Michigan Heading to Oregon State for NCAA Regional
3/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR , Mich. -- The NCAA selection committee announced Monday (March 31) that the No. 5 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team will join No. 8 Oregon State, No. 17 Michigan State, Washington, San Jose State and Sacramento State in Corvallis, Ore., for the NCAA Women's Gymnastics West Regional Championships on Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m. PDT at Gill Coliseum.
The trip to the West Regional will be the first for the Wolverines, who have never had to compete West of Lincoln, Neb., for an NCAA Regional in 17 previous trips. Tickets for the meet can be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-BEAVS, in person at the OSU Ticket Office located in Room 107 at Gill Coliseum, or by going to www.osubeavers.com.
The 2008 Big Ten Champion Wolverines will be making their 17th trip in a row to an NCAA Regional. The team has advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last 15 seasons. Fifth/year senior and Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Lindsey Bruck(Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) will help lead the Wolverines in Corvallis, with sophomore Big Ten Uneven Bars Champion Sarah Curtis(Reno, Nev./Reno) and freshman Big Ten Floor Exercise Champion Kylee Botterman(New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) fresh off dominating performances at Big Tens.
The host Oregon State Beavers finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation, taking runner-up at the Pac-10 Championships with a score of 196.550, losing to Stanford. The Cardinal took the Pac-10 title (197.000) followed by runner-up Oregon State (196.550) and third-place UCLA (196.200). Juniors Tasha Smith and Jami Lanz combined to win three individual titles at the Pac-10 Championships with Smith winning vault (9.900) and floor (9.950) and Lanz taking beam (9.950). Oregon State head coach Tanya Chaplin was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Michigan traveled to Corvallis twice for the NCAA Championships, finishing seventh in 2006 and ninth in 1993. The Wolverines have never been to Corvallis for an NCAA Regional in program history.
The familiar Michigan State Spartans are ranked No. 17 in the nation after taking fourth at the Big Ten Championships (195.050). The Spartans' Kelsey Morley took runner-up on balance beam (9.875) at the Big Ten Championships and Rochelle Robinson finished fourth in the all-around (39.200). Michigan and Michigan State have already faced off three times this season with U-M winning each time. Michigan bested MSU in a dual meet on Jan. 26 (196.750-194.550), at the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 2 (196.800-194.625) and at the Big Ten Championships on March 29 (196.750-195.050).
The University of Washington is No. 31 in the country with a sixth-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships (193.375) which the Huskies hosted. Junior Ashley Houghting finished runner-up on the floor exercise with a 9.925 at the Pac-10 Championships, while tying for third on vault with a 9.850. The Huskies are coached by former Wolverine assistant Joanne Bowers and former Wolverine volunteer assistant coach and gymnast Shanna Duggan. Bowers, now in her second season as head coach of the Huskies, was an assistant at Michigan from 2002-06, while Duggan competed one year with the Wolverines after transferring from Central Michigan, earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors with U-M in 2005.
San Jose State is ranked No. 32 in the country, posting the best finish in program history at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships with a runner-up showing (194.725). The Spartans were picked to finish last out of six programs in the preseason WAC poll but finished close behind conference champion Boise State (194.925). The Spartans' best individual finisher at the conference championships was Veronica Porte who took runner-up on vault with a 9.850.
Sacramento State sneaks into the NCAA Regional as the No. 35 team in the country, placing fourth at the WAC Championships (194.275). Sacramento State will earn its third trip to an NCAA regional in as many years and its fourth berth in program history. Senior Melissa Genovese led the way individually with a runner-up finish on vault (9.850) at the WAC Championships.
The top two teams and the top two all-around gymnasts (who are not on a qualifying team) at the NCAA West Regional Championships receive berths to the 12-team field at the 2008 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships on April 24-26 in Athens, Ga., on the campus of the University of Georgia. In addition, any event winner who is not part of a qualifying team will advance to the national championships in that event only.
Each of the six regionals is made up of three seeded teams that are ranked among the top 18 in the nation. The remaining three spots in each regional are then filled in geographically by the No. 19 to No. 36 squads in the nation.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
