Simbhudas Prepares For NCAA Championships

April 19, 2010

This Week
University of Iowa women’s gymnast Rebecca Simbhudas will represent her GymHawks at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Gainesville, FL, April 22. The junior qualified as an individual all-around competitor after finishing fourth (39.250) at the Regional Championships in Columbia, MO.

NCAA Regionals
The GymHawks finished fifth (194.900) at the 2010 NCAA Regionals where they were led by Simbudas’ fourth-place finish in the all-around. Simbhudas posted a 9.875 (5th place) on vault, 9.850 (T-3rd) on bars, 9.725 (T-22nd place) on beam and 9.800 (T-17th) on floor.

Championship Page
The NCAA has offered a tournament page with information on the NCAA Championships. For more information, visit www.ncaa.com and follow the championships link.

Familiar Faces
This may be Simbhudas’ first experience at the NCAA Championships, but the Markham, Ontario, native will be surrounded by familiar faces. She will be rotating with No. 3, UCLA which includes a number of members from the Canadian national team Simbhudas competed on during her prep career.

Quoting Simbhudas
“I’m excited to compete at the NCAA Championships, but my expectation is just the same as it always has been. I’m going to practice, work hard and do what I’ve trained for. It all depends on that day; whatever happens, happens.”

Head Coach Larissa Libby
In her sixth season at Iowa, Larissa Libby has a career record of 52-62-1. She was named North Central Region Coach of the Year in 2009 for her efforts in guiding the GymHawks to a 10-5 record and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Regionals. She was also named co-Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2008. Libby served as associate head coach in 2004 and assistant coach from 2001-03 at Iowa before being named head coach in 2005.

Championship History
Simbhudas’ trip to Gainesville will mark just the fourth NCAA Championship appearance for an individual GymHawk. Most recently, former Hawkeye Katie Burke finished 25th as an all-around competitor in the 2007 Championships. Two Iowa programs have qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team (2003 and 2004).

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