University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Head to UNC for Friday Competition
2/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Minnesota will travel to compete at the University of North Carolina on Friday, Feb. 16. The competition will begin at 6 p.m. central.
The Next Home Meet
Minnesota returns to the Sports Pavilion to face Big Ten rival Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 24. The meet will begin at 6 p.m., and will be the first home meet against a Big Ten opponent this season.
Gophers Ranked No. 29
Minnesota slipped back out of the top 25 in the national rankings this week, and sits at No. 29, with an average score of 193.290, in the Feb. 12 edition of the GymInfo National Rankings. This week’s opponent, North Carolina, is ranked No. 32 with an average score of 192.560.
Big Ten Strength
The Big Ten Conference is well represented in the national rankings, with all seven teams listed in the nation’s top 30 this week. Michigan is the top-ranked conference school, and is listed at No. 9 this week.
National Rankings by Event
Below are the team rankings by event, with average scores, for the Gophers and North Carolina:
Minnesota North Carolina Vault No. 41 (48.150) No. 29 (48.545) Bars No. 26 (48.330) No. 27 (48.325) Beam No. 14 (48.490) No. 29 (48.050) Floor No. 29 (48.320) No. 47 (47.640) National Rankings Format
At this point in the season, national rankings are based on overall average scores for the season. Beginning next week, the national rankings will be based on Regional Qualifying Score, or RQS. A team’s RQS is calculated by taking the top six scores of the season, of which no more than three may be from home meets, dropping the highest of those six scores, and averaging the remaining five scores. At the end of the regular season, the NCAA uses the RQS scores to determine which teams will advance to compete in an NCAA Regional Championship.
Alexis Russell Wins First Event Titles of Gopher Career
Freshman Alexis Russell won two titles at the Best of Minnesota Meet, marking the first two titles of her young collegiate career. Russell won the all around with a 37.650, and won on bars with a 9.725.
Stanton Wins Twice at Best of Minnesota
Junior Ashley Stanton won two events at the Best of Minnesota meet last weekend. Stanton won beam with a mark of 9.825, marking the highest score by any gymnast at the competition. She also took first place on the floor with a 9.625.
Stanton has been Minnesota’s top beam performer at four of five meets this season, and has won the event twice. She owns the best Gopher beam score of the season with a 9.875 at Arizona on Feb. 2.
Beattie Strong on Vault
For the second week in a row, sophomore Jade Beattie was the Gophers’ leader on vault. At the Best of Minnesota, Beattie took first place with a 9.750. At Arizona on Feb. 2, she had the top Gopher score with a career-best 9.775 on vault.
This Week’s Opponent - North Carolina
The Tar Heels competed in their home opener on Feb. 11, winning the five-team Tar Heel Invitational with a score of 194.525, earning their best team score this season. North Carolina is 11-3 on the season.
Derek Galvin is the head coach of the North Carolina program, and is in his 26th season with the Tar Heels. He is assisted by Penny Jernigan.
Last Meeting With the Tar Heels
The last time Minnesota competed against North Carolina was at a quad meet at North Carolina on March 2, 2003. North Carolina won the meet with a score of 196.000, while Minnesota placed second with a 195.775. Towson was third with a 194.224, while William & Mary was fourth with a 192.225.
Last Week: Best of Minnesota
The Golden Gophers took first place at the annual Best of Minnesota Meet with a score of 191.625. Hamline was second with a 179.225, while Winona State was third with a 175.500. Gustavus was fourth with a mark of 171.375. Ashley Stanton won two events for the Gophers, finishing first on the beam (9.825) and floor (9.625). Alexis Russell was the winner on the bars (9.725) and in the all around (37.650).
On the vault, sophomore Jade Beattie took first place with a 9.750, her second-best score this season. Senior Kim Womack came in second with a 9.725, her season-high score. Junior Ashley Stanton tied her personal best vault score, earning a 9.700 to place third. As a team, the Gophers tallied a 48.525.
The Gophers tallied a 48.075 on the bars, led by freshman Alexis Russell’s first-place mark of 9.725. Beattie and Angela Walker tied for second on bars, each earning a 9.700. Junior Rehana Russell competed on bars for the first time this season, and tallied a 9.450.
Ashley Stanton was the balance beam winner with a 9.825. Juniors Amanda Miles and Walker tied for second place on the beam, each earning a 9.725. Carmelina Carabajal was fourth with a 9.700.
On the floor, Stanton took first place with a 9.625. Carabajal was second with a 9.550, while Alexis Russell was third with a 9.425. The Gophers had their lowest floor score of the season with a 46.875.
Alexis Russell was the all around winner with a total score of 37.650. Russell’s wins on bars and in the all around are the first event titles of her career.
Players Mentioned
