University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Travel to Arizona For Friday Night Meet
1/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Minnesota will travel to Tucson, Ariz., for a dual meet with No. 15 Arizona on Friday, Feb. 2. The meet will begin at 8:30 p.m. central (7:30 p.m. mountain).
Live scoring will be available for free online at www.arizonaathletics.com. A live video webcast is also available on Arizona’s website for a fee. Fans should be aware that the video webcast features mostly Arizona gymnasts.
Gophers Ranked No. 26
After being listed at No. 28 in last week’s edition of the GymInfo National Rankings, Minnesota moved up two spots, and is currently listed at No. 26. At this point in the season, rankings are based on average score.
Minnesota has eight of the teams listed in the top 25 this week on its 2007 schedule: No. 3 Utah, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Iowa State, No. 15 Arizona, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 23 Penn State, No. 25 West Virginia
National Rankings by Event
Below are the team rankings by event, with average scores, for the Gophers, and this week’s opponent, Arizona:
Minnesota Arizona Vault No. 47 (47.917) No. 9 (48.983) Bars No. 27 (48.225) No. 26 (48.292) Beam No. 15 (48.492) No. 14 (48.592) Floor No. 20 (48.600) No. 8 (48.925) Individual Rankings
One Gopher gymnasts is listed in the GymInfo National Rankings this week. Carmelina Carabajal is tied for No. 24 on floor with an average score of 9.850.
Seniors Stepping Up
Seniors Stephanie Funk and Kelly Ganchan each led Minnesota on an event in the last two weekends.
Funk had Minnesota’s highest bars score against Utah, a 9.800 to place third. Funk’s 9.800 on bars was the best bars score by a Gopher gymnast this season. At Penn State a week earlier, Funk’s 9.725 on bars led the Gophers and was good for a fourth-place finish.
On vault, Kelly Ganchan was the Gophers’ top scorer against Utah with a 9.750 place sixth. The previous weekend, Ganchan led the Gophers with a 9.700 to tie for fourth place on vault.
Carabajal Shines on Floor
Sophomore Carmelina Carabajal was Minnesota’s top floor performer for the third week in a row, scoring a 9.825 against Utah to tie for second place. She won the floor at Penn State (9.825) and against Iowa State (9.900).
Best Bars Score
Minnesota tallied its best bars score of the season versus Utah, earning a 48.800. All six bars performers set or tied their best bars scores of the season. Carmelina Carabajal earned a personal-best 9.625 in her third bars performance. Jade Beattie competed on bars for the first time this season, and earned a 9.725. Alexis Russell also scored 9.725 to mark her best score this year. Andy Cornelius and Angela Walker earned season-best scores of 9.775 to tie for fourth place. Stephanie Funk had a 9.800 to place third and set her best mark of the 2007 campaign.
Walker Returns to Floor Exercise
Angela Walker returned to the floor line up last weekend, after missing most of the last two seasons on floor due to a knee injury. Walker was an all around competitor as a freshman in 2005 before sustaining a knee injury early in her freshman season. Walker missed the majority of the 2005 season, and returned as a bars and beam competitor in 2006. In the first two meets of the 2007 season, Walker competed on bars and beam, and was added to the floor line up last weekend. She is also training on vault, and hopes to return to all around competition later in the season.
Walker’s career-best floor score is a 9.825, scored in the 2005 season opener. She earned a 9.450 last weekend in her return to floor competition.
In the All Around
Freshman Alexis Russell once again competed in the all around against Utah, and earned her personal-best all around score with a 38.175. Russell set personal-bests on the bars (9.725) and the beam (9.675) against Utah. Russell made her all around debut at Penn State, earning a 36.950 to place third. Russell competed in three events in the season opener.
Family Reunion
Junior Rehana Russell has a younger sister, Randi Jo, who is a freshman on Arizona’s squad. Before college, both sisters trained at Oshkosh Gymnastics in Oshkosh, Wis., where their parents, Dave and Debbie, are coaches. Rehana and Randi Jo have two younger siblings, Cody and Dusti, who are also gymnasts.
This Week’s Opponent - Arizona
No. 15 Arizona is coming off a convincing victory in its home opener, upsetting No. 13 Oregon State by a score of 196.325-194.600 on Jan. 26. Led by junior Karin Wurm’s all-around total of 39.300, Wildcat gymnasts swept the individual event titles. Freshman Brittney Morgan turned in a 9.900, claiming the vault title. On bars, Wurm turned in a career-high 9.925 to win the event. Danielle Hicks’ career-high score of 9.900 led her to the title on beam. Jamie Holton’s career high 9.900, won her the individual title on floor.
The Wildcats are coached by Bill Ryden, who is in his ninth season as Arizona’s head coach. Ryden is assisted by John Court and Colleen Johnson.
Minnesota vs. Arizona
Minnesota last competed against Arizona at the 2006 NCAA North Central Region Championships, hosted by Iowa State. Arizona placed third in the event with a mark of 195.400, while Minnesota was fifth with a 194.675.
The last meeting between Minnesota and Arizona in the regular season was on March 14, 2002. Minnesota won the meet with a score of 196.850, a score that set a school record, and currently ranks second on Minnesota’s all-time top scores list.
Last Week: Gophers vs. Utah
The Golden Gophers earned a 194.125 against Utah, greatly improving their team score of 191.1975 from last week’s meet at Penn State. Junior Andy Cornelius had season-best scores on bars (9.775) and floor (9.800), while Ashley Stanton scored the team’s best beam score of the 2007 season with a 9.850 to place third.
Minnesota started the meet on vault, and earned a 48.400. For the second week in a row, senior Kelly Ganchan led the Gophers on vault. Ganchan tallied a 9.750 to tie for sixth place. Ashley Stanton set a career-best with a 9.700 on vault to place eighth.
In the second rotation, Minnesota competed on bars, and tallied the best team bars score of the season and the highest Gopher event score of the meet with a 48.800. Senior Stephanie Funk was the top Gopher scorer on bars for the second straight meet, earning a 9.800. Funk’s score is the best by a Minnesota gymnast this season, and was good for third place against Utah. Angela Walker and Andy Cornelius each earned season-best marks of 9.775 to tie for fourth place. Freshman Alexis Russell had a season-best score with a 9.725, while sophomore Carmelina Carabajal set a personal best with a 9.625 on bars.
On beam, Minnesota compiled a score of 48.675, led by Ashley Stanton, who earned a 9.850 to place third. Stanton’s beam score was the best by a Gopher gymnast this season. Angela Walker was fifth with a 9.750, while Carabajal and Amanda Miles tied for sixth with marks of 9.700. Alexis Russell set her second personal best score of the meet with a 9.675 o beam.
The Golden Gophers earned a 48.250 on floor. Carabajal was the top scorer fro Minnesota with a 9.825 to tie for second place. Carabajal has been Minnesota’s top performer on floor in every meet this season. Cornelius set a personal best with a 9.800 to place fourth on floor.
Alexis Russell was Minnesota’s lone all around competitor, earning a personal-best mark of 38.175.
Players Mentioned
