University of Minnesota Athletics
2005 Women's Gymnastics Season Outlook
12/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
With all the optimism and positive attitudes that surround the program going into the 2005 campaign, one could almost forget about the team's disappointing finish at the NCAA Regional Championship at the end of the 2004 season. However, the coaches and returning gymnasts have not forgotten. In fact, the bitter end to last season was probably the spark that ignited the fire and passion to bring success to the program this season. It's not that the 2004 season was terrible, in fact there were many bright spots during the year. It's just that the season didn't end the way they had expected, and the members of the Golden Gopher gymnastics program are not content with performances that don't live up to expectations.
Every returning gymnast from last year's squad chose to stay on campus over the summer, where they trained several times a week at voluntary practices. They made gymnastics a priority during a time when they could have taken a break from their lives as collegiate gymnasts. The result of the athletes' dedication was evident to the coaches this fall as more difficult elements have been added to routines, consistency has improved, and the depth of talent is greater than it has been in recent seasons.
While the team could be considered young - there is only one senior, and nine of the 13 gymnasts are freshmen or sophomores - the coaches feel that the team is a mature one. "Our team is very mature this season, they are very dedicated and are working hard to make our team better," said co-head coach Meg Stephenson. "They with our program for the right reasons, to do everything they can to improve as a team. This year we have 100 percent buy-in to our goals and philosophy."
Floor exercise is an event that has traditionally been strong for Minnesota, and the 2005 season should be no exception. Senior Carolyn Yernberg returns as one of the top performers on the floor after accumulating the team's best score average in the event in 2004. Yernberg placed third on the floor at the Big Ten Championship a year ago, and has an upgraded routine for this season that should score big points.
The junior class will be a big factor in the team's success on floor exercise in the upcoming season. Laura Johnson was a consistent performer on the floor last season, and has added difficulty to her routine during the off season. Maria Opsahl was a top performer on the floor during her sophomore season, and returns this year with an even stronger routine. Kelly Stout was not in the lineup on the floor last season, but the coaches believe that she's a strong candidate to make the lineup this year.
Sophomores Kim Womack and Stephanie Funk both competed in the floor exercise as freshmen last year, and both should contribute again this season. Womack competed on the floor in every meet, and earned a career-high score of 9.825 four times. Funk was inserted into the floor lineup after senior Carrie Hortsch was injured, and performed consistently in the event, averaging a 9.775.
Add in the talent of the redshirt freshmen and the team's newcomers, and the picture of the competitors on the floor becomes a bit blurred. "Competition will be tough for a spot in the lineup on floor exercise," said Meg Stephenson. "Our depth is so great on the event, we have so many athletes who could step in and perform well on the floor."
The balance beam could be the strongest event for Minnesota this season. While the team can no longer rely on Mary Skokut and Alicia Opsahl, the stars on this event from before graduating in 2004, there some very talented newcomers who are ready to step into the lineup on beam. "The beam is our deepest event this year," said Meg Stephenson. "We have 11 athletes who could compete on this event, so competition between teammates will be tight."
Juniors Laura Johnson and Maria Opsahl competed on the beam during the entire 2004 season. Johnson won the event at two meets, and scored a career-high 9.925 at Arizona State. Opsahl reached her career-high mark of 9.900 at the same meet.
The sophomore class has several strong competitors on beam, including Stephanie Fun and Kelly Ganchan, who were regular performers in the event last season. Both Funk and Ganchan had a season average score of higher than 9.600 in the event.
Redshirt freshmen Ashley Stanton and Andrea Cornelius are ready to compete on the beam, and the coaches feel that all of the newcomers are good enough to challenge for a spot in the lineup.
The coaching staff feels that the potential on the uneven bars is very high this season. The returning gymnasts have upgraded their routines, and have put together a high-quality set of skills. Laura Johnson will remain a strong competitor on the bars, and Stephanie Funk has become a more consistent performer with better skills. Maria Opsahl and Kim Womack also competed on the bars last season, and look to remain in the lineup this year.
Newcomers Ashley Miles, Rehana Russell, and Angela Walker could all make their way into the bars lineup this season, as could redshirt freshman Andrea Cornelius.
The vault may be the one event where the coaches have some concern. There are four very strong vaulters on this year's squad, but the other two spots in the lineup will be up for grabs. The bright spot for the Gopher on vault this season is that there are four gymnasts who are performing vaults with a 10.0 start value, which is a step above what the team competed with last season.
Senior Carolyn Yernberg has been a very strong performer on the vault throughout her career, and will again be one of the team's best gymnasts in the event. Yernberg is one of only two gymnasts to score a perfect 10 in the history of the Minnesota program, accomplishing the feat on the vault in a meet against UCLA during her freshman season.
