second of every day you're out there with the thought knowing you're about to compete in front of millions of people," Spring said. "And you're expected to be perfect." Even with his spot on the team secure, Spring still needed the final and most important piece of the puzzle - an Olympic medal. "We kind of went into the Olympics expecting to do well, but medal?" Spring said. "We knew it was possible, but it wasn't going to be easy." In Beijing, Spring competed on the vault, parallel bars and floor, but it wasn't until the high bar that he realized he was on the verge of achieving his lifelong dream. "I watched the first two guys just totally have perfect routines, epic routines," Spring said. "And I was like, 'Please let me do the same thing.' And then I did, and I just lost it. This sense of almost invincibility came over because we were having the greatest meets of our lives." When the scores were tallied, Spring realized his team had defied the odds and earned the bronze medal. "Standing up there on that podium and having a medal put around your neck, and your flag is being raised up at the Olympic venue, is a vision you've tried to envision in your head for so many years," Spring said. "We were just in disbelief. It felt like a gold medal-winning performance for us, but gold was kind of out of reach with how good China was." Now, Spring has just wrapped up his third season as an assistant coach, a season in which he helped coach Illinois to its first Big Ten title since his days on the team. His effect has certainly been felt by Illini ace Paul Ruggeri, who won two Big Ten and two NCAA individual titles this season. "Obviously, Justin is an inspiration for his accomplishments," Ruggeri said. "I admire him. I look up to him. He's a great coach, and he's always there when we need him." Following Hayasaki's retirement in 2009, Spring took over as the program's first new head coach in 33 years. It is a new challenge that has enticed him, but those closest to Spring know he is up to the task. "He's a person that cares very much about other people," Debbie said. "One of the things we've really admired in him is he has a way in reaching out to others. That to me is what is really is important with coaching, to be able to get into the heads of other of individuals and know what it takes to get them to succeed." (C) 2008 Daily Illini via UWIRE Copyright 2009 Daily Illini via U-Wire

Young Penn State men's gymnastics squad learns for next year

Brendan Monahan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Penn Staet gymnastics team circled around the mat in the White Building when a sudden thud was heard. Miguel Pineda had just tackled fellow freshman Matt Albrecht to the ground. Laughs were heard and jests were exchanged. It seemed like any other Lion practice except for one thing -- Josh Borromeo, the usual animated ringleader, could not be found. Because this past weekend's NCAA Championship marked the last meet of the season, Borromeo, a senior, will be moving on from the Lion roster. Going into the season, Borromeo was one of three seniors on the gymnastics team. The Lion roster had lost half its routines to graduation, featured only 14 eligible gymnasts and lost 2008 contributor Jason Chu. With these factors, Borromeo and fellow senior leaders, Casey Sandy and Shaun Antonio, were given a heavy burden. "When I looked at the season to begin with, I looked at the personnel everybody had coming in, I figured a great season would have put us in the top six," Penn State coach Randy Jepson said. "We finished seventh overall and that was without Miguel, without Chu and with a limited Casey Sandy." Injuries had affected the Lion lineup all year. Borromeo missed three meets with a bicep injury while Matt Greenfield didn't compete in three meets because of a right ankle sprain. Nick Virbitsky suffered a concussion and a wrist injury while Philip Harris didn't compete all year because of a partially torn latissimus dorsi muscle. But the two most vital setbacks for Penn State occurred with Pineda and Sandy. Pineda broke his wrist in the week leading up to the Big Ten Championship, and 2009 Nissen-Emery Award winner Sandy sprained his foot at the conference championship. "We fought hard with what we had," Greenfield said. "In the past, we had a lot more depth, and it was easier to compete as a team." The inexperienced Lion squad became exposed to the championship atmosphere the previous three weeks with Big Tens and NCAAs. Although the Lions didn't qualify past the first session at the NCAA Championship, Warren Yang acknowledged the young team is now better prepared for big-time meets. "Things do get better. That's one thing this team really started to understand throughout the season and towards the end," Yang said. Now that the season has finished, Jepson claimed the Lions will be adding skills to each gymnasts' repertoire until November. The 2010 roster will also feature soon to be freshmen MacKenzie Dow, Nick Grant and Parker Raque. Next year's Lions will return four juniors from this year including Allen Harris, Noam Shaham, Greenfield and Virbitsky. Harris, Greenfield and Virbitsky are all solid floor exercise competitors in what may be the best Penn State event in 2010. Shaham is known for his skill on the high bar and even features his own move "The Shaham." Jepson said the Lions will be working on becoming healthy, getting stronger and developing abilities. "You tell them the level they need to be at," Jepson said in reference to championship season. "Until they see it and understand it, they don't know. Knowing what your competition is and how good you have to be, really helps you to know you can get there." (C) 2008 Daily Collegian via UWIRE Copyright 2009 Daily Collegian via U-Wire

