University of Minnesota Athletics
GOLDEN GOPHERS TO HOST NCAA REGION 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS
3/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
REGION 2 FORMAT - The regional championships will feature six teams, five all-around competitors and one individual specialist per event, based on regional qualifying scores. RQS is based on a team's six best regular-season meet scores, of which three must be road contests. To obtain the RQS, the highest score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged. The nation's top 12 teams were seeded and then paired into the six regions; the remaining four regional teams are taken from within the region based on RQS.
REGION 2 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS - Because Region 2 teams Utah, BYU and Iowa State are ranked in the top 12 nationally, they were seeded and paired into one of six regional championships. No. 8 Iowa State will compete in Region 4 at Alabama, while No. 10 BYU will compete in Region 6 at Georgia. No. 4 Utah will compete at Minnesota, as will No. 9 West Virginia. The top two team finishers from the regional championships will advance to the NCAA Championships, to be held April 13-15 in Boise, Idaho.
The teams, with regional qualifying score: Utah 196.705 West Virginia 195.710 Minnesota 195.400 Denver 195.236 Utah State 194.940 Southern Utah 193.400 LAST YEAR'S REGION 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS - Top-ranked Georgia, the eventual NCAA champion, and No. 10 Florida advanced to the national meet from the Region 2 Championships in Logan, Utah. Of the six regional meets, only the Region 2 Championships had all six teams ranked in the top 25. Minnesota tied with Denver for fourth place with 194.200 points.
MINNESOTA'S REGIONAL HISTORY - Minnesota's highest regional finish was second in 1983. The Golden Gophers advanced to the NCAA Championships in 1997 after a fourth-place finish at the regional championships. Prior to 1999, one team advanced from each region, with the remaining six spots determined based on score from the region championships.
MINNESOTA RANKED 17TH NATIONALLY - Minnesota is ranked No. 17 in the 10th regular-season poll of the season, released Tuesday. The ranking of 195.080 is based on the regional qualifying score from Minnesota's first 12 meets this season. Minnesota was ranked fourth after the first week of the season, tying the team's highest national ranking ever (week 1, 1998).
OTHER TEAM RANKINGS - Minnesota is ranked the highest on the floor exercise, where the Golden Gophers are listed 11th with a regional qualifying score of 49.120. The Gophers are also listed in the top 25 for vault (14th, 48.750) and uneven bars (17th, 48.970).
BEUCKENS RANKED ON FLOOR EXERCISE - Sophomore Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) is the only Minnesota individual in the national top 25 lists. She is tied for 20th place on the floor exercise with a regional qualifying score of 9.890. Beuckens was also ranked in the top 25 in the all around for the first six weeks of the season.
MINNESOTA RECENTLY -The Golden Gophers placed third at the Big Ten Championships in University Park, Pa., on Saturday. Michigan won its second consecutive title, scoring a championship-record 197.850. Host Penn State was second at 196.575. Minnesota scored a season-high 196.150, the second-highest score in team history.
FOUR MINNESOTA GYMNASTS ARE ALL-BIG TEN - Senior Judy Cavazos (Monterrey, Mexico/Mexicana del Noreste) earned her third consecutive All-Big Ten honor on uneven bars, tying for fourth at 9.90. Sophomore Megan Beuckens won her second straight conference honor on floor exercise, tying for third at 9.90. Sophomore MaryAnne Kelley (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) placed third in the all around with a career-high total of 39.375, while newcomer Leigh Dixon (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./The Bishop's School) tied for fourth on vault at 9.85.
HIGH BARS - Minnesota recorded its highest event score at the Big Ten Championships on the uneven bars with a 49.250, the second-highest score of the season. All five counting scores were at least 9.80. Judy Cavazos tied her season high with a 9.90. Junior Megan Skokut (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) recorded a 9.875, and MaryAnne Kelley scored 9.85. Senior Melissa Chang (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) scored 9.825 and Megan Beuckens 9.80.
BEAM BOUNCES BACK - After an up-and-down season on the balance beam, Minnesota scored 48.950 on Saturday, the team's highest score of the season. MaryAnne Kelley tied her personal best with a 9.875, with Megan Beuckens right behind at 9.825. Judy Cavazos tied her season high with a 9.80.
OTHER BIG TEN RESULTS - The Golden Gophers scored above 49.0 on the floor exercise for the ninth time this season, recording a 49.10. Megan Beuckens led the way with a 9.90, her fifth consecutive score of at least 9.90. MaryAnne Kelley tied for 10th at 9.85, while Melissa Chang was 18th at 9.825.
On the vault, Minnesota scored 48.80. Leigh Dixon tied for fourth at 9.85. MaryAnne Kelley tied a season high with a score of 9.80. Megan Beuckens and junior Shanyn Lancaster (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) each recorded a 9.775.
DIXON STARS ON VAULT - First-year gymnast Leigh Dixon has been Minnesota's top vaulter in 2000. She earned All-Big Ten honors by tying for third place with a 9.80. Dixon set a career-best 9.90 against Iowa State, tying the second-best score in team history. She has scored at least 9.80 seven times this season, including five straight. Dixon won the vault in her first career competition, at home against Auburn, with a 9.825, which was then the seventh-best score in team history. She leads the team with a 9.794 average on the vault.
2000 INDIVIDUAL EVENT LEADERS - By Season High Vault Leigh Dixon 9.90 3/11 Uneven Bars MaryAnne Kelley 9.925 3/11 Melissa Chang 9.925 3/11 Balance Beam MaryAnne Kelley 9.875 2/6 Kristi Selinger 9.875 2/6 Floor Exercise MaryAnne Kelley 9.95* 3/11 All Around Megan Beuckens 39.450* 3/11 * School record By Season Average Vault Leigh Dixon 9.794 Uneven Bars Judy Cavazos 9.804 Balance Beam Kristi Selinger 9.735 Floor Exercise Megan Beuckens 9.867 All Around Megan Beuckens 38.973 TWO SOPHOMORES EARN BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS - Sophomores Megan Beuckens and MaryAnne Kelley have each earned Big Ten women's gymnastics athlete of the week honors this season.
Beuckens has earned the conference honor twice this season, including last week, after breaking the school record in the all around with a 39.450 against Iowa State. She set or tied career highs in all four events. Beuckens earned her first honor following Minnesota's season-opening victory over Auburn. Her all around mark of 39.075 was then the second-best all-around score in school history and was the fourth-best score in the nation.
Kelley received her honor after winning the all around Feb. 6 at Iowa with a score of 39.175, then the second-highest score in Minnesota history. In that meet, she also tied for first place on the vault and balance beam.
UP NEXT - The top two team finishers from the NCAA Region 2 Championships advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held April 13-15 in Boise, Idaho.
