University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers To Compete at NCAA Regional
3/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
The No. 18 University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team has been assigned to compete at the NCAA North Central Regional Championship in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, April 4. Also competing in the North Central region will be No. 6 Florida, No. 7 UCLA, No. 20 Denver, No. 23 Iowa State, and host team Iowa, currently ranked No. 28.
The meet will begin at 6 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Live scoring for the meet will be available at http://live.iowagymnastics.com.
What’s at Stake
The top two teams from each of the six regional championship sites will advance to the NCAA National Championship, which will be hosted by the University of Nebraska on April 16-18, 2009.
In addition to the qualifying teams, the top two all around performers who are not members of a qualifying team will advance to the NCAA Championships as individual all around competitors.
National Rankings
Despite having a higher RQS this week, Minnesota slipped one spot to No. 18 in the national rankings, coming in with an RQS of 195.710. In the event rankings, the Gophers are listed among the top 25 in two events. Minnesota is listed at No. 15 on the uneven bars (49.030) and No. 10 on balance beam (49.095).
Individually, Carmelina Carabajal is ranked among the nation’s top 25 on two lists, coming in at No. 23 in the all around (39.320) and tied for No. 11 on balance beam (9.885). Alexis Russell moved into the top 25 on uneven bars this week, and is currently tied for No. 24 on bars with an RQS of 9.865. Russell narrowly missed making the top 25 in the all around, and is ranked No. 26 with an RQS of 39.30.
Minnesota’s History in the NCAA Regional
The Gophers have not won any team titles at an NCAA Regional Championship, but finished as high as second in 2002 and 1983. In the Stephenson era, Minnesota has finished second at one regional (2002), finished third twice (2001 and 2008), finished fourth four times (1997, 1999, 2000, 2005), finished fifth five times (1994, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2007), and was sixth twice (1996, 2004).
Five Minnesota gymnasts have won a total of 12 individual regional titles. The most recent NCAA Regional Champion was MaryAnne Kelley, who won on floor in 2002. Marie Roethlisberger owns the most individual regional titles in Gopher history with six, including all around titles in 1989 and 1990.
Last Year’s NCAA Regional Championship
Minnesota finished in third place at the 2008 NCAA North Central Region Championships, held at the Sports Pavilion. The Gophers scored a 195.275, their third-best score of the season.
Carmelina Carabajal earned a spot in the NCAA Championships as an individual all around competitor. Carabajal earned a total score of 39.275.
The Gophers competed on floor in the first rotation, and earned a score of 48.850. Carmelina Carabajal was the top scorer for the team, earning a 9.850 to tie for sixth place.
In the second rotation, the Gophers competed on vault, earning a total of 48.550. Alexis Russell and Carmelina Carabajal vaulted fifth and sixth in the rotation, and earned the teams highest scores as they each tallied a 9.800 to tie for 11th place.
Minnesota had a bye in rotation three, and returned to score a 48.900 on bars in the fourth rotation. Alexis Russell, the Gophers’ first performer on bars, earned the team’s best score with a 9.825. Russell tied for second place overall, and was Minnesota’s top placing gymnast in the meet.
The Gophers saved the best for last, as they earned their best team score of the meet with a 48.975 on beam. Carmelina Carabajal was the team’s top scorer, earning a 9.850 to tie for third place.
In the all around, Carmelina Carabajal tallied a 39.275. Alexis Russell earned a then-career-high all around total of 39.175.
Getting Seeded into a Regional
The top 36 teams in the national rankings have advanced to an NCAA Regional Championship, with the top 18 teams getting seeded into the six regional championship sites. The last time Minnesota was in the top 18 and was seeded was 2002, which also happens to be the last time the Gophers advanced to the NCAA National Championships.
Big Ten Awards
Two Golden Gopher gymnasts were named to the All-Big Ten Team. Senior captain Carmelina Carabajal and junior Alexis Russell both earned first team honors. Carabajal earned All-Big Ten honors for the third time, while Russell earned her first All-Big Ten award. Senior Jade Beattie was honored with the Sportsmanship Award.
Last Meet Recap: Big Ten Championships
The Golden Gophers placed fourth with a score of 196.000 at the 2009 Big Ten Championship, led by all around and balance beam champion Carmelina Carabajal.
Carabajal scored a career-best 39.50 to win the all around crown. Her all around title is the sixth in Minnesota history, and the first by a Gopher senior. The team captain from Albuquerque, N.M., also won a Big Ten title on the balance beam, where she earned a 9.90.
The Gophers’ first event of the competition was floor exercise, where the team earned a 48.825. Carabajal was the top scorer for the Gophers, earning a 9.90 to tie for fifth place overall. Junior Alexis Russell was the second-highest scorer for Minnesota, earning a 9.875.
Minnesota moved to the vault, where they had their strongest performance of the season, compiling a team score of 49.075. Once again, Carabajal was the top scorer for the Gophers. She scored 9.875 to lead her team and place in a tie for sixth place. Sophomore Jamie Bullock was also in the top 10 on vault, tying for ninth place with a career-best score of 9.85.
The Gophers competed on uneven bars next, and matched their team score from the previous rotation, earning a 49.075 on bars. Alexis Russell was the top performer for the team, tying her personal-best score with a 9.90. Russell tied for second place in the event. Sophomore Kristin Furukawa also placed among the top 10 on bars, tying for sixth place overall with a mark of 9.85.
