University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHERS PREPARE TO MEET BIG TEN RIVAL MICHIGAN THIS WEEKEND
1/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
GOPHERS OPEN SEASON WITH VICTORY AT BEST OF MINNESOTA - Minnesota opened the 1999 season Saturday by placing first at the four-team Best of Minnesota Meet. With five different Minnesota athletes winning events, the Golden Gophers recorded a team score of 192.400. Winona State was second at 178.750. Hamline scored 138.625 and Gustavus Adolphus scored 137.200. Because the four schools use different scoring formats, Minnesota and Winona State used their top five individual scores toward the team total, while Hamline and Gustavus Adolphus used their top four scores.
Junior Judy Cavazos recorded a 9.9 on the uneven bars to win the event. Newcomer Catie Christensen won the floor exercise with a score of 9.85. Junior Kristi Selinger placed first on the balance beam at 9.75. Sophomore Shanyn Lancaster won the vault with a mark of 9.55. Newcomer MaryAnne Kelley won the all-around with a total score of 38.450.
CAVAZOS SCORES BIG ON BARS - Judy Cavazos recorded a 9.9 on the bars for the second time in her career. Cavazos tied the then-school record mark of 9.9 Jan. 31, 1998, then set the Minnesota record with a 9.95 at the 1998 Big Ten Championships. Cavazos has also recorded a 9.875 on the bars four times and has a career average of 9.688.
NEWCOMERS SPARK GOPHERS IN FIRST MEET - Minnesota's new class has already shown big numbers for the Golden Gophers. Frosh Catie Christensen won the floor exercise Saturday with a score of 9.850 and newcomer MaryAnne Kelley won the all-around title. Christensen also placed second on the uneven bars and fifth on the balance beam. In addition, new athletes Megan Beuckens (9.725 on beam, 9.75 on floor) and Courtney Norman (9.525 on vault) scored for Minnesota. In all, Minnesota newcomers accounted for 96.6 points of the Golden Gophers' total of 192.4.
TWO GOPHERS COMPETE IN ALL-AROUND - For the first time since the 1997 season, Minnesota has athletes competing in the all-around. Newcomer MaryAnne Kelley scored 38.450 Saturday to edge Judy Cavazos, who recorded a 38.4. Cavazos broke the school record in the all-around in 1997, her first season, with a mark of 39.30
HALL OF FAME INDUCTION - The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Women's Gymnastics Foundation hosted the first annual Minnesota Gymnastics Hall of Fame Banquet Friday. Former Minnesota gymnasts Robin Huebner, Judi Klein Kuelbs, Karie Ploof Tuttle, Marie Roethlisberger and Lisa Wittwer Pitlick were inducted, as were honorary athletes Kolleen Casey Shields and Rhonda Faehn. Mary Ann Case, Nancy Baker and George and Roe Kreutzer received service awards.
MAZZONE FINISHES CAREER - Senior Jenny Mazzone had knee surgery Dec. 14 and will not return to the Golden Gopher lineup.
GOLDEN GOPHER CO-HEAD COACHES JIM AND MEG STEPHENSON - Co-head coaches Jim and Meg Stephenson enter their second season as co-head coaches at Minnesota. The duo earned 1998 Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after leading the Golden Gophers to their first conference title since 1991. Jim Stephenson is in his seventh season as head coach of the Golden Gophers. He earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and 1995. Jim Stephenson came to Minnesota after a four-year stint as assistant coach at Utah. While there, he coached nine All-Americans on the uneven bars. Meg Stephenson enters her second season as co-head coach of the Golden Gophers. She was an assistant coach at Minnesota for five seasons. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Meg Stephenson was a consultant for four years at the University of Utah, where she assisted in both balance beam and floor exercise.
ABOUT MICHIGAN - Preseason No. 7 Michigan opened its 1999 season Friday by defeating second-ranked Florida (193.300-190.275) and No. 25 Illinois (193.300- 188.750). Sarah Cain placed second in the all-around with a score of 38.500, including a first-place tie on the floor exercise (9.850). Senior Nikki Peters tied for first tie on the uneven bars at 9.750.
The Wolverines, who finished eighth at the 1998 NCAA Championships, have finished in the top 10 each of the last six seasons. First-team All-Americans Sarah Cain (floor exercise) and Nikki Peters (uneven bars) and second-team All-American Bridget Knaeble (bars) return to lead Michigan in 1999. Like Minnesota, Michigan has six new athletes this season, led by Amy Kuczera in the all-around.
Head coach Bev Plocki is in her ninth season at Michigan. She has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, Central Region Coach of the Year twice and the 1994 National Coach of the Year.
RIVALRY RENEWED - Michigan had won a Big Ten record six consecutive titles before Minnesota won the championship in 1998. The Golden Gophers defeated the Wolverines in a dual meet Jan. 17, 1998, at the Sports Pavilion, 192-800-190.400.
GOPHERS RANKED 18TH - The Golden Gophers are ranked 18th in the Preseason Women's Gymnastics Coaches Poll. Minnesota is one of six Big Ten Conference schools ranked, with Michigan at No. 7, Penn State at No. 13, Ohio State at No. 20, Michigan State at No. 24 and Illinois at No. 25. Iowa also received votes in the poll.
The poll: 1.Georgia (32) 942 2.Florida (1) 873 3.UCLA (1) 824 4.Utah (1) 820 5.Alabama (2) 816 6.Arizona State 743 7.Michigan (1) 742 8.Washington 638 9.LSU 600 10.Stanford 587 11.Nebraska 457 12.BYU 435 13.Penn State 435 14.West Virginia 387 15.Oregon State 372 16.Arizona 357 17.North Carolina State 305 18.MINNESOTA 253 19.Boise State 214 20.Ohio State 200 21.Iowa State 183 22.Kentucky 163 23.Utah State 162 24.Michigan State 152 25.Illinois 80 Also receiving votes: Oklahoma, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Auburn, Denver, George Washington, Kent State, California, Iowa, Maryland- College Park, Central Michigan, Towson University, Southern Utah, Rhode Island, San Jose State, Fullerton, Pittsburgh.
UP NEXT - The Golden Gophers return home to host Utah, Saturday, Jan. 23. Meet time is 7 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion.
