University of Minnesota Athletics
Women Gymnasts Conclude Season in Fourth Place at NCAA Championships
4/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
This year's competition marked the second time in program history that the Gophers had ever been to the NCAA Championships. The last time the Gophers competed was in 1997 when they scored a 194.775 to finish the season 10th in the nation.
The battle for the third spot and the chance to make it to the Super Six competition came down to Minnesota and the Stanford Cardinal. The Gophers began the competition on vault. Sophomore Mary Skokut (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was the first gymnast up for the Gophers, scoring a 9.725. Minnesota was kept on pace by MaryAnne Kelley (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) and Carolyn Yernberg (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) who each scored a 9.80 to lead the Gopher team tally to a 48.675. The Maroon and Gold finished the first rotation in second place behind UCLA who was in first with a 49.250 on beam.
After a bye, the Gophers came back on uneven bars where they scored a 48.575. From bars Minnesota went straight to balance beam, scoring a 49.125 as a team with five gymnasts scoring at least a 9.80. Kelley and Laatsch each scored a 9.85 to keep Minnesota in the running.
Minnesota got a resting period with a bye before its final and best event, the floor exercise. Kelley and Laatsch earned first-team All-America honors on floor, after they both scored 9.90's. Senior Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) and Jenny Alf (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) each scored a 9.85. Skokut scored a 9.80 while senior Courtney Norman (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham) scored a 9.825.
"We're thrilled with our teams performance and they definitely came and did what they wanted to do," said Minnesota co-head coach Meg Stephenson. "It's a shame we didn't advance to the Super Six but we are incredibly impressed with our team's presentation and we're excited about Annie and MaryAnne being named All-Americans."
Laatsch and Kelley are the first gymnasts since 1997 to earn first team All-America honors. Kelley was last honored as an All-American when she was named to the second team on vault last year.
Although Minnesota did not advance as a team, Laatsch and Kelley will have a chance to compete for a national title in Saturday's individual event finals at 7p.m. Utah, Georgia, Nebraska, Alabama, UCLA and Stanford are the six teams to advance to the Super Six competition on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Vault Bars Beam Floor Total 1. Alabama 49.275 49.025 49.550 49.450 197.30 2. Florida 49.025 48.925 48.650 49.075 195.675 3. Minnesota 48.675 48.575 49.125 49.375 195.700 4. Oregon State 47.400 48.925 48.200 48.400 192.925 5. Stanford 49.200 48.650 49.450 49.025 196.050 6. UCLA 49.225 49.250 49.350 Vault 1. Mary Skokut 9.725 2. Carrie Hortsch 9.625 3. MaryAnne Kelley 9.800 4. Carolyn Yernberg 9.800 5. Leigh Dixon 9.675 6. Courtney Norman 9.675 Bars 1. Megan Beuckens 9.550 2. Alicia Opsahl 9.725 3. Kelly Watson 9.100 4. MaryAnne Kelley 9.750 5. Mary Skokut 9.775 6. Annie Laatsch 9.775 Beam 1. Alicia Opsahl 9.775 2. Megan Beuckens 9.800 3. Mary Skokut 9.825 4. Annie Laatsch 9.850 5. Jenny Alf 9.800 6. MaryAnne Kelley 9.850 Floor 1. Mary Skokut 9.800 2. Megan Beuckens 9.850 3. Jenny Alf 9.850 4. Annie Laatsch 9.900 5. Courtney Norman 9.825 6. MaryAnne Kelley 9.900 All Around 1. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA 39.675 5. MaryAnne Kelley 39.300 12. Mary Skokut 39.125
