University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHERS HOST IOWA STATE IN WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS
2/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
No. 14 Minnesota hosts No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Sports Pavilion. The Gophers face the Cyclones for the second straight meet, as Minnesota competed at Iowa State on Friday. Iowa State scored 196.150 to Minnesota's 195.025.
The National Ranking
Minnesota is ranked No. 14 in the Feb. 12 edition of the GymInfo national ranking, based on season average. The Gophers moved down from the No. 10 spot last week despite posting a score higher than the team's previous average.
Minnesota is one of six Big Ten Conference schools listed among the nation's top 25 teams. Defending conference champion Michigan leads the way at No. 7, with a 195.446 average, followed by Penn State at No. 11. Minnesota, Ohio State and Iowa are grouped together at spots 14-16, respectively. Illinois rejoins the top 25 with a No. 22 ranking. Michigan State is the only Big Ten school not ranked this week, although the Spartans were listed 24th last week.
Defending NCAA champion UCLA is ranked No. 1 and improved its season average to 197.006 after a score of 198.25, the highest score in the nation this season.
Kelley Ranks High In The Big Ten
Junior MaryAnne Kelley (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) Kelley is listed among the top 10 in four of the five lists this week. She is second on floor exercise, fourth in the all around, eighth on uneven bars and 10th on vault.
Kelley is listed among the top 25 individuals nationally on two lists this week. She is tied for 15th on floor exercise and listed 22nd in the all around.
Individuals In The Big Ten Rankings
Minnesota has three individuals ranked in the Big Ten's top 10 floor exercise list this week, led by MaryAnne Kelley at No. 2. Sophomore Jenny Alf (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) is ninth and junior Courtney Norman (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) 10th.
The Gophers have two individuals on the uneven bars and balance beam top 10. Junior Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) is third on beam and Alf is sixth. On uneven bars, Kelley is eighth and newcomer Mary Skokut (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) ninth.
Kelley is the only Minnesota gymnast ranked in the top 10 on vault (10th) and all around (fourth).
Gopher Floor Exercise Ranked Eighth
Minnesota is ranked eighth on floor exercise, with an average of 49.121. The Gophers are also listed among the top 25 for vault (No. 19, 48.607), uneven bars (No. 20, 48.764) and balance beam (No. 24, 48.357).
The Last Meet
No. 10 Minnesota scored 195.025 but placed third in a triangular in Ames, Iowa, on Friday. Ninth-ranked Iowa State won the meet with a total of 196.15, followed by No. 17 Oklahoma (195.375).
Alf Shines On Beam
Sophomore Jenny Alf (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) won the balance beam at Iowa State with her third 9.90 score in the last four weeks. It was her third beam title this season. The 9.90 score is the third-best in team history and the team's highest since 1999.
Alf has recorded at least 9.80 in five of the team's seven meets this season. She leads the team with a 9.768 average, including a fall on Jan. 19. Without the fall, her average is 9.854.
Mary Skokut Records 9.90 On Bars
Newcomer Mary Skokut was Minnesota's highest finisher on uneven bars at Iowa State, placing in a tie for sixth place with a career-high 9.90. That score ranks fourth in team history. Skokut averages 9.808 on bars, including three scores of at least 9.80.
Gophers Record Second-Best Bars Score
Minnesota tallied a 49.300 score on uneven bars, just off the school record of 49.350 set in 1999. In addition to Mary Skokut's 9.90, MaryAnne Kelley and senior Megan Skokut (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) each scored 9.875, both season highs. Junior Megan Beuckens was just off her career high with a 9.85, while junior Catie Christensen (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) set a season high with a 9.8.
Floor Exercise Scores 49.175, Again
The Golden Gophers scored 49.175 on floor exercise for the fifth time in the team's seven meets this season. Minnesota has recorded that score the last four meets.
Minnesota's floor exercise lineup features three gymnasts averaging at least 9.80. Junior MaryAnne Kelley leads the way with a 9.886 average, including scores of 9.90 the last five meets. She is tied for 15th in the latest national rankings on floor exercise.
Sophomore Jenny Alf is next, with a 9.836 average, including scores of at least 9.80 the last six meets. Junior Courtney Norman has competed on floor the last four weeks, averaging 9.819, including a 9.90 at Stanford. Junior Catie Christensen recorded a 9.775 at Iowa State and just misses a 9.80 average, with a 9.796 mark.
Kelley Consistent On Floor Exercise
MaryAnne Kelley recorded her fifth straight 9.90 on floor exercise, finishing in a tie for third place at Iowa State. She is tied for first in school history on the floor exercise, with a 9.95 set last year.
Beam Blues
Minnesota had to count two falls on balance beam at Iowa State and scored 47.975. The Golden Gophers have had to count at least one fall in all three road meets this season.
About Iowa State
The Cyclones are ranked No. 10 in the nation with an average of 195.079. The team is also listed ninth on vault and 11th on balance beam. Sissy Huey is ranked sixth on uneven bars and 21st in the all around. The Cyclones won their first Big 12 title last year and placed eighth in the nation. Head coach K.J. Kindler is in her first year as head coach after serving as an assistant the last eight seasons.
Last Year Against Iowa State
Iowa State won both meetings last season, defeating the Gophers 195.850-192.425 in Ames on Feb. 4 and edging the Gophers 196.225- 196.125 in the Sports Pavilion in the final regular-season meet. In the second meet, Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) broke the school record in the all around with a total of 39.450, a total that has since been broken by MaryAnne Kelley.
Up Next
Minnesota is on the road again, competing at Boise State on Friday, March 2. The Gophers return to the Sports Pavilion for the team's final home meet of the season on March 10, when Minnesota faces Arizona.