Junior Laura Johnson was a top vaulter for Minnesota last year, and the coaches expect her to remain in the lineup in 2005. Johnson won the event once last season, and laced in the top three at six meets. Junior Maria Opsahl has not vaulted in competition for Minnesota during her first two seasons due to an injury, but she will compete on the event this year. Opsahl was a strong performer on the event at the club level, and is ready to make her collegiate debut on the vault.
Freshman Angela Walker is another gymnast who is expected to compete on the vault this season. Walker won a Junior Olympic national title on the vault in 2002, and won the event at the Junior Olympic Region 3 meet in 2004. Frosh, Ashley Mutchler won the Junior Olympic national title on the vault in 2004, and is a top contender for a spot in the lineup this season.
Laura Johnson will again compete in the all around, and could be joined by Maria Opsahl and Angela Walker. Opsahl was in consistently in the lineup in three of four events last season, and now that she's ready to compete on the vault, she is likely to join Johnson in the all around.
The 2005 competition schedule is not exactly an easy one. The Big Ten conference is very strong in women's gymnastics, and Minnesota will compete against three of the top Big Ten teams before the Big Ten Championship at Iowa. Two teams from the Big Ten (Michigan and Iowa) qualified for the NCAA National Championship a year ago, and will continue to be strong programs this season. The Big Ten meet figures to be tight race once again, with very little room for mistakes. "We had one fall at Big Tens last year, and that was enough to move us down to fourth," recalled Meg Stephenson. "The conference meet is a tough one because all of the teams are good, the scores are always so close." In addition to the challenging Big Ten schedule, the Gophers have packed their non- conference schedule with many of the top programs in the country. In every dual meet this season, Minnesota will face an opponent that finished the 2004 season ranked in the top 25 nationally.
The NCAA Championship is hosted by Auburn University this season, and it's a trip the Golden Gophers would love to make. Minnesota last advanced to the national championship in 2002, and the team is hungry for another chance at the national title.
The expectations for the 2005 season are high, as they are every season for the Minnesota women's gymnastics program. The groundwork has been laid, the necessary elements for success are in place, let the season begin.
Story by Sara Berhow, Athletic Communications contact for women's gymnastics It's a bit of an understatement to say that the Golden Gopher women's gymnastics squad is looking forward to the upcoming season. There are so many positive things happening in the Minnesota gymnastics program, making the 2005 season one of great potential. The athletes have been training hard, and have put together upgraded routines with more difficult elements. Several injuries that hampered the team last season have healed. The team is chemistry is better than ever, and the coaches and gymnasts are motivated to make exceptional things happen in the year ahead.
With all the optimism and positive attitudes that surround the program going into the 2005 campaign, one could almost forget about the team's disappointing finish at the NCAA Regional Championship at the end of the 2004 season. However, the coaches and returning gymnasts have not forgotten. In fact, the bitter end to last season was probably the spark that ignited the fire and passion to bring success to the program this season. It's not that the 2004 season was terrible, in fact there were many bright spots during the year. It's just that the season didn't end the way they had expected, and the members of the Golden Gopher gymnastics program are not content with performances that don't live up to expectations.
Every returning gymnast from last year's squad chose to stay on campus over the summer, where they trained several times a week at voluntary practices. They made gymnastics a priority during a time when they could have taken a break from their lives as collegiate gymnasts. The result of the athletes' dedication was evident to the coaches this fall as more difficult elements have been added to routines, consistency has improved, and the depth of talent is greater than it has been in recent seasons.
While the team could be considered young - there is only one senior, and nine of the 13 gymnasts are freshmen or sophomores - the coaches feel that the team is a mature one. "Our team is very mature this season, they are very dedicated and are working hard to make our team better," said co-head coach Meg Stephenson. "They with our program for the right reasons, to do everything they can to improve as a team. This year we have 100 percent buy-in to our goals and philosophy."
Floor exercise is an event that has traditionally been strong for Minnesota, and the 2005 season should be no exception. Senior Carolyn Yernberg returns as one of the top performers on the floor after accumulating the team's best score average in the event in 2004. Yernberg placed third on the floor at the Big Ten Championship a year ago, and has an upgraded routine for this season that should score big points.
The junior class will be a big factor in the team's success on floor exercise in the upcoming season. Laura Johnson was a consistent performer on the floor last season, and has added difficulty to her routine during the off season. Maria Opsahl was a top performer on the floor during her sophomore season, and returns this year with an even stronger routine. Kelly Stout was not in the lineup on the floor last season, but the coaches believe that she's a strong candidate to make the lineup this year.