Illinois announces gymnastics promotions

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:18:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois Director of Athletics Ron Guenther announced today the promotion of three current staff members to fill the vacancy left by retiring men's gymnastics head coach Yoshi Hayasaki. Women's gymnastics head coach Bob Starkell has been promoted to Director of Gymnastics, men's assistant coach Justin Spring is promoted to Associate Head Coach and visiting assistant coach Ivan Ivankov will now be an assistant coach. Starkell will remain the women's gymnastics head coach at Illinois and will now oversee the administrative side of the men's program as well. Spring will assume all in the gym coaching duties for the men's program, while Ivankov becomes a full-time assistant coach for the men's team. "We had a year to think about the reorganization of our gymnastics program after Yoshi decided to retire," Guenther said. "We are very fortunate to have Bob Starkell on our staff, who is very capable of giving oversight to both programs. Also, one of our own, Justin Spring, is recognized in the world of gymnastics as one of the elite competitors and is in position to expand his coaching career. I believe Bob and Justin will be able to continue to elevate our gymnastics program on the national stage." Starkell, who just finished his 16th season at Illinois and his 10th as the women's head coach, earned National and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2009 after leading the Illini to the best season in school history. During Starkell's tenure as head coach, the Illinois program has gradually risen to new heights, culminating this year as his squad reached the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history, finishing 12th overall, and produced the school's first first-team All-American (Melissa Fernandez on beam). His teams have always performed well in the classroom as well, producing 81 Academic All-Big Ten honorees, including a record 11 in 2009, and 37 Scholastic All-Americans. Hayasaki hired Starkell in 1993 as a women's assistant coach when Hayasaki held the title of Director of Gymnastics. "Coach Hayasaki's tenure at Illinois has been well decorated with awards and accolades, so it seems fitting that the year he retires his team wins the Big Ten Championship and his athletes win three NCAA event titles," Starkell said. "Sixteen years ago, as the Director of Gymnastics, Hayasaki hired me to the coaching staff here at the University of Illinois. Today, I feel honored to be placed in that same position and to help fill the shoes of one of the all-time greats. "I look forward to the opportunity to work with both Justin Spring and Ivan Ivankov," Starkell continued. "Between the two of them, they have both the knowledge and experience to carry on the great Illini tradition of men's gymnastics." A 2006 Illinois graduate, Spring has been an assistant coach for three seasons at Illinois while also training as a member of the U.S. National Team. With the new position, Spring will retire from competitive gymnastics to focus solely on coaching. He reached one of his lifelong goals in August, competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and helping the United States to a team bronze medal, but is now ready for a new challenge. "I am so excited to continue to work with such an outstanding program," Spring said. "Yoshi has kept Illinois as one of the dominant gymnastics programs in the country and I am ready to step up and maintain that level of excellence. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I couldn't be happier staying and contributing to the University that I have grown to love so much. Bob has done a great job leading the women's program and his experience will make this transition as smooth as possible. Ivan came in mid-season last year and gave a tremendous amount to this program; I couldn't think of better coaches to work with." Spring competed for the Fighting Illini from 2003-06 and put together one of the most decorated careers in program history. The Burke, Va., native was four-time NCAA Champion, 12-time All-American and won the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award in 2006. He's also had a spectacular career at the national and international levels. In addition to the Olympic Bronze, Spring is an eight-time U.S. National team member and three-time U.S. Champion and has competed at many other international competitions, including the 2005 World Championships, as part of Team USA. Ivankov recently finished his first season at Illinois as a visiting assistant coach. One of the most accomplished gymnasts in the world over the last 15 years, Ivankov won 10 World Championship medals, including three Gold. The Minsk, Belarus, native competed at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics and was a two-time World All-Around Champion (1994 and '97). He retired from international competition in 2006. Spring and Ivankov were named 2009 Central Region Assistant Coaches of the Year after helping Illinois to the Big Ten Championship, a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and three individual NCAA titles this season. Transactions, University of Illinois: Bob Starkell named Director of Gymnastics, remains women's gymnastics head coach Justin Spring named men's gymnastics Associate Head Coach Ivan Ivankov named men's gymnastics Assistant Coach

Big Ten gymnasts compete at NCAAs

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Friday April 17: Three Big Ten Conference squads posted season-high scores at the NCAA's 'Super Six' Team Championships on Friday night at the University of Minnesota's Sports Pavilion. The conference will look to advance 18 individual event specialists to the individual event finals. The No. 4-ranked Michigan men's gymnastics team placed second at the NCAA Championships with a season-high score of 361.500. The finish is the highest for the Wolverines since the 2000 season, when it also claimed the runner-up spot on the winner's podium. The No. 3-ranked Illinois finished in fifth place, tying its season-high score of 359.300. With the finish, the Illini continued its streak, having now placed in the top-five at the NCAA Championships in each of their past seven seasons (2003-09). Sixth-ranked Ohio State recorded another career night, tallying its second-consecutive season-high score with a 355.95 team total to finish the competition in sixth place. Stanford was crowned the 2009 national champion (362.800), and Michigan beat out third-place Oklahoma by a mere three one-hundredths of a point (361.200) as the Sooners rounded out the top three spots. California came in fourth with a composite team score of 361.15. Two squads and six individual event specialists will head to Lincoln, Neb., to represent the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Nebraska on April 16-18. Illinois is making its NCAA Championships debut this weekend after finishing second at the West Regional on April 5. Penn State will accompany the Fighting Illini at the event, making its first appearance at nationals since 2005 and 15th overall (7th as a Big Ten Conference member). The Nittany Lions finished second in the Southeast Regional behind top-ranked Georgia. The two teams will join 10 other squads at the Bob Devaney Sports Center to vie for the NCAA team title. Illinois enters the competition as the 11th seed, with Penn State earning the 12th seed in the 12-team field. Six Big Ten individuals also qualified for this year's NCAA Championships in Illinois' Allison Buckley (beam), Michigan's Becky Bernard (uneven bars), Kylee Botterman (floor exercise) and Sarah Curtis (all-around), Ohio State's Rebecca Best (all-around) and Penn State's Brandi Personett (all-around). To qualify, the six specialists either placed first in their individual event or posted one of the top two all-around scores (from individuals not advancing to nationals with a team) at their respective regional sites. Preliminary team and all-around competition will be conducted in two sessions Thursday, April 16 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. (CT). The top three teams from each session will advance to the Super Six competition Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. (CT). The top four individuals from each session in each event (plus ties) from the preliminary team and all-around competition will compete in the individual-event competition Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. (CT). Penn State will compete in Thursday's afternoon session, with Illinois set to compete in the evening. The 12-team field includes defending national champion Georgia as well as challengers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA and Utah along with the nation's top all-arounders and individual event specialists.