Minnesota finished the competition on balance beam. The team tallied a score of 49.025, led by Carmelina Carabajal’s winning performance. Carabajal scored a 9.90 to win the sixth beam title in Minnesota history and the first since Cathy Keyser won on beam in 1998. Jamie Bullock and Alexis Russell were also in the top five on beam, as each tied for fifth place with scores of 9.85.
Both Carmelina Carabajal and Alexis Russell both finished in the top four in the all around at the conference championship. Carabajal took first place in the all around (39.50), while Russell was fourth, matching her personal best all around score with a 39.45.
Adding to the Gopher History Books
Carmelina Carabajal scored a career-best 39.50 to win the all around crown at the Big Ten Championships, becoming the first all around champion for Minnesota since Marie Roethlisberger won the title in 1989. With her score of 39.50, she now ranks third among the top all around performers in Minnesota history. Her all around title is the sixth in Minnesota history, and the first by a Gopher senior. Carabajal is now one of five Gopher gymnasts to win Big Ten all around titles, with the previous four coming between 1980 and 1989.
The team captain from Albuquerque, N.M., also won a Big Ten title on the balance beam, where she earned a 9.90. Carabajal’s beam title is the sixth by a gopher gymnast, and the first for Minnesota since Cathy Keyser won a Big Ten beam crown in 1998.
She is the first Golden Gopher gymnast in 20 years to win multiple conference championships in the same season.
Russell Steps Up When it Counts
Junior Alexis Russell has made a habit of stepping up and scoring big when the team gets into the championship season. This year, she matched her personal-best scores in the all around and on the uneven bars at the Big Ten Championship, and finished among the top 10 on bars, beam, and the all around.
As a sophomore in 2008, Russell saved her best all around performance of the season for the NCAA Regional Championship, where she earned a 39.175.
At the 2007 Big Ten meet, Russell, the a freshman, earned her best beam score of the season and had the team’s best beam score of the meet with a 9.80.
Carabajal and Russell Carry Scoring Load
All around competitors Carmelina Carabajal and Alexis Russell have regularly contributed 40 percent of their team’s scoring this season. The two account for 33 percent of the team’s routines (eight of 24), but account for 40 of the team’s scoring.
At the Big Ten Championships, Carabajal and Russell each scored a 9.825 or better on every event they competed in, earning 78.95 of the team’s 196.0 points.
Bullock Back on Vault
Sophomore Jamie Bullock returned to the vault line up at Arkansas (3/6), after not competing on vault for more than a year. Bullock has proven to be a vital member of Minnesota’s vault team, as Minnesota’s three best vault scores as a team have come in the three meets with Bullock in the line up.
Bullock came back in grand fashion as she matched her then-personal best score with a 9.825 in her return on vault at Arkansas. She vaulted again against Iowa, and once again matched her best score, earning another 9.825. At the Big Ten Championship, she notched a 9.85 to tie for ninth place at the conference championship and set a new personal-best score.
Reaching the Magic 196
Minnesota has earned two scores of 196 or better this season, a marked improvement in scoring over past seasons. The last time the Gophers had scored 196 or better was in the 2004 season.
It’s Been Awhile
Several of Minnesota’s scores from the meet against Iowa on March 14 will go down in the history books for the Gopher program. The team score of 196.75 was the best for the team since the 2004 season, and ranks as the fourth-best team score in program history. It was the second-best score for the team at a home meet in the Sports Pavilion.
The Gophers’ beam score of 49.30 ties for the second-best team beam score in program history.
The floor exercise scores of 9.95 by Alexis Russell and Carmelina Carabajal place them in a tie for No. 3 on Minnesota’s all-time top floor performers list. They are the best floor scores by a Minnesota gymnast since Carolyn Yernberg earned a 9.975 on floor in the 2005 season.
Kristin Furukawa’s bars score of 9.925 was the best bars score by a Gopher gymnast since the 2004 season. Furukawa is now tied for No. 6 on Minnesota’s all-time top bars performers list.
Super Sophomores
With six sophomores on the roster, the sophomore class makes up nearly half of the 13-member Gopher team. Last week at the Big Ten Meet, the class accounted for 13 of 24 routines.
Minnesota’s Last Meet at Iowa
The last time Minnesota competed in Iowa City was on Feb. 29, 2008. Minnesota lost the meet 194.725-195.900. The Gophers have not competed in an NCAA Regional Championship at the University of Iowa.
Big Ten Gymnast of the Week
University of Minnesota senior gymnast Carmelina Carabajal garnered her second Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors of the 2009 season after capturing three individual titles, including the all around crown to lead the Minnesota women’s gymnastics team to victory against Iowa on March 14.
The senior captain posted a career-best 9.95 on floor, good enough to tie for third place on Minnesota’s all-time top performers list in the event. She tied with teammate Alexis Russell for first place on floor, helping Minnesota to its best floor score of the season. Her all around score of 39.375, which ranks fifth on the school’s all-time top performers list, was also a career high. The Albuquerque, N.M., native was Minnesota’s top scorer on vault, where she earned a 9.85 to tie for first place. She lead the Gophers to their best vault score of the season. On beam, she earned a 9.875 to tie with teammates Kristin Furukawa and Jamie Bullock for first place, en route to tallying the second-best team beam score in program history.
Carabajal was also named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 16 of this year.
The March 14 honor marked the fourth career weekly laurel for Carabajal, who picked up an award in each of her last two seasons in March of 2007 and January of 2008.
Players Mentioned