Sophomores Kim Womack and Stephanie Funk both competed in the floor exercise as freshmen last year, and both should contribute again this season. Womack competed on the floor in every meet, and earned a career-high score of 9.825 four times. Funk was inserted into the floor lineup after senior Carrie Hortsch was injured, and performed consistently in the event, averaging a 9.775.
Add in the talent of the redshirt freshmen and the team's newcomers, and the picture of the competitors on the floor becomes a bit blurred. "Competition will be tough for a spot in the lineup on floor exercise," said Meg Stephenson. "Our depth is so great on the event, we have so many athletes who could step in and perform well on the floor."
The balance beam could be the strongest event for Minnesota this season. While the team can no longer rely on Mary Skokut and Alicia Opsahl, the stars on this event from before graduating in 2004, there some very talented newcomers who are ready to step into the lineup on beam. "The beam is our deepest event this year," said Meg Stephenson. "We have 11 athletes who could compete on this event, so competition between teammates will be tight."
Juniors Laura Johnson and Maria Opsahl competed on the beam during the entire 2004 season. Johnson won the event at two meets, and scored a career-high 9.925 at Arizona State. Opsahl reached her career-high mark of 9.900 at the same meet.
The sophomore class has several strong competitors on beam, including Stephanie Fun and Kelly Ganchan, who were regular performers in the event last season. Both Funk and Ganchan had a season average score of higher than 9.600 in the event.
Redshirt freshmen Ashley Stanton and Andrea Cornelius are ready to compete on the beam, and the coaches feel that all of the newcomers are good enough to challenge for a spot in the lineup.
The coaching staff feels that the potential on the uneven bars is very high this season. The returning gymnasts have upgraded their routines, and have put together a high-quality set of skills. Laura Johnson will remain a strong competitor on the bars, and Stephanie Funk has become a more consistent performer with better skills. Maria Opsahl and Kim Womack also competed on the bars last season, and look to remain in the lineup this year.
Newcomers Ashley Miles, Rehana Russell, and Angela Walker could all make their way into the bars lineup this season, as could redshirt freshman Andrea Cornelius.
The vault may be the one event where the coaches have some concern. There are four very strong vaulters on this year's squad, but the other two spots in the lineup will be up for grabs. The bright spot for the Gopher on vault this season is that there are four gymnasts who are performing vaults with a 10.0 start value, which is a step above what the team competed with last season.
Senior Carolyn Yernberg has been a very strong performer on the vault throughout her career, and will again be one of the team's best gymnasts in the event. Yernberg is one of only two gymnasts to score a perfect 10 in the history of the Minnesota program, accomplishing the feat on the vault in a meet against UCLA during her freshman season.
Junior Laura Johnson was a top vaulter for Minnesota last year, and the coaches expect her to remain in the lineup in 2005. Johnson won the event once last season, and laced in the top three at six meets. Junior Maria Opsahl has not vaulted in competition for Minnesota during her first two seasons due to an injury, but she will compete on the event this year. Opsahl was a strong performer on the event at the club level, and is ready to make her collegiate debut on the vault.
Freshman Angela Walker is another gymnast who is expected to compete on the vault this season. Walker won a Junior Olympic national title on the vault in 2002, and won the event at the Junior Olympic Region 3 meet in 2004. Frosh, Ashley Mutchler won the Junior Olympic national title on the vault in 2004, and is a top contender for a spot in the lineup this season.
Laura Johnson will again compete in the all around, and could be joined by Maria Opsahl and Angela Walker. Opsahl was in consistently in the lineup in three of four events last season, and now that she's ready to compete on the vault, she is likely to join Johnson in the all around.
The 2005 competition schedule is not exactly an easy one. The Big Ten conference is very strong in women's gymnastics, and Minnesota will compete against three of the top Big Ten teams before the Big Ten Championship at Iowa. Two teams from the Big Ten (Michigan and Iowa) qualified for the NCAA National Championship a year ago, and will continue to be strong programs this season. The Big Ten meet figures to be tight race once again, with very little room for mistakes. "We had one fall at Big Tens last year, and that was enough to move us down to fourth," recalled Meg Stephenson. "The conference meet is a tough one because all of the teams are good, the scores are always so close." In addition to the challenging Big Ten schedule, the Gophers have packed their non- conference schedule with many of the top programs in the country. In every dual meet this season, Minnesota will face an opponent that finished the 2004 season ranked in the top 25 nationally.
The NCAA Championship is hosted by Auburn University this season, and it's a trip the Golden Gophers would love to make. Minnesota last advanced to the national championship in 2002, and the team is hungry for another chance at the national title.
The expectations for the 2005 season are high, as they are every season for the Minnesota women's gymnastics program. The groundwork has been laid, the necessary elements for success are in place, let the season begin.
Story by Sara Berhow, Athletic Communications contact for women's gymnastics