Illinois women's gymnastics staff sweeps National Coach of the Year Honors

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

LINCOLN, Neb. - University of Illinois head coach Bob Starkell was named National Coach of the Year and assistants Kim Landrus and Amy Kruse were named co-Assistant Coaches of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women (NACGC/W) Saturday morning at the NCAA Championships banquet in Lincoln, Neb. The awards are voted on by coaches around the country. "It's such an honor to earn this recognition from my fellow coaches and friends," Starkell said. "This award is a reflection how far this program has come in the last five years. Most of the credit should go to my staff and to the great student-athletes that we have here at Illinois. "I've been doing this for 10 years now and have tried to model myself after individuals who have success year-in and year-out like Suzanne Yoculan (Georgia), Greg Marsden (Utah), Sarah Patterson (Alabama) and Valorie Kondos Field (UCLA). They all make it look easy. While this recognition is nice, I still have a lot of work to do to get to their level of success." Starkell led Illinois to its first ever appearance at the NCAA Championships this year and produced the school's first first-team All-American in Melissa Fernandez. Under his guidance, the Fighting Illini program has made remarkable strides in the last four years, improving every year at the Big Ten Championships, Regional Championships and final national rankings. Earlier this year he was named Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Illinois to a second place finish at the conference championships. He then led the Illini to their best-ever regional finish of second to earn the trip to nationals. Starkell's teams have also gotten it done in the classroom, as all 11 upperclassmen were named Academic All-Big Ten this year, sporting at least a 3.0 GPA. Starkell is in his 16th season at Illinois and his 10th as head coach. Associate Head Coach Kim Landrus has been on the Illinois staff for seven years. Serving as Starkell's recruiting coordinator, Landrus has had a huge hand in bringing in Illinois' current crop of talented student-athletes. In the gym she works primarily with the balance beam, leading the beam squad to the top three scores in school history this year, including the school record of 49.200 at the NCAA West Regional. She has coached beam All-Americans in back-to-back years, Allison Buckley in 2008 (second team) and Fernandez this year (first team) and also coached Buckley to the NCAA West Regional beam title with a school record score of 9.950. Assistant Coach Amy Kruse is in her third season with the Orange and Blue, serving as vault and floor exercise coach on top of a myriad of other duties. Kruse led the Illini to the top five vault scores in school history, including the school record with a 49.375 at the Big Ten Championships, and also guided the floor team to the school record with a 49.500 at the conference meet. She also helped two Illini claim individual Big Ten titles, Kelsey Joannides on vault and Sarah Schmidt on floor. "I'm so proud of Kim and Amy," Starkell said of his assistants. "They're like daughters to me and they're huge reasons for the strides our program has taken. I'm very happy to see them get recognized by their peers for all of the hard work they've put in for me, the team and the University of Illinois." FERNANDEZ GOES FOR BEAM TITLE TONIGHT Fighting Illini sophomore Melissa Fernandez will compete for the NCAA balance beam title at the National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships individual event finals tonight in Lincoln. By making finals, Fernandez has already earned first team All-America honors, the first Illini to accomplish the feat, and will compete against 11 other individuals for the national title tonight. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. CT with the vault and bars finals, and will wrap-up with beam and floor finals. Follow tonight's event finals: Livestats: http://www.huskers.com//fls/100/09Wgym/2009WomensNationals-4.htm Live Video: http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=ncaa&media=113218 ILLINOIS GYMNASTICS ON THE RISE By advancing to this year's NCAA Championships, Illinois has continued its gradual climb towards becoming one of the nation's elite teams. Take a look at the program's progress over the last four years: Year Big Ten Regional Final Rank 2006 7th 4th 25 2007 3rd 4th 20 2008 2nd 3rd 15 2009 2nd 2nd 12 *competed at NCAA Championships for first time in school history

Rebecca Best takes sixth in floor exercise

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:10:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sophomore Rebecca Best finished session one of the 2009 NCAA Championships as a second team All-American on the floor exercise after scoring a 9.850 to finish in sixth place during session one Thursday of the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska. The Williamstown, N.J., native qualified as an individual in the all-around for the national championships and wrapped up the day in a tie for 18th place in the all-around with a 39.050, highlighted by the sixth-place finish on floor and a career-high tying 9.850 mark on vault to take 11th place. ""There are so many tremendous competitors at the national championships,"" head coach Carey Fagan said. ""To be named an All-American is such an incredible honor and I cannot wait to put Rebecca['s photo] on the wall in Steelwood with the rest of our All-Americans."" Best is the sixth Buckeye to take home All-American honors at the NCAA Championships, following in the footsteps of former teammate and 2008 honoree Kaylan Clevinger, who earned second-team recognition on the bars with a 9.900 score. Prior to Clevinger, the Buckeyes had not had an All-American since Lindsey Vagedes in 1999. Best posted the 9.850 on vault in rotation one to begin her first national appearance at the NCAA Championships, to which she traveled to as an alternate in 2008. She followed the career showing on vault with a 9.775 on uneven bars before taking in a 9.575 on beam after faltering slightly on the dismount. She wrapped up the day with the sixth-place finish on floor with a 9.850 to take the No. 18 in all-around at 39.050. ""I am definitely very proud of how Rebecca handled the pressure – it was like a true veteran,"" Fagan said. ""Being at this kind of event without your teammates is very hard after they have been there all year for support. I thought that Rebecca put up three of her best performances of the year (on vault, bars and floor)."" Best entered the NCAA Championships with a 39.032 average in the all-around after competing in the event in all but one meet this season. She was tied for No. 49 in the nation and ranked ninth in the central region in the all-around. Best led Ohio State in the all-around five times this season and had one meet win, posting a career-high 39.350 in the all-around in her last two meets and scored a 39.275 in the two meets prior.

PSU's Sandy wins all-around qualifier

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:24:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS – The Penn State men's gymnastics team posted a score of 352.150 to place fourth in the first qualifying session of the 2009 National Collegiate Championships on Thursday afternoon in the Sports Pavilion on the host campus of the University of Minnesota. With the top three teams qualifying from the session, Penn State will not advance to vie for the national championship for the first time since 2002. While it will not move on as team, there will be a strong Penn State presence at Friday night's competition. With the top three all-arounders and event finishers not on a team advancing to the team finals earning the right to continue on, seven Nittany Lions will compete for either the all-around title or a spot in the individual event finals. Newly-crowned Nissen-Emery Award winner Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) refused to be hindered by a toe injury suffered two weekends ago at the Big Ten Championships, gutting out a win in the all-around with a score of 90.500 thereby earning the opportunity to defend his 2008 NCAA title during tomorrow night's team finals. The seven-time All-American placed third in the parallel bars (14.800), fourth in the pommel horse (15.000) and vault (15.850), sixth in the high bar (14.800), ninth (tie) in the floor exercise (15.050), and 10th in the still rings (15.000). Junior Noam Shaham (Kfar Saba, Israel) will also advance to compete for the all-around title after a sixth place finish (84.800) in Thursday's qualifier. His best showing came in the vault, as he tied for eighth with a score of 15.700. Five other Nittany Lions will also compete on Friday night, led by junior Allen Harris (Lancaster, Pa.), who will perform in three events (floor exercise, vault, and parallel bars). Joining Harris will be junior Nick Virbitsky (Harrisburg, Pa.) (floor exercise, high bar), senior Josh Borromeo (Littlestown, Pa.) (still rings), junior Matt Greenfield (Villanova, Pa.) (high bar), and sophomore Warren Yang (Nepean, Ont.) (high bar). The Nittany Lions gave a valiant effort in today's national qualifier, scoring above their season average in five of six events, including finishing just .05 shy of notching a season best score in the still rings. ""The guys fought very hard today,"" said head coach Randy Jepson. ""We had it a little rough on pommel horse but that's the way it's been all year. We put in a good, solid performance but the other teams were just better."" ""I am proud of our effort. I am really proud of guys like Matt Greenfield, who did some things he has never done before. Allen (Harris) did a great job. Josh Borromeo gave a great effort on rings. And then Casey, who hasn't basically done anything two weeks, came in and won the all-around. I am pleased that he will get the opportunity to defend his title. I am happy for the guys moving on and will hopefully have a good showing tomorrow."" Stanford finished first in the qualifier with a score of 361.100 followed by co-Big Ten champion Michigan (358.300) and Cal (357.550). Nebraska placed fifth (346.800) while Navy took sixth (327.000). Penn State got off to a bit of a slow start in the first rotation, scoring a 57.450 in the high bar; a total just below its season average of 57.650. Casey Sandy led the team with a score of 14.800, followed by sophomore Warren Yang (14.350) and Matt Greenfield (14.200). The Nittany Lions bounced back with a solid performance in the floor exercise, recording a team score of 60.200, their third highest total of the season. Junior Allen Harris, who owns the team's highest score in the event this season (15.450), came through with a 15.300. Nick Virbitsky (15.100) and Casey Sandy (15.050) also contributed key efforts. After a bye, Penn State rotated to pommel horse, an event in which a lack of consistency has plagued the team all season. That trend continued, as only a score of 15.000 from Casey Sandy saved the team from a scoring below its season average. The Lions strung together excellent efforts in the next two rotations. In the still rings, Josh Borromeo posted the team's top score, a 15.150, to tie for fifth place. In addition, Casey Sandy (15.000) and Noam Shaham (14.900) each established season highs. In the vault, Sandy (15.850) and Shaham (15.700) led Penn State. In the final rotation, Penn State could not make up enough ground to crack the top three with its parallel bars performance, scoring a 56.850. Sandy (14.800) and Shaham (14.200) again posted the team's top scores.

