University of Minnesota Athletics
WGM: Golden Gophers Head to Denver This Weekend
2/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
This Week
Minnesota is takes to the road for the first time in February, and will compete at Denver on Saturday, Feb. 19. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. (CST) at Hamilton Gymnasium
National Rankings
Minnesota moved up one spot to No. 24 in this week's GymInfo National Ranking. In the event-by-event rankings, Minnesota is ranked No. 17 on the vault, and No. 15 in the floor exercise.
This week's opponent, Denver, is listed at No. 13 in the lastest ranking. The Pioneers are listed among the nation's top 25 on each event with rankings of No. 5 on vault, No. 6 on floor exercise, No. 18 on balance beam, and No. 24 on uneven bars.
Five of the seven Big Ten women's gymnastics teams are included in this week's national ranking: Michigan (No. 2), Penn State (No. 14), Ohio State (No. 22), Minnesota (No. 24), and Michigan State (No. 25).
At this point in the season, the national rankings are based on average scores. Beginning next week, the national rankings will be based on regional qualifying scores, which are calculated by taking the six best regular-season team scores, of which three must be from away meets. The highest of those six scores is dropped, and the remaining five scores are averaged.
Carolyn Adds Two More Event Titles to Her Resume
Senior Carolyn Yernberg won both events in which she competed at the Best of Minnesota meet. Yernberg won her fourth vault title of the season with a 9.825. On the floor, she notched her third event title with a 9.900. She has won event titles for seven of the 12 routines she has performed in competition this season (six on vault and six on floor).
Yernberg leads the team in average score on both the vault (9.808) and floor (9.829)
Steady Improvement on Bars
Minnesota set a season-high mark with a score of 48.475 on the uneven bars at the Best of Minnesota meet.
Three gymnasts set season-high marks on the bars last weekend. Junior Laura Johnson tallied a 9.825 for her personal season-best, and the team's best bars score of the year. Freshmen Andrea Cornelius and Rehana Russell each earned a 9.700 to mark their best bars scores of the season.
Ashley and Ashley Keep Stepping Up
Freshmen Ashley Stanton and Ashley Mutchler were Minnesota's top scorers on the balance beam in last weekend's competition. Each earned a season-best 9.825 to finish first. The scores of 9.825 are the best for Minnesota on the beam this season.
On the floor, both Stanton and Mutchler tallied season-best scores. Stanton earned a 9.850 to finish third in the event. Mutchler notched her best mark of the season with a 9.775.
Stanton's average beam score of 9.758 is the best on the team.
Johnson Best on Bars
Junior Laura Johnson scored the team's highest uneven bars score at the Best of Minnesota meet, winning the event with a 9.825. She leads the team with and average bars score of 9.741.
Opsahl Shines on Floor
Junior Maria Opsahl earned a season-best score of 9.875 on the floor last weekend to place second. A week earlier, Opsahl tied for third place on floor with a 9.825.
It's a Reunion
Three of Minnesota's gymnasts will be competing against former club teammates at Denver this weekend. Minnesota's Laura Johnson and Denver's Sierra Bertholomey both trained at the Albuquerque Gymnastics School, while Gopher Andrea Cornelius and Pioneer Casey Dobyns trained at Cascade Elite Gymnastics prior to starting their college careers. Minnesota's Rehana Russell and Denver gymnasts Gretchen Goerlitz and Laura Zastoupil all competed for Oshkosh Gymnastics prior to joining their current teams.
Homecoming
Ashley Stanton will compete in her home state for the first time since joining the Golden Gophers. Stanton is a native of Centennial, Colo., a city of roughly 100,000, located in the southern section of the Denver metro area.
About the Opponent - Denver
Denver is ranked No. 13 in the latest GymInfo National Rankings.
The Pioneers suffered an upset loss in last weekend's competition against Utah State, losing to the Aggies by the narrow margin of 194.875-194.925. Denver gymnasts took first place in three of four events. Sophomore Heather Huffaker won the vault title with a 9.850, while freshman Courtney Butler won the bars with 9.800 and freshman Sasha Sullivan won the beam with a 9.850.
Sophomore Casey Dobyns is a top competitor for the Pioneers, and is currently ranked No. 10 nationally in the all around. Is is also ranked No. 4 on the vault, and No. 24 on the floor exercise.
Danver has two other gymnasts who appear in the national rankings, as Heather Huffaker is ranked No. 7 on the vault and No. 13 o nthe floor, and Sasha Sullivan is listed at No. 12 on the floor.
Like Minnesota, Denver's squad is heavy with young gymnasts. Both teams have just one senior team member. Nine of Minnesota's 13 gymnasts are freshmen or sophomores, while 10 of Denver's 13 team members are underclassmen.
Leading the Pioneers
The Pioneers are led by head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, who is in her seventh season at Denver. Kutcher-Rinehart is no stranger to the Big Ten, as she spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan before being named Denver's head coach in 1998.
The Last Meeting with Denver
Minnesota's last competition against Denver was at the 2004 NCAA Regional Championship. Denver placed third with a 195.500, while Minnesota finished sixth with a score of 192.225.
The last regular-season meeting between the two teams was at Denver on Jan. 30, 2000. Minnesota won the triangular meet with a score of 194.525, while Denver was second with a 194.375. Arizona was third with a 192.900.
Denver last competed in Minneapolis at the 2000 NCAA Regional Championship. The Pioneers were third with a score of 195.450, while Minnesota was fourth with a 194.750.
Next on the Docket
After this week's meet at Denver, Minnesota will return home to the friendly confines of the Sports Pavilion to host Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 26. The competition against the Hawkeyes is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
