University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Add to Recruiting Class
12/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics head coach Meg Stephenson has announced that two additional gymnasts will join the Golden Gopher program in the fall of 2010. Megan Alvarez (Villa Park, Ill.) and Alexandra Feeken (Tampa, Fla.) have signed Acceptance of Admission forms and will join Dusti Russell (Oshkosh, Wis.) and Kayla Slechta (Shakopee, Minn.) as Minnesota’s freshman class for the 2010-11 year.
“We are so fortunate to have Megan and Alex join our team,” said Coach Stephenson. “Megan will have an immediate impact on three events and Alex looks to be competitive in the all around. Both are outstanding students and their wonderful personalities and work ethic will add to the great chemistry that already exists on our team.”
Megan Alvarez, a senior at Willowbrook High School, trains at Illinois Gymnastics Institute under coach Todd Gardinier. She was a member of the team that won the 2009 Junior Olympic Level 10 Illinois State Meet, where she placed seventh in the all around. She went on to the 2009 regional meet where she finished ninth on beam and 16th in the all around. Alvarez was a J.O. National Championship qualifier at level 9 in 2007. She has been on the honor roll throughout high school and ranks in the top five percent of her high school class. She is a Civitas Social Studies Honor Society Member, and has helped to coordinate community service events through Relay for Life. At the University of Minnesota, she plans to major in kinesiology. Alvarez is the daughter of Ernie and Dolly Alvarez and has two older brothers, Jonathan and Ian. She enjoys long bike rides, fishing with her dad and brothers, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Alexandra Feeken trains at LaFleur’s Gymnastics in Tampa, and is a senior at Keystone National High School. Her club coaches are Jeff LaFleur, a Minnesota gymnastics alum (1976), Amanda Stroud and Billy West. Feeken was a Junior Olympic Level 10 regional qualifier, where she placed ninth on beam and 13th on vault. Also in 2009, she had top-three finishes on vault, bars and in the all around at the Daytona Beach Open. At the 2009 National Judges Cup, she was first on bars, third on beam and fourth in the all around. Feekend has been successful academically as well, compiling a 4.0 grade point average. She is an International Honor Society Member. Feeken is the daughter of Ken and Lori Feeken, and has a younger sister, Rachel. Her hobbies include ocean fishing, snorkeling and traveling. She competes in equestrian events and volunteers for the Bakas Equestrian Center’s Horses for the Disabled program.
Dusti Russell is a senior at Oshkosh West High School, and trains at the Oshkosh Gymnastics Center. Her club coaches are Dale and Phyllis Hardt. Russell is a four-time Junior Olympic Level 10 National Championship qualifier (2006-09). As a junior in 2009, she won three Wisconsin state titles (bars, beam, floor), and was the state runner up in the all around. At the regional meet last spring, Russell notched four top-three finishes. She was the regional beam champion, and was the runner up on floor. She placed third on bars and in the all around. At the 2009 J.O. national meet, she finished fifth on floor. In 2008, her sophomore season, she was the Wisconsin state champion on floor, and was the runner up on beam, floor and in the all around. At the 2008 J.O. regionals, she took first place on floor and was the all around champion. She went on to the national meet in 2008, where she finished 10th on beam, 11th on floor and 13th in the all around. Russell comes from a family of gymnasts, Her parents, David and Debbie Russell, were collegiate gymnasts at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Her oldest sister, Rehana, competed for the Gophers from 2005-07. Her other sister, Randi Jo, is currently competing at the University of Arizona, and her brother Cody has also trained in gymnastics. Russell plans to major in education at Minnesota.
Kayla Slechta is a senior at Shakopee High School and has trained at Classic Gymnastics in Chanhassen, Minn., under the direction of Kari and Will Vaugh and Sara Tornez. Slecta has qualified to compete at the Junior Olympic Level 10 National Championship four times (2006-09), and qualified for the J.O. Regional Championship five times (2005-09). In 2009, she was second on vault and beam and third in the all around at the Minnesota State Championships. She went on to the regional championship, where she placed second on beam, third on floor and in the all around, fourth on bars and fifth on vault. She moved on to the 2009 national meet where she finished 18th on floor and 27th on vault. As a sophomore in 2008, she placed fifth on floor and beam and as seventh on vault and in the all around at the J.O. Regional Championship. At the 2008 national championship, she finished in 13th place on floor and was 17th on beam. In 2007, her freshman year, Slechta earned four top-10 finishes at the regional championship, coming in third on beam, seventh on vault, eighth in the all around, and ninth on floor. Slechta was the runner up on beam at the 2006 J.O. Regional Championship, where she also finished sixth on bars and seventh in the all around. She made her first appearance at the J.O. national meet that year. Slechta has been a strong student at Shakopee High School, where she has been on the honor roll every year, and has earned letters for her academic achievements in each year of her high school career. She earned All-Academic Excellence Awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and earned the President’s Award for Educational Excellence in 2007. Slechta is a National Honor Society member, and participates in the Link Leader Crew, a student-to-student mentorship program. She is the daughter of Joy and Paul Slechta and has an older sister, Alyssa. Slechta plans to major in kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.