Recapping the Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 19:53:00 +0000

DAY 2 (INDIVIDUAL) ILLINOIS: The fourth-ranked Illinois men's gymnastics team, fresh off its Big Ten team championship title, came out strong again behind solid performances from sophomore Paul Ruggeri and junior Luke Stannard at the Big Ten Individual Event Finals. Ruggeri captured event titles on floor and parallel bars, while Stannard took top honors on pommel horse. It marked the first time since 1989, the last year Illinois won the NCAA team title, that the Orange and Blue captured three or more individual event titles. The Big Ten individual titles are the first for both Ruggeri and Stannard. For their accomplishment's both received first team All-Big Ten Honors. IOWA: Release to follow. MICHIGAN: Senior/junior co-captain Phillip Goldberg (Dalton, Ga./McCallie) captured the still rings title and senior Joe Catrambone (Deptford, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) the high bar crown for the No. 5-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team at the Big Ten Championships on Saturday night at Crisler Arena. Also receiving top honors this evening was sophomore Thomas Kelley (Libertyville Ill./Libertyville), who, after winning yesterday's all-around competition, was named 2009 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. Kelley placed second on high bar and third on parallel bars during tonight's contest. MINNESOTA: Senior Kit Beikmann and freshman Russell Dabritz earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors Saturday night at Crisler Arena. Beikmann and Dabritz were two of five Minnesota gymnasts taking part in the individual event finals of the Big Ten Championships. Beikmann took second place on the pommel horse, giving him his second consecutive placement on the All-Big Ten Second Team. He has now won or placed second on the pommel horse for three consecutive seasons. Beikmann scored a 14.700 on the horse, while Illinois' Luke Stannard took the Big Ten pommel horse title with a 15.275. Dabritz earned his All-Big Ten accolades by virtue of a second-place finish on the parallel bars. The Gopher freshman was the second-to-last athlete to compete and posted a score that put him in first place with one competitor remaining. Unfortunately, that one competitor was Illinois' Paul Ruggeri, who topped Dabritz's score of 15.050 with a 15.100 to take the Big Ten title. OHIO STATE: Freshman Philip Onorato headlined Ohio State's stellar performance at the 2009 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Individual Event Championships on Saturday, earning the coveted Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor while also placing second on rings (15.275) and vault (16.0). The Plano, Texas, native becomes just the sixth Buckeye to earn the conference's rookie of the year honor and the first since senior teammate Jake Bateman was the honoree in 2006. Bateman and Onorato earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades after placing third and sixth, respectively, in the all-around while Pejman Ebrahimi was named Ohio State's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. In all, Ohio State had seven student-athletes competing in the 2009 Big Ten individual event finals Saturday evening in the Crisler Arena on the University of Michigan campus. PENN STATE: Five Nittany Lions competed in the individual finals of the 2009 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Championships on Saturday evening at host Michigan's Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. Junior Nick Virbitsky (Harrisburg, Pa.) performed in three events, contributing Penn State's top showing by placing third in the vault with a score of 15.900; a mark that tied his season and career high established two weeks ago at Oklahoma. He also finished eighth in the floor exercise (14.675) and 10th in the high bar (12.750). Senior Shaun Antonio (Rio Rancho, N.M.) added another accomplishment to his best competitive season as a Nittany Lion, earning a fifth place finish in the high bar (14.250). DAY 1 (TEAM) ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The fourth-ranked Illinois men's gymnastics team came from behind to win its first Big Ten team championship since 2004 in thrilling fashion Friday night at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., behind a team score of 357.100. The Illini made a dramatic comeback in the final rotation to share the title with the fifth-ranked Michigan. The Orange and Blue trailed the Wolverines by 2.35 points heading into the last event and strung together their highest total on still rings this season, 59.100, to catch the hosts and claim the Big Ten Championship trophy. Standings T-1. Illinois 357.100 T-1. Michigan 357.100 3. Ohio State 349.900 4. Minnesota 348.000 5. Penn State 340.800 6. Iowa 337.750 "It was a classic Big Ten finish," Illinois head coach Yoshi Hayasaki said. "The best part about tonight was that our guys were behind all evening and didn't give up. They kept fighting. It was so great to see our last three events coming back to win the title. I expected a close competition, but I didn't expect it to be this close. We are champions and neither team had to lose. I think Michigan did a great job on their home floor and they had a good performance." The Conference Championship is the 24th in Illinois history, the most among any Big Ten school. In total, seven different Illini advanced to Saturday night's event finals by finishing in the top-eight, with at least one Illini in the hunt for an individual title on every apparatus. The Orange and Blue posted 13 top-ten finishes on the night. Illinois began the championships on vault, where they tallied a 61.350. Sophomore Paul Ruggeri led the way, coming in fourth with a score of 15.600, followed by sophomore Roger Pasek's score of 15.350 (14th) and freshman C.J. Padera's 15.300 (t-16th) The Orange and Blue led the first rotation by 2.5 points ahead of Ohio State and Michigan. The Illini moved on to parallel bars in the second rotation where they scored a 58.200. Freshman Tyler Mizoguichi hit a career-high 15.050 on p-bars for first place to lead the Orange and Blue. Ruggeri was not far behind, finishing in fourth place, with a 14.750. Junior Brian Liscovitz tied for eighth place with a score of 14.350 to advance to Saturday's event finals. In the third rotation, the Illini headed to high bar where Ruggeri, the reigning NCAA champion on the event, scored a team high 15.450 to place second. Liscovitz tied for fifth on high bar with a 14.550. The Illini as a team scored a 58.100 on the event. After three rotations, the Illini sat in the middle of the pack with a team score of 177.650, behind Michigan (179.250) and Ohio State (179.050). Ruggeri continued to lead the Illini into the fourth rotation as they moved to the floor exercise. The Manlius, N.Y., native scored a 15.300, the second-highest score of the night on floor. Mizoguichi and sophomore Daniel Ribeiro each scored 14.950's to add to the Illini team total of 60.050, but just missed out on making finals, finishing in a tie for 10th place. In the fifth rotation, the Illini headed to their top team event, pommel horse. Ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into the championships, the Fighting Illini did not disappoint the faithful fans who traveled to Ann Arbor, posting a score of 60.300, the highest team total on the event all evening. Ribeiro and junior Luke Stannard, ranked No. 1 and 2 in the conference, posted scores of 15.700 and 15.400 on the event for first and second place. The Illini were in second place heading into the final rotation, 2.35 points behind the host Wolverines, and would need a spectacular performance on the still rings to claim the title. They did just that, as feshman Tyler Mizoguichi started the Illini off on the right foot, scoring an impressive 14.750, a career-high. Senior Nick Stango made his last Big Ten Championships count, posting another career high for the Illini with a 14.700. Next up, senior Tyler Williamson put together his strongest ring set this season, scoring a 15.000 to ty for fifth place on the event. Freshman Anthony Sacramento posted his second-highest rings score of the season, 14.650, to give the Illini the final push for the Big Ten title. Illinois scored a season-high 59.100 on rings and that, combined with Michigan's 56.750 on parallel bars, was enough to give the Fighting Illini a share of the title. "The fight in our last three events was unbelievable and something we hadn't done all season," Hayasaki added. "We had a good season, but that was the best comeback we've had all year. I can't wait to see what we can do next at the NCAA Championships." Ruggeri took fourth in the all-around competition with a score of 86.850. The individual event finals will take place Saturday night (April 4) at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

