March 29, 2010
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team has been selected to compete in NCAA Regional competition. The GymHawks were one of just 36 teams in Division I women’s gymnastics to receive an invitation to regional competition.
The Hawkeyes will travel to Columbia, MO, to compete in the regional hosted by the University of Missouri. Georgia, Oregon State Missouri, Minnesota and North Carolina will join the GymHawks in Columbia. Competition is scheduled for April 10 at 6 p.m.
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 NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Florida, April 22-24, hosted by the University of Florida.
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.
The GymHawks are coming off a solid showing at the Big Ten Championships, recording their highest finish in the competition in six years, placing third. Houry Gebeshian became only the second Iowa gymnast to win a Big Ten title on beam, joining Lori Cole, who claimed the individual title in 1991. Rebecca Simbhudas and Gebeshian finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the all-around competition as well.
In addition, a trio of GymHawks earned all-Big Ten honors last weekend. Simbhudas was named first team all-Big Ten, while Jessa Hansen and Gebeshian were second team selections.
To purchase tickets in advance for the Columbia Regional contact the Mizzou Ticket Office by calling (573) 884-PAWS or 1-800-CAT-PAWS. Ticket prices are $4 for student/youth general admission and $6 for adult general admission that seats in the “B” level and above. Adult/student reserved seating tickets are available for $10.