University of Minnesota Athletics
NO. 9 GOPHERS HEAD SOUTH TO FACE NO. 3 ALABAMA
1/26/1999 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
ABOUT ALABAMA - The No. 3 Crimson Tide defeated Auburn, 196.800 to 190.950, Friday behind season-high team scores on three of four events. Newcomer Andreé Pickens scored 39.6 in the all around, with sophomore Robin Hawkins scoring 39.225. Earlier in the season, Alabama defeated Ohio State 195.075-190.275 in Tuscaloosa and fell to No. 1 Georgia, 196.450-195.725 in Athens, Ga.
Head coach Sarah Patterson has compiled a 262-54-3 record in 20 years of coaching, all at Alabama. Patterson has won three NCAA Championships, finishing in the top three 11 times, including a third-place finish in 1998. She has also won three Southeastern Conference titles.
LAST YEAR AGAINST ALABAMA - In the first week of the season, Minnesota defeated Alabama, 192.925-192.300, in front of a Sports Pavilion record crowd of 3,422. It was the first time Minnesota had defeated Alabama in a dual meet and the first time Alabama had lost a season- opener since 1979. The Golden Gophers swept the top three places on the floor exercise. Judy Cavazos won both the floor and the uneven bars.
MINNESOTA RECENTLY - No. 2-ranked Utah needed a comeback effort in the fourth and final rotation to defeat No. 9 Minnesota, 194.600-194.175, in a battle of women's gymnastics powers at the Sports Pavilion.
The Golden Gophers held a 0.05-point lead heading into the floor exercise and for Utah to the balance beam. Utah responded with a 49.050 team score on the beam, including a nearly flawless 9.95 performance from All- American Shannon Bowles. Minnesota received a 9.875 from Judy Cavazos and a 9.80 from MaryAnne Kelley but couldn't match the Utah output.
Cavazos, a junior, shared titles on the uneven bars and floor exercise, with a score of 9.875 on each event, to finish second in the all around with a total of 39.00. She also tied for third on the vault with a 9.675.
Kelley, a first-year all arounder, finished third with a score of 38.625, including a second-place finish on the floor exercise.
Other Gophers finishing in the top three were newcomer Courtney Norman on the vault with a 9.675 and senior Cathy Keyser on beam with a 9.85.
A crowd of 2,775 attended the meet, marking the third- largest home gymnastics crowd in Minnesota women's gymnastics history.
POURSHOUSHTARI AND PHILLIPPI COMPETE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON - Newcomer Mariam Pourshoushtari competed on the balance beam for the first time in her career. She scored a 9.725, good for a tie for sixth place.
Junior Cami Phillippi competed on the floor exercise for the first time this season, scoring a 8.375. Phillippi has an average of 9.529 in 13 career appearances on the floor.
GOLDEN GOPHERS SET SEASON-BESTS ON BARS AND BEAM - Led by season-best scores by four of six athletes, Minnesota scored its highest team uneven bars score so far this season, at 48.725. The Golden Gophers also set a team season-high on the balance beam of 48.650.
TWO GOPHERS COMPETE IN ALL-AROUND - For the first time since the 1997 season, Minnesota has athletes competing in the all-around. Judy Cavazos recorded a season-high 39.000 Saturday at Utah, just .3 short of her school record of 39.300 set in 1997, her first season. MaryAnne Kelley scored 38.625 Saturday after scoring a 38.450 at Michigan and in the Best of Minnesota meet.
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. The duo has a 22-8 record as co-head coaches.
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. As Minnesota's head coach, Stephenson has a record of 95-91, with a record of 73-83 in his first five years. 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 is in 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.
GOPHERS RANKED NO. 9 - Minnesota was ranked ninth after the second week of competition with a best score of 193.550, recorded at Michigan a week ago. Preseason coaches poll No. 1 Georgia has the best score, at 196.450. Saturday's opponent, Alabama, is third with a mark of 196.050 scored against Stanford. Penn State is the highest Big Ten Conference school, ranked No. 4 at 195.075, with Ohio State at No. 6, Minnesota at No. 9 and Michigan at No. 12. The next rankings will be released Tuesday.
The rankings: Team High score 1.Georgia 196.450 2.Utah 196.050 3.Alabama 195.725 4.Penn State 195.075 5.LSU 194.150 6.Ohio State 193.975 7.Nebraska 193.725 8.Florida 193.600 9.Minnesota 193.559 10.UCLA 193.525 11.Illinois-Chicago 193.450 12.Michigan 193.300 13.Arizona State 193.150 14.Ball State 192.800 15.SE Missouri 192.750 16.Stanford 192.575 17.Maryland 192.375 18.Arizona 192.275 19.Washington 192.250 20.Oklahoma 192.150 21.Bowling Green 191.950 22.Auburn 191.750 23.Missouri 191.650 24.Central Michigan 191.425 25.New Hampshire 191.125 UP NEXT - Minnesota returns home for meets Feb. 6 against Iowa State and Feb. 13 against Iowa.