Penn State gymnast lets personality shine

Kurt Bopp — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

On a team full of talented gymnasts, standing out based on your skills can be difficult. Penn State reshman Alex Stine has made her presence known through her character. "She makes me laugh everyday; just a great kid, great personality," coach Steve Shephard said. "She doesn't take herself too seriously, but at the same time works very hard." The State College native fought back from injury-plagued junior and senior years in high school to walk on to the Penn State women's gymnastics team. After seeing the team and meets at Rec Hall, Stine knew she wanted to be a Nittany Lion. And she made it as a walk-on, in large part because she's a "fighter," roommate and teammate Daryl Konsevick said. "Even in the gym, she's such a fighter, such a strong athlete," Konsevick said. "She's one of the strongest people I've met in my life." Konsevick said Stine is a "very funny character" and a "very sweet girl" who is always supportive. Stine is also a "little crazy," Konsevick said. Although her work ethic has gained her notoriety on the team, Stine's comical personality and light-heartedness has been her staple -- particularly, her expressions. "The faces she makes when she screws up or does well," sophomore Danielle Hover said, "her eyes bug out and she gets this funny face on. It brings light to the situation." As a fellow walk-on, Hover can relate to Stine and is proud "she is doing a lot of good things for us." Not only is Stine always supporting and motivating her teammates, but she has also been a solid competitor on bars. Junior Casey Rohrbaugh said the team didn't know what to expect from Stine, just like all walk-ons to the team. Because Stine was a local girl, Rohrbaugh said the team knew a little bit of what she was capable of and what she could do. "She has improved so greatly on every event, mostly on bars," Rohrbaugh said. "Very funny, makes everyone laugh all the time." Stine has competed on bars in eight meets, including Big Tens and regionals. She averages 9.678 with her career best being 9.825 in a win against Michigan State. Shephard has high expectations for Stine next year, in addition to her improving on bars. "I'd like to see her get in the vault lineup," Shephard said. "She's been a little hampered this year with shin splints. She's capable of doing a huge vault with a 10.0 start value." Konsevick said Stine sometimes appears "a little bit, uncoordinated with some things" and seems to be lacking control, but is a dedicated worker set on improving. And as important as her scores are to the team, her presence may be just as special. "She brings a lot of character to this team," Hover said, "and a lot of laughs." (C) 2008 Daily Collegian via UWIRE Copyright 2009 Daily Collegian via U-Wire

