University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHER GYMNASTS TO HOST DEFENDING BIG TEN CHAMP MICHIGAN
1/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
MINNESOTA RANKED 14TH IN PRESEASON POLL - Minnesota enters the 2000 season ranked 14th with 345 points in the preseason coaches poll. Saturday's opponent, Michigan, is the highest-ranked conference school, listed fourth with 806 points.
Defending national champion Georgia is listed first with 854 points, followed by Alabama at 825 and UCLA with 816. Penn State is eighth, Minnesota is 14th and Ohio State is 20th.
TOUGH SCHEDULE - Minnesota will face five teams ranked in the top 25 in the preseason coaches poll in six dual meets this season. The Golden Gophers hosted No. 24 Auburn, No. 4 Michigan and No. 22 Iowa State. Minnesota competes at No. 5 Utah, No. 16 Arizona and No. 22 Iowa State.
Minnesota will also face top competition in invitational meets. On Feb. 18, the Golden Gophers compete in the Arizona State Uno's Classic against No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Utah and No. 7 Arizona State. Minnesota will compete in a triangular meet at No. 15 Denver with No. 16 Arizona. Minnesota will be one of four preseason top-25 teams competing at the Big Ten Championships at Penn State on March 18.
GOLDEN GOPHERS START SEASON STRONG - Minnesota swept the top three places on three of four events in defeating Auburn, 194.800-192.450, at the Sports Pavilion. The 194.800 team score shatters the school record for best season-opening team score, surpassing the previous season high of 192.925 set in 1998. The mark is also the 10th-best in Minnesota history.
MINNESOTA SETS FOURTH-BEST BARS SCORE -Led by sophomore Catie Christensen (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington), who won the uneven bars with a personal-best score of 9.90, Minnesota recorded a team score of 49.225 on uneven bars, the fourth-best in school history. Christensen's score of 9.90 ties for the second-best score in team history. Junior Megan Skokut (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was second with a score of 9.875, while seniors Judy Cavazos (Monterrey, Mexico/Mexicana del Noreste) and Melissa Chang (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) tied for third at 9.85. Sophomore MaryAnne Kelley (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) also scored for Minnesota, recording a 9.75 to tie for seventh.
BEUCKENS SHINES IN OPENING MEET -Sophomore Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley), in the second all around competition of her career, recorded the second-best all around score in team history by winning with a mark of 39.075. That mark ties former Golden Gophers Mindy Knaeble and Marie Roethlisberger. Judy Cavazos holds the record with a 39.300 score.
Beuckens also won the floor exercise with a score of 9.90 and the balance beam with a career-high 9.85.She set a personal best on uneven bars (9.65). An All-Big Ten performer on both balance beam and floor exercise in 1999, Beuckens is now tied for fifth in Minnesota history on the balance beam.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT -Newcomer Leigh Dixon (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./The Bishop's School), in her first collegiate meet, won the vault with a score of 9.825. That score is the seventh-best in Minnesota history.
Last season, MaryAnne Kelley won the all around and Catie Christensen won the floor exercise in their first collegiate meet, the Best of Minnesota Meet on Jan. 9.
1-2-3 FINISHES - In addition to the uneven bars, Minnesota also recorded top-three finishes on vault and floor exercise against Auburn.
On the floor exercise, Megan Beuckens was first with a score of 9.90. Melissa Chang placed second on floor exercise with a personal-best score of 9.85. MaryAnne Kelley was third at 9.825.
On vault, newcomer Leigh Dixon won with a score of 9.825, with MaryAnne Kelley and Shanyn Lancaster tying Auburn's Missy Lauderdale for second at 9.725.
OTHER MARKS IN THE RECORD BOOKS -Sophomore Catie Christensen set a personal best in winning the uneven bars with a 9.90 score, the second-best in Minnesota history.
Senior captain Melissa Chang recorded a 9.85 on both uneven bars and floor exercise, both career bests. The 9.85 marks are the eighth-best in school history for each event.
ABOUT MICHIGAN - The preseason No. 4 Wolverines opened their season Saturday at the Super Six Challenge in Athens, Ga., finishing third with 194.925 points. No. 2 Alabama was first at 195.750, while No. 1 and defending national champion Georgia was second at 195.400.
Michigan recorded a 49.075 on floor exercise, led by newcomers Janessa Grieco (9.90) and Camilla Singer (9.80). On uneven bars, the Wolverines scored 49.100, with their top five scores at 9.80 or higher.
In addition to winning seven of the last eight Big Ten titles, Michigan has made seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Championships. Senior Sarah Cain is an eight- time All-American. Junior Bridget Knaeble, the younger sister of Minnesota assistant coach Mindy Knaeble, is a two-time All-American. Junior Christine Michaud is the defending Big Ten vault champion.
MICHIGAN RIVALRY - Michigan and Minnesota have won the last nine Big Ten titles, with the Wolverines winning six straight championships before Minnesota ended the streak in 1998. Michigan regained the conference title in 1999.
The Golden Gophers have won two straight dual meets against Michigan and three of the last four, including a 193.550-193.050 victory in Ann Arbor on Jan. 15, 1999.
MINNESOTA TO HOST NCAA REGIONAL ACTION - The Sports Pavilion will be the site of the 2000 NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships. The meet will take place on Saturday, April 1, at 6 p.m.
UP NEXT - Minnesota competes in the first of four straight road meets on Friday, Jan. 21, at Utah.
