University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Tie for Fourth at Big Ten Championship
3/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Minnesota sat out the first rotation on a bye, then competed on vault in the second rotation. The Gophers tied their best vault score of the season with a 48.725. Sophomore Lucy Ennis was the top scorer for the Gophers, earning a 9.80 to tie for eighth place. Junior Kendra Elm and freshman Shannon Golich each earned scores of 9.775. Golich’s score was her best this season. Senior Alexis Russell earned a mark of 9.725, while junior Yuri Nagai had a 9.65 to round out the five counting scores for the Gophers.
The Golden Gophers moved to the uneven bars in the third rotation, where they were led by Alexis Russell’s 9.85. Russell finished in a tie for fifth place overall. Junior Kristin Furukawa and Lucy Ennis each earned scores of 9.80. Freshman Jasmine Brown earned a 9.75 in just her second bars performance this season. Yuri Nagai and Kendra Elm each earned scores of 9.725. Minnesota’s team total was 48.925.
Minnesota had a bye in rotation four, and returned to compete on balance beam in the fifth rotation. Kristin Furukawa was the team’s top scorer on beam with a 9.90, her fourth score of 9.90 or better this season. Furukawa tied for second place on the beam. Shannon Golich and Ana Balboa each earned marks of 9.825. Golich’s score is a personal best, and Balboa matched her personal-best beam score. Alexis Russell earned a 9.775, and sophomore Amber Hammerschmidt tallied a 9.60 to round out the five counting scores for the Gophers. As a team, Minnesota compiled a 48.925 on balance beam.
The Gophers had another bye in rotation six, and finished the competition on floor exercise in the seventh rotation. Alexis Russell was the team’s top scorer, earning a 9.85 to tie for sixth place. Kendra Elm earned a mark of 9.775, while Ana Balboa had a 9.75. Three Gophers earned marks of 9.70; Amber Hammerschmidt, Shannon Golich and Janell Campbell. Minnesota’s team score on floor was 48.775.
In the all around competition, Alexis Russell earned a 39.200, coming in seventh.
Minnesota will await NCAA Regional Championship selections on Monday (March 29) to learn where they will compete for regionals, which begin Saturday (April 10) at six campus sites around the country. Six teams will be sent to each regional with the top two at each site earning a berth into the NCAA Championships.
Players Mentioned