Illini claim program's first NCAA Championship berth

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 14:27:00 +0000

SEATTLE - The No. 14 Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team claimed the program's first NCAA Championship bid with a second-place finish at the 2009 West Regional Championship in Seattle Saturday night. Sophomore Allison Buckley took home a share of the beam crown with an individual school record score of 9.95 to lead the Illini to an impressive 196.700 team score, just .05 off the school record set at this year's Big Ten Championships. "I couldn't be more proud of these girls," Illini head coach Bob Starkell said. "Making it to the NCAA Championships is a first for Illinois and has been our goal all season. It's hard to express how I feel right now. We will celebrate tonight and can't wait to start training for nationals on Monday." In the team race, No. 2 Utah ran away from the competition in the opening event to finish in first place with a 197.675. The third-seeded Illini upset second-seeded and 11th-ranked Auburn (195.250), who finished fourth behind No. 19 Boise State (195.300). San Jose State (194.800) and Washington (194.800) finished tied for fifth, to round out the regional field. The Illini will join Utah and 10 other teams at the 2009 National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships in Lincoln, Neb., April 16-18. Illinois was the only team that was not a No. 1 or No. 1 seed in any of the six regional meets to advance to the NCAA Championships. Overall, Illinois had the seventh best score of the 12 teams advancing to nationals. Several Illini received individual spots on the podium for their performances, including Buckley in three events, taking first on beam, second on vault (9.90), and fourth in the all-around (39.425). Senior Marijka Botterman also earned a spot on stage with a career-high 9.900 on bars to take third place, while freshman Kelsey Joannides and sophomore Melissa Fernandez tied for fourth on beam with 9.875s. Joannides also joined Buckley on the all-around podium with a 39.300 to take sixth. Illinois began the competition on floor, tallying their fourth best score this season of 49.225. Schmidt paved the way for the Illini with a 9.875 to tie for sixth place. Buckley and Botterman scored 9.85s to tie for eighth place, while Joannides and junior Nicole Cowart tallied 9.825s for the Illini. Utah opened up a significant lead with a 49.550, but Illinois led Auburn 49.225-49.075 for the coveted number two spot after the first rotation. The Illini moved to vault in rotation two, where they continued to place their mark in the Illinois vault record books with a 49.175, tying the third best score this season and in school history. This year's team now holds the top-five vault scores in program history. Buckley's second place finish with a career-high tying score (9.900) paced the Illini, followed by Botterman's 9.850 to tie for seventh. Joannides tied for ninth (9.825), while Cowart and Fernandez were also impressive, tallying 9.800s. Illinois increased its lead over the Tigers (98.400-97.900) after two rotations. "Floor was a great place for us to start," Starkell said. "We had so much adrenaline and were able use it to our advantage. Hats off to Marijka Botterman for starting our team off on such a high note. After floor, we kept the momentum going and went to vault and stuck almost every landing to put ourselves in great shape." After a bye in rotation three, the Illini were able to keep their momentum going into the uneven bars, scoring a 49.100, the third best score this season and eighth best in school history. Botterman led the way with her career-best score (9.900) and third place finish, followed by Cowart's 9.850 for sixth and Fernandez's career-high 9.825. Joannides' career-high tying 9.775 and Schmidt's 9.750 finished out the Illinois total. The Illini increased their lead over the Tigers to 1.175 in rotation four, as Auburn counted fall on floor (48.425). The Orange and Blue came into their final rotation with a comfortable second place cushion, and went on to increase that margin over Auburn and Boise State, as the Illini posted both individual and school records on beam. Illinois' beam total of 49.200 eclipsed the old mark (49.175) that had already been tied twice earlier this season. Buckley's 9.950 tied Stacy Redmond (1995) at the top of the individual record books and earned her a share of the beam title with Utah's Jamie Deetscreek. Joannides tied a career-high to equal Fernandez's 9.875 for her spot on the podium, while Lashlee Morris scored a 9.825 to round out the Illini scoring. Buckley is just the third Illini in school history to earn an individual regional title, joining Nancy Thies (1976 and '77) and Cara Pomeroy (2004). Thies, a former Olympian, won four events in '76 and '77, while Pomeroy on the uneven bars with a perfect 10.0 in 2004. "Luckily, after high-energy events like floor and vault, we had a bye," Starkell said of the team's mindset heading into the final two events. "Bars and beam are calm events that require more concentration. We knew we were in a good position and the girls handled the pressure and just did their routines." Along with Buckley and Joannides in the earning spots in the podium in the all-around, Cowart also had an impressive day on all four events, scoring a 39.150 to take seventh place.

MSU places 4th at Central Regional

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 13:23:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Michigan State gymnastics team concluded the 2009 season with a fourth place finish at the NCAA Central Regional held inside of St. John Arena on the campus of Ohio State University Saturday evening. It marked the fourth time the Spartans have finished fourth at the NCAA Regionals, and MSU has finished in fourth place or better in 10 of their 18 appearances at the Regionals. LSU won the regional with a 196.875, advancing to the NCAA Championships, along with Oregon State, who just trailed with a 196.800. Big Ten foe Ohio State took third with a 195.950, while Michigan State posted a 194.825. Kent State (194.650) and Kentucky (193.700) rounded out the competition. For the first rotation, the Spartans started on balance beam. MSU struggled on the apparatus, totaling a 48.200. Junior Nicole Curler and sophomore Kelsey Morley both posted a 9.800, finishing tied for 11th overall, and freshman Jackie Berg registered a 9.725. After a bye, MSU continued on floor exercise, posting a 49.050, the third best score among the six teams. Curler and sophomore Kathryn Mahoney led the Spartans, both posting a 9.850 and tying for seventh overall. Senior Katlyn Roggensack notched a 9.825 and sophomore Nicole Argiros added a 9.775. MSU moved to vault for rotation four. Roggensack and junior Rochelle Robinson both registered a 9.850, tying for eighth overall and helping the Spartans to a 49.075. Curler and Morley both posted a 9.800 and Argiros notched a 9.775. After a final bye, the Spartans finished competition on uneven bars, posting a 48.500. Robinson scored a team-high 9.875, placing fourth overall, and Argiros tallied a 9.775. Curler and Roggensack competed in the all-around for the Spartans, with Curler posting a 39.150 to place seventh overall, while Roggensack tallied a 38.400.

Streak snapped: PSU off to NCAA Championships

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 13:18:00 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. - For the first time since 2005, the 12th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team has advanced to the NCAA National Championships. The Nittany Lions finished second with a score of 195.800 at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Raleigh, N.C. No. 1 Georgia claimed top honors with a 197.700. The top two teams from each of the six NCAA Regional Championship sites around the country advance to the NCAA National Championships, slated for April 16-18 in Lincoln, Neb. This will be Penn State's 23rd overall team appearance in the NCAA National Championships, including the ninth under 2009 Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year Steve Shephard. Behind Georgia and Penn State, No. 13 Nebraska finished third (195.450), No. 21 West Virginia finished fourth (194.225), No. 30 North Carolina finished fifth (194.125) and No. 19 NC State finished sixth (193.800). As a team, Penn State recorded scores of 49.250 on vault, 48.800 on bars, 48.525 on beam and 49.225 on floor. Big Ten Gymnast of the Year junior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) finished second in the all-around with a 39.350 while Second Team All-Big Ten freshman Whitney Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) placed 15th with a 38.375. Penn State opened up the six-team meet on the uneven bars, with Personett and junior Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) tying for eighth with a 9.825. Freshman Natalie Ettl (North Prairie, Wis.) scored a 9.800 for 11th as sophomore Danielle Hover (Hamburg, N.Y.) placed 14th with a 9.775. Freshman Alex Stine (Philipsburg, Pa.) notched a 9.575 and Bencsko posted a 9.150 to round out the Nittany Lion competitors. Georgia's Courtney Kupets took home the bars title with a 9.925. The Nittany Lions moved to the beam in the second rotation, with Personett earning a ninth-place 9.800. Juniors Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) and Allie Southard (Nanuet, N.Y.) both scored a 9.725 for 14th as Brockway tallied a 9.650 for 21st. Sophomore Melissa Klein (Oceanside, N.Y.) notched a 9.625 and Bencsko posted a 9.475. Georgia's Courtney McCool took home the beam crown with a 10.000. After a bye in the third rotation, Penn State moved to the floor in the fourth rotation. Personett scored her 10th score of 9.900 or better this season as she put up a 9.900 to tie for second. Bencsko placed fifth with a 9.875 as Rohrbaugh and Southard each notched a 9.825 to tie for ninth. Sophomore Heather McElwee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) and freshman Daryl Konsevick (Rutherford, N.J.) both recorded a 9.800 to tie for 14th to aid the Lions' in putting up their second-highest floor score of the season with a 49.225. NC State's Taylor Seaman took home the floor title with a 9.950. Penn State moved to its final event, vault, in the fifth rotation. Rohrbaugh and Bencsko came through huge, both recording scores of 9.875, a career high for Rohrbaugh, to each tie for fourth. Brockway posted a 9.850 for eighth while Hover and Personett each notched a 9.825 for 15th. Southard rounded out the Nittany Lions with a 9.700. Georgia's Courtney Kupets took home the vault crown with a 10.000.

