Gymnastics Top Seed at NCAA West Regional Championships
3/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
| Sarah Patterson and Ashley Miles |
The No. 5 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team found out today that it will be the top seed at the NCAA West Regional Championship April 8 in Palo Alto, Calif.
“We drew the toughest regional assignment in the country and we’ve got the toughest travel,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “That being said, we just have to do our job, and if we can perform like we did Saturday at the SEC Championships then we will advance.”
The Crimson Tide, competing at its 25th NCAA regional, will vie against five other teams - No. 8 Stanford, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 26 Boise State, No. 31 Sacramento State and No. 35 San Jose State.
“It’s exciting to be a part of the NCAA Championships for the 25th year in a row,” Patterson said. “It all starts over again at this point. I think we are one of the best teams in the nation, but we face a Stanford team that took us down to the wire earlier this season and an Oregon State team trying to make it to the championship they are hosting, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
The top two teams from each of the six NCAA regionals advance to the NCAA Championships final site in Corvallis, Oregon April 20-22. The Tide will start the West Regional on the floor exercise, followed by the vault, a bye, the uneven bars and the balance beam before finishing the night on a bye.
The Crimson Tide’s cross country trip will take senior Mari Bayer just 30 minutes away from her hometown of San Jose, Calif.
“It’s going to be an exciting trip and we’re looking forward to being cheered on by lots of Mari Bayer’s family and friends,” Patterson said.
This marks the second time in three years that Alabama has competed in the NCAA West Regional. In 2004, the Tide finished second behind Oklahoma and just ahead of Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon. Alabama then advanced to the NCAA finals in Los Angeles, where it tied for third with Stanford.
Alabama is coming off its best meet of the season, scoring a 196.975 at the Southeastern Conference Championships and finishing a close second to No. 1 ranked Georgia. Stanford and Oregon State were first and third respectively at this year’s Pac-10 Championships.
Last season Alabama won the NCAA Central Regional, which it hosted, to advance to the NCAA Championships final site for the 23rd consecutive time.
REGIONAL SITES:
West Regional, Palo Alto, Calif. - Alabama, Stanford, Oregon State, Boise State, Sacramento State, San Jose State
North Central Regional, Ames, Iowa - Iowa State, Arizona State, Arizona, Denver, Minnesota, Brigham Young
South Central Region, Fayetteville, Ark. ?? Florida, UCLA, Arkansas, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Southeast Missouri State
Central Region, Baton Rouge, La. ?? Oklahoma, LSU, Penn State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State
Northeast Region, Ann Arbor, Mich. ?? Utah, Michigan, Auburn, New Hampshire, Pittsburgh, Rutgers
Southeast Region, Athens, Ga. ?? Georgia, Nebraska, Missouri, West Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State
