Golden Gopher Gymnastics

Transcription

1 Gopher Women s Gymnastics 2009 Welcome to Golden Gopher Gymnastics [ 1 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

2 2009 Golden Gopher Gymnastics TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to Gopher Gymnastics University of Minnesota Quick Facts, Media Information Minnesota Gymnastics Roster Season Outlook Co-Head Coaches Jim and Meg Stephenson Assistant Coach Jenny Hansen Minnesota Gymnastics Staff Golden Gophers Jade Beattie Carmelina Carabajal Angela Walker Alexis Russell Ana Balboa Jamie Bullock Kendra Elm Kristin Furukawa Julie Kinal Yuri Nagai Lucy Ennis Briana Jones Kylie Smith Season Recap Results The University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities The Sports Pavilion Peik Gymnasium Year-by Year Results Awards & Honors Team Records Sports Pavilion Records Individual Records All-Time Letterwinners Featured Alumnae Meet the 2009 Golden Gophers MEDIA INFORMATION The 2009 Minnesota Women s Gymnastics media guide is intended to answer questions about the upcoming season and assist the media in coverage of the team throughout the 2008 season. Requests for additional information should be made to Sara Berhow at Credentials: Requests for media credentials for home meets at the Sports Pavilion should be made in advance to Sara Berhow. In-season interviews: All requests for interviews with either gymnasts or coaches should be directed to the athletic communications office at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled interview time. ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Gymnastics Contact: Sara Berhow Address: berho002@umn.edu Office Phone: Cell Phone: Website: Mailing Address: 244 Bierman Field Athletic Building th Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN MINNESOTA QUICK FACTS Location: Minneapolis, Minn. Enrollment: 50,402 President: Robert Bruininks Founded: 1851 Nickname: Golden Gophers Colors: Maroon and Gold Affiliation: NCAA Division I Conference: Big Ten Athletics Director: Joel Maturi Home Arena: Sports Pavilion (5,700) Press Row Phone: Co-Head Coaches: Jim Stephenson (Iowa State, 1973) and Meg Stephenson (Iowa State, 1981) Assistant Coach: Jenny Hansen (Minnesota, 2003) 2008 Record: Big Ten Championships: 6th 2008 NCAA Regional: 3rd 2008 NCAA Championships: DNQ (individual only) Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/3 Big Ten