Michigan denied 17th straight NCAA berth

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 13:15:00 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A well-known saying in gymnastics goes "everyone has to compete on beam" and it was just that event that proved the equalizer for the No.16-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team on Saturday night at the NCAA South Central Regional at the Barnhill Arena. U-M seemed poised to advance to its 17th consecutive NCAA Championships until recording a pair of falls in the final event, the balance beam. With the top two teams advancing, Michigan took finished third, scoring 195.700 to regional champions Arkansas (196.300) and second-place Stanford (196.200). The Wolverines put themselves in position to earn one of the top two spots in the meet after leading second-seeded Arkansas by 0.150 heading into both programs' final events, but a pair of falls on beam put U-M out of contention as Arkansas stuck its vault rotation, moving on the NCAAs. For the first time in 17 years, the University of Michigan will not advance to the NCAA Championships, snapping the nation's fourth-longest streak of consecutive NCAA Championships appearances in women's gymnastics. A trio of Wolverines will advance to Lincoln as individual competitors with senior Becky Bernard (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) moving on by virtue of her first-place showing on bars (9.900) and sophomore Kylee Botterman (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) moving on after winning the floor exercise title (9.900). Junior Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno) will also move on as an all-arounder after finishing among the top two all-arounders on teams not advancing to the championships. Bernard and Botterman earned All-America first team honors at the 2008 NCAA Championships and competed in the individual event finals against the nation's best. Senior Huneth Lor (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) finished her career competing on three events, scoring a 9.750 on vault, while senior Tatjana Thuener-Rego (Miami, Fla./American School) had one of her strongest meets of the season, scoring 9.850 on bars for a share of fourth place, going 9.850 on floor and scoring 9.775 on vault. Sophomore Trish Wilson (Naperville, Ill./Nequa Valley) had a great meet in her first postseason appearance, tying for third on vault (9.850) and fourth on bars (9.850), while junior Jordan Sexton (Weddington, N.C./Weddington) tied for runner-up on balance beam with a 9.875. Michigan's energy was high heading into floor, but the Wolverines were forced to overcome a pair of early obstacles in the form of a fall and a number of delays between performers due to technical issues. U-M rallied in the bottom half of the lineup with a 9.850 from Thuener-Rego and a team-best 9.900 score from Botterman to post a 49.125, slipping ahead of second-seed Arkansas (48.950). In the second rotation on vault, Michigan posted a strong 48.900 to stay ahead of the pack by 0.100 with Arkansas going 48.975 on beam and Stanford opening its meet with a 49.100 on floor. Wilson shone with a 9.850 for the Wolverines, while Thuener-Rego continued her solid meet with a 9.775, matching Curtis' earlier effort. With the Wolverines in the wings on bye in the third rotation, Stanford posted a 49.150 score on vault to take the lead at the halfway mark with a 98.250 overall score, 0.225 ahead of Michigan and 0.325 up on Arkansas. The Wolverines took to the bars to open the fourth rotation and put up their second-highest score of the season with a 49.250 to extend their lead over the Razorbacks to .150 through three events, with Stanford on bye. Bernard nailed a 9.900 routine, with Thuener-Rego, Botterman and Wilson all chipping in 9.850s. With Stanford, Arkansas and Michigan ahead of the six-team field, a ticket to the NCAA Championships hinged on the Razorback vault against the Wolverine beam lineup. Michigan's lead-off performer fell to put the Wolverines behind the eight ball and then Botterman took her first fall on beam of the entire season, taking U-M out of contention. Sexton managed a gutsy 9.875 between the two falls to equal her career high, but it was not enough. Bernard, Botterman and Curtis will make the trip to Lincoln and compete in the NCAA Prelims on Thursday, April 16, to earn the right to advance to the Individual Event Finals on Saturday, April 18. Bernard will get her shot on bars, Botterman will compete on floor and Curtis will compete as an all-arounder.

