University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHER GYMNASTS TRAVEL TO IOWA STATE AND IOWA
2/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
LAST YEAR AGAINST IOWA STATE - Minnesota competed against Iowa State three times in 1999, at the Sports Pavilion, in Ames and at the Region 2 Championships.
Minnesota came back in the fourth rotation to defeat No. 12 Iowa State at the Sports Pavilion on Feb. 6, 1999, by a score of 193.375-191.075. The Cyclones led by .1 after three rotations, but the first five Iowa State athletes fell from the beam, leading to a team score of 46.250. The Golden Gophers responded with a 48.650 effort on the floor exercise, including a sweep of the top three places. Minnesota athletes won or tied for the lead on all four events.
On March 7 in Ames, Iowa, Minnesota scored what was then the second-highest point total in history but it wasn't enough to hold off No. 20 Iowa State, which defeated the Golden Gophers 195.775-195.575. This time it was the Golden Gophers which held the lead after three rotations. Iowa State pulled out the victory by recording a 49.275 on the floor exercise despite five Minnesota personal season-bests on the balance beam.
At the Region 2 Championships in Logan, Utah, Minnesota tied for fourth place (194.200), while No. 16 Iowa State placed sixth (194.175). Of the six regional meets, only the Region 2 Championships had all six teams ranked in the top 25.
LAST YEAR AGAINST IOWA - Minnesota competed against Iowa twice a year ago.
On Feb. 13 at the Sports Pavilion, Minnesota defeated Iowa, 194.275-198.725. Judy Cavazos won the all around title and the uneven bars and tied for first on the floor exercise. Minnesota swept the top four places in all four individual events.
On March 5, Minnesota tallied a score of 194.875 in an unusual competition in Iowa City. The Golden Gophers were credited with the victory after the Hawkeyes were ruled unable to compete by the Iowa Women's Athletics Department as the consequence of a violation of team policy. Five of six Minnesota athletes set or tied career bests on the floor exercise, leading to a school- record score of 49.350. Megan Beuckens won the event with a personal-best 9.925, Minnesota's best floor exercise score of the season.
MINNESOTA RANKED FIFTEENTH - Minnesota is ranked No. 15 in the third national ranking of the season, released Tuesday. The ranking is based on average team score. After the first week of competition, Minnesota was ranked No. 4, matching the team's highest ranking ever. The first two rankings are based on a team's highest team score of the season.
Utah, which defeated the Golden Gophers on Jan. 21, is ranked No. 1 with an average of 196.125. Alabama is second. Michigan is the highest-ranked Big Ten Conference school, third at 195.617.
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 defeated No. 24 Auburn and fell to No. 4 Michigan, both at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota will also host No. 22 Iowa State this season. 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.
MINNESOTA RECENTLY -No. 15 Minnesota rebounded from two straight losses to place first in a triangular meet at Denver. The Golden Gophers scored 194.525 points, followed by No. 12 Denver (194.375) and Arizona (192.90).
Sophomore Megan Beuckens led the way for Minnesota, placing third in the all around with a score of 39.025. She tied teammates Catie Christensen and MaryAnne Kelley for second on the floor exercise (9.825) and tied Kelley for fourth on the balance beam with a score of 9.775.
Minnesota scored the highest of the three teams on both vault and floor exercise. Freshman Leigh Dixon led the Golden Gophers with a second-place finish on the vault at 9.775, with Kelley right behind at 9.75. Minnesota scored 48.60 on the vault, tying the team's season high.
On the floor exercise, the Gophers scored 48.950, including three season-best individual scores. Christensen and Kelley each set a season best with a 9.825 score, and senior Judy Cavazos recorded her best score of the season at 9.80. Dixon (9.675) and senior Kristi Selinger (9.575) competed on floor exercise for the first time this season.
Christensen and senior Judy Cavazos tied for sixth on the uneven bars with scores of 9.75. Beuckens and junior Megan Skokut tied for ninth at 9.70.
ABOUT IOWA STATE - The Cyclones are ranked No. 9 but lost at home to BYU, 194.175-193.975, Friday. Junior Betsy Hamm won her third floor exercise title of the season, scoring a 9.875. She also won the all around (39.225) and placed second on uneven bars (9.850). Sophomore Kelly Kringen won the vault with a score of 9.90, while sophomore Sissy Huey won the balance beam (9.90).
Head coach Amy Pyle is in her eighth season at Iowa State and has guided the team to four straight NCAA regional appearances.
ABOUT IOWA - The Hawkeyes are coming off a win against Northern Illinois, 192.100-187.325, their second meet of the season. Iowa gymnasts won all five events and swept the top three places in the all around and uneven bars. Senior Julie Matolo won the all around (38.600) and the balance beam (9.70).
Junior Giselle Boniforti, the 1998 Big Ten women's gymnastics newcomer of the year, is back after missing most of last season due to a knee injury. She holds the school record on uneven bars (9.95) and finished her first season ranked sixth in the nation in the all around with a regional qualifying score of 39.206.
Head coach Michael Lorenzen is in his first season at Iowa.
UP NEXT - After four straight road meets, Minnesota returns to the Sports Pavilion for the Best of Minnesota Meet on Saturday, Feb. 12. Meet time is 7 p.m.
