University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Host Annual Best of Minnesota Meet
2/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Minnesota returns home to host the annual Best of Minnesota Meet, a competition featuring the four collegiate gymnastics teams in the state of Minnesota. Joining the Gophers will be Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline, and Winona State.
The meet will begin at 6 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion. Live scoring will be available for free online at www.gophersports.com.
Gophers Ranked No. 23
Minnesota moved back into the top 25 in the national rankings this week, and sits at No. 23 in this week’s edition of the GymInfo National Rankings. At this point in the season, rankings are based on average score.
Big Ten Strength
The Big Ten Conference is well represented in the national rankings, with five of the seven teams listed in the nation’s top 25 this week. In addition to the Gophers, other Big Ten teams in the top 25 are: No. 8 Michigan, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 18 Penn State, and No. 20 Ohio State.
National Rankings by Event
Below are the team rankings by event, with average scores, for the Gophers:
Minnesota Vault No. 44 (48.056) Bars No. 26 (48.394) Beam No. 13 (48.575) Floor No. 19 (48.681) Carabajal Tops the List
Sophomore Carmelina Carabajal is currently the top-ranked floor performer in the Big Ten with an average floor score of 9.827. Carabajal has been the Gophers’ top scorer on floor exercise in three of the four meets so far this season.
Steady Improvement on Bars
For the second week in a row, the Gophers set a season-best mark on bars. The Gophers earned a 48.900 against the Wildcats last weekend. At Arizona, junior Angela Walker led the way for Minnesota, earning a career-best 9.850 to tally the best bars score by a Gopher gymnast this season. Her score was good for a tie for second place in the event. Frosh Alexis Russell also set a personal-best on bars with a 9.775 to tie for fourth place with teammate Stephanie Funk. Sophomore Jade Beattie earned her best bars score of the season with a 9.750 to tie for seventh place.
Stepping Up on Floor
Three Minnesota gymnasts set career-best marks on cloor last weekend, while two others set or tied season-best scores. Juniors Amanda Miles and Andy Cornelius each set career highs with score of 9.825. Freshman Alexis Russell had her personal-best floor score with a 9.725. Angela Walker tallied her best floor score of the year with a 9.750, while Ashley Stanton tied her best floor score of 2007 with a 9.725.
Stanton Solid on Beam
Junior Ashley Stanton has the team’s top three beam scores of the season. She earned marks of 9.850 in the two home meets, against Iowa State and Utah. At Arizona last weekend, Stanton tallied a 9.875 to win the event and set the team’s best beam score of the year.
Beattie Leads the Way on Vault
Jade Beattie was Minnesota’s top vault performer at Arizona, earning a career-best 9.775 to place fourth. Beattie’s previous best vault score was a 9.725.
This Week’s Opponents - Gustavus, Hamline and WInona State
Gustavus has a 4-5 record on the season. The Gusties/ last competition was at Hamline on Feb. 2, where they lost to the Pipers 173.575-176.050. The team’s best score this season was a 175.125, scored at UW Stout on Jan. 26. Gustavus is coached by Kris Glidden, who is in her seventh season as head coach.
Hamline has a 3-5 record this year, and is coming off a 176.050-173.575 win over Gustavus last weekend. Hamline’s season-best score is a 181.375, earned at the Cal State Fullerton Quad Meet on Jan. 26. Doug Byrnes is the head coach of the Pipers, and is in his eighth season at Hamline.
Winona State is 3-8 so far in 2007. In their last competition, the Warriors placed fourth at the Iowa Quad Meet, earning a score of 176.925. Winona State’s best score this season was a 177.350, which the Warriors earned at the UW LaCrosse Gershon Invitational on Feb. 2. WSU is coached by Beckie Rolbiecki, in her second year at Winona State.
Last Year at the Best of Minnesota
At the 2006 Best of Minnesota Meet, the Gophers took first place, but had their lowest score of the season with a 191.775. Hamline placed second with a 176.875, Winona State was third with a mark of 176.400, and Gustavus was fourth with a 174.825.
Laura Johnson, a senior last year, completed a sweep of every event title at the 2006 Best of Minnesota. Johnson won the vault (9.825), bars (9.775), beam (9.700), floor (9.900), and the all around (39.200).
Last Week: Gophers at Arizona
The Golden Gophers earned a 195.125 to tally their best mark of the 2007 season, but fell to No. 15 Arizona, who scored a 195.400. The Gophers set a season-best on bars with a 48.900, and tied their best floor score (48.925) and their best beam score (48.825). Minnesota defeated Arizona on two events, winning the bars and the beam.
The Gophers were up on bars first, and earned their best bars score of the season with a 48.900. Junior Angela Walker led the way for Minnesota, earning a career-best mark of 9.850 to finish in a tie for second place. Senior Stephanie Funk and first-year gymnast Alexis Russell were the second-highest scorers for the Gophers, each earning a 9.775 to tie for fourth place. Russell’s mark set a personal best on bars. Sophomore Jade Beattie had her best bars score of the year with a 9.750. Junior Andy Cornelius also earned a 9.750 for the Maroon and Gold. Arizona competed on vault in the first rotation, and went into the second rotation with a slim 48.925-48.900 lead.
Minnesota was on vault in the second rotation, where they tallied a 48.475. Beattie was the Gophers’ top finisher, earning a career-best 9.775 to place fourth. Senior Kelly Ganchan was the second-highest finisher for Minnesota, coming in fifth with a 9.750. Junior Ashley Mutchler scored a 9.700 to mark her best vault score of the season. Arizona earned a 48.850 on the bars in the second rotation, and held a 97.775-97.375 after the first two events.
The Gophers tied their best floor score of the season with a 48.925 in the third rotation. Juniors Amanda Miles and Andy Cornelius were the top scorers for Minnesota, each earning a career-best 9.825 to tie for fifth place. Sophomore Carmelina Carabajal tallied a 9.800 for Minnesota. Walker had her best floor score of the season with a 9.750, while Alexis Russell set a personal-best mark with a 9.725. Stanton tied her best floor score of the year with a 9.725. Arizona scored a 48.400 on beam, allowing Minnesota to narrow the Wildcats’ lead to just .125 at 146.300-146.175 going into the last event.
Minnesota tied its best beam score of the year with a 48.825. Stanton led the way for the Gophers on floor, earning a 9.875 to win the event and set the team’s highest individual beam score of the year. Miles scored a 9.775, her best beam score of the season, to place third. Walker tied for fourth with a 9.750. Carabajal had a season-best performance on beam with a 9.725. Arizona tallied a 49.225 on floor in the last rotation, to bring the final score to 195.400-195.125.
In the all around, Alexis Russell set a career-high score with a 38.550. She was Minnesota’s only all around competitor, and placed second.
Players Mentioned
