Sept. 19, 2003
LINCOLN, NE – The 13th-ranked Iowa women’s gymnastics team posted a score of 193.925 tofinish sixth in Session I of the NCAA championships qualifying round Thursday afternoon at the BobDevaney Sports Center. UCLA finished first with a score of 196.95 followed by Alabama (196.775) andMichigan (196.125). The top three teams advance to tomorrow’s Super Six team championship.
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“I’m very proud of the way we competed. We hadsome unfortunate mistakes, but I thought we represented the University of Iowa very well.”
“This was atremendous learning experience that will help us in the future.” Mike Lorenzen, UI Head Coach
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Iowa began the afternoon on floor exercise where it posted a 48.75. Juniors Stephanie Gran andAlexis Maday posted the GymHawks’ highest finish, tying for 12th with a 9.825. The GymHawks thenmoved to vault where they recorded a 48.25. Maday and sophomore Annie Rue each posted a 9.75 to tiefor 16th. After a bye in the third rotation, Iowa moved to the uneven bars where it finished with a 48.025.
Maday, the co-Big Ten bar champion, tied for fourth with a 9.85 to earn first-team all-American honors.She advances to the event final. Junior Nicole Wong finished 13th with a 9.775. In their final rotation,the GymHawks posted their highest event score of the afternoon with a 48.8 on beam. Maday recordedIowa’s best finish with a 9.825 to tie for 11th. Rue tied for 14th with a 9.8In the all-around competition, Maday placed seventh with a score of 39.25. Rue finished 13th938.875), Gran placed 16th (38.775) and freshman Liz Grajewski finished 24th (38.25).
“I’m very proud of the way we competed,” said Iowa Head Coach Mike Lorenzen. “We hadsome unfortunate mistakes, but I thought we represented the University of Iowa very well. This was atremendous learning experience that will help us in the future.”
The GymHawks finish the season 5-5 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten dual competition. Iowa etchedits mark in the school record books with a second-place finish at the South Central to earn its first-everNCAA championship appearance as a team.
Maday will compete in the uneven bar championship Saturday at 7 p.m. For complete NCAAchampionship results visit www.ncaasports.com/gymnastics/womens.