Iowa places sixth at North Central Regional

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 00:02:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa hosted the NCAA North Central regional Saturday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with the host Hawkeyes finishing in sixth place. The University of Florida won the regional with a score of 196.775 and qualified to the national competition April 16 in Lincoln, NE. UCLA also qualified to nationals after finishing in second place with a 196.625. "Obviously, this was not the way we wanted to close out our season," said Iowa Head Coach Larissa Libby. "As we have all season, I really felt we battled hard. The odds were stacked against us with some great teams here. While we couldn't pull out a win, I couldn't be more proud with the way we fought tonight." The storyline Saturday night for Iowa was the loss of senior Jenifer Simbhudas. For the second year in a row, Simbhudas saw her season end at regionals with an injury. This time, Simbhudas slipped on floor and suffered a knee injury in the third rotation and did not return. In her lone event of the night, Simbhudas scored a 9.625 on balance beam. Last season, Simbhudas was on pace to qualify for NCAA National Championships before suffering an injury on uneven bars. Simbhudas will end her career as one of the most decorated gymnasts in Iowa history. She is one of only six gymnasts in school history to be named all-Big ten three times in her career. She was a second team all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore and was named to the first team last year and this year. In addition, Simbhudas has two of the best floor scores in Iowa history: a 9.95 in 2008 (tie for second all-time) and a 9.925 this year (tie for third all-time). This season, Simbhudas scored team-highs on vault, floor and in the all-around. Iowa started the meet on balance beam, scoring a 48.175 as a team. Sophomore Houry Gebeshian led Iowa on the event, scoring a 9.7. After a bye, the GymHawks moved to floor and the crowd of over 1,700 was energized by a floor performance by Iowa freshman Jessa Hansen. Hansen scored a 9.900, which was Iowa's best score of the night and good enough for a tie of third place. Additionally, sophomore Rebecca Simbhudas scored a 9.875 and tied for seventh place. Freshman Annie Szatkowski was Iowa's top performer on vault, scoring a 9.825 and tying for 14th place. R. Simbhudas showed some moxie in wake of her older sisters' injury, scoring a 9.8 and tying for 18th place. Sophomore Arielle Sucich also received the same mark. And after not competing on vault all season, junior Jenny Donar stepped up in Simbhudas' place to score a 9.6. Iowa would close their season out on uneven bars, led by R. Simbhudas' score of 9.825. Gebeshian tied for 13th place with a 9.775, while senior Brandi Loffer, also competing in her final collegiate event, scored a 9.750 (20th place). Despite the loss, Iowa's younger class shined Saturday night. R. Simbhudas (39.075) and Gebeshian (38.925), both sophomores, finished in 11th and 12th place, respectively, in the all-around. The underclassmen showed the future is filled with promise, with two freshmen leading Iowa on two events (Hansen on floor, Szatkowski on vault), and sophomores Simbhudas and Gebeshian were Iowa's top performers on bars and balance beam, respectively. At the conclusion of tonight's meet, Libby was honored by the crowed after being named the NCAA North Central region Coach of the Year Friday. Libby led Iowa to their second-straight regional appearance and has led the GymHawks to back-to-back 10 win seasons. "Considering the circumstances, I think this year was a tremendous success," Libby said."""We had plenty of times to throw the towel in but this team wouldn't go there. I think we've got a great future ahead of us."

Gophers take 5th at North Central Regional

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 22:05:00 +0000

The Minnesota women's gymnastics team posted a score of 193.775 in the NCAA North Central Region Championships, hosted by the University of Iowa. The Gophers finished in fifth place. Top-seeded Florida won the meet with a score of 196.775, while UCLA was second with a 196.625. Both Florida and UCLA earned trips to the NCAA Championships. Iowa State finished third (195.65), Denver was fourth (195.60) and host Iowa was sixth (193.625). Minnesota's first event was floor, where the team earned a total score of 48.775. Carmelina Carabajal and Alexis Russell were the top scorers for Minnesota, each with a 9.85 to tie for 11th place overall. Also counting toward the team score for the Gophers were routines by Kendra Elm (9.75), Yuri Nagai (9.7) and Ana Balboa (9.625). On vault, the Gophers scored their highest event score of the evening with a 48.825. Vault was the highest-scoring event for Minnesota at just two meets this season. Tonight, Alexis Russell was the top performer for the team on vault, earning a 9.85 to place eighth. Carmelina Carabajal tallied a 9.825, while Jamie Bullock earned a 9.75. Rounding out the counting scores for the Gophers were Lucy Ennis (9.725) and Kendra Elm (9.675). The Gophers moved to bars, where they tallied a score of 48.70. For the first time this season, Kendra Elm was the team's top scorer on uneven bars, earning a 9.80 to place ninth overall. Kristin Furukawa earned a 9.775, and Alexis Russell had a 9.75. Lucy Ennis (9.725) and Carmelina Carabajal (9.65) also counted toward the team score. Minnesota finished the meet on beam, which had been the strongest for the team during throughout the season. However, the Gophers struggled on beam tonight, earning a 47.475, the second-lowest beam score of the season. Carmelina Carabajal was the highest finisher for Minnesota, earning a 9.825 to tie for sixth place. Kendra Elm had the second-highest score for the team with a 9.675. Also with routines counting toward the team score were Kristin Furukawa (9.475), Ana Balboa (9.375) and Alexis Russell (9.175). In the all around competition, Carmelina Carabajal was the top scorer for Minnesota with a 39.150, and tied for seventh place. Also competing in the all around for the Gophers were Kendra Elm, who scored 38.90, and Alexis Russell, who tallied a 38.575.

Best moves on, OSU takes third

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 21:23:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio – With a 39.350 all-around total at the NCAA Central Regional Championships Saturday, sophomore Rebecca Best advances to the NCAA National Championships hosted by the University of Nebraska April 16-18. Led by Best, the No. 17 Ohio State women's gymnastics team placed third with a 195.950 team total score in St. John Arena. "I couldn't be happier," Carey Fagan, Ohio State head coach, said. "I don't want this season over. It has been a lot of fun and a positive experience for our student-athletes. This is where we will continue to build from and look to compete with the top teams in the future." LSU edged Oregon State by .075 to clinch the NCAA Central Regional championships. The Tigers posted a 196.875 and the Beavers notched a 196.800, which advances both teams to the national championship. Michigan State followed Ohio State for fourth with a team score of 194.825. Kent State marked a 194.650 to place fifth and Kentucky took sixth with a 193.700. Best tied for second in the all-around to advance to nationals with a career-high 39.350 mark. She posted a 9.850 on vault, beam and floor, while posting a 9.80 on bars. Last season, Best traveled to the national championships as an all-around alternate. Ohio State opened the central region championships on floor with a 9.750 score from freshman Casey Williamson. Junior Hillary Dow followed with a 9.725 mark. Senior Alyssa Meyer and freshman Taylor Jones tied on the event with a 9.80 score and Best rounded out the Buckeyes first rotation with a team-high 9.850. Bests' score boosted Ohio State's team score to a 48.925. On vault, the Buckeyes marked three individual career-high scores to post a 49.100 team total score. Dow led the way for Ohio State with a career-high 9.90. Her mark tied for fourth in the meet and was the highest mark by an Buckeye this season. Best tied her career-high score, along with junior Beth Ann Ballard who marked a 9.825. Jones added her second 9.80 of the night on vault for Ohio State and senior Amanda Surine posted a 9.725 on the event. The Buckeyes posted a 48.875 on bars in their third rotation. Williamson, Best and senior Kiki Holman posted a 9.80 on the event. Holman's 9.80 marked a season-best score. Ballard added a 9.775 and Meyer finished the night with a 9.70 on bars. In Ohio State's final rotation, Best and Holman posted a 9.850 to lead the Buckeyes to a season-best 49.050 team total on beam. The duo tied for third overall in the meet. The freshman class added solid performances to Ohio State's season-high mark. Nicole Krauter posted a 9.825 to tie for sixth in the meet. Jones marked a 9.775 score and Krissi Woodward followed with a 9.750.