GymHawks Qualify For North Central Regional

March 24, 2009

IOWA CITY, IA – – For the second year in a row, the University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team has been selected to compete in NCAA Regional competition. The GymHawks were placed in the NCAA North Central Regional, along with No. 6 Florida, No. 7 UCLA, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 20 Denver, and No. 23 Iowa State.

The GymHawks won’t have to travel to compete this year, as the meet will take place inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena April 4 at 6 p.m. (CT). Iowa owns a 4-1 record this season in meets at Carver-Hawkeye, and are currently riding a four-meet home win streak.

Iowa is coming off a seventh place finish at the Big Ten Championships last Saturday, despite totaling their second-highest team point total of the season (195.450). During the regular season, Iowa went 10-5, including a 2-2 mark in the Big Ten and a 7-3 record against ranked opponents. In addition, senior Jenifer Simbhudas and sophomore Houry Gebeshian were named first team all-Big Ten selections.

This is Iowa’s ninth trip to the NCAA Regional Championships in school history. The GymHawks’ best regional finish is second (2004) which earned the team a bid to the NCAA Championships. The GymHawks have competed at the NCAA Championships twice (2003, 2004) placing sixth in Session I both times. Iowa finished 11th overall in 2003 and 12th overall in 2004. Last season, Iowa finished sixth at the North Central regional in Minneapolis, MN (193.875).

Six teams, plus up to five all-around competitors (who are not on a qualifying team) and one individual event specialist per event were named to six regions across the country. The other five regional sites include Seattle, WA (West), Fayetteville, AK (South Central), Columbus, OH (Central), Tuscaloosa, AL (Northeast) and Raleigh, NC (Southeast).

The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships, hosted by the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE April 16-18. In addition, the event winners at the regional championships will advance to the national championships (in that event only), if they are not part of a qualifying team or the all-around qualifiers.

Tickets for the North Central Regional are available through the Iowa Ticket Office located at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets may be purchased online at www.hawkeyesports.com or by calling the Iowa Ticket Office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS (1-800-424-2957). The Will-Call window at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will open at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 4.

North Central Region - in Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa, host)Teams1.  Florida2.  UCLA3.  Minnesota4.  Denver5.  Iowa State6.   Iowa
All-Around Competitors                  Individual Event Specialists1.  Jenna Dudley, Air Force     Vault - Jackie Dillon, Utah State2.  Abbey Rogers, Air Force     Alt. - Heather Heinrich, Utah State3.  Nicki Felley, Utah State        Uneven Bars - Nicole Simoneau, Utah State4.  Lyndsie Boone, Utah State       Alt. - Maddie Johnson, Brigham Young5.  Meghan Hargens, Wisconsin-Stout Balance Beam - Kaylee Gallup, Brigham YoungAlt. - Danielle Goldman, Brigham Young  Alt. - Nicole Simoneau, Utah State                        Floor Exercise - Erica Huelsmann, Utah State                    Alt. - Whitney Olsen, Brigham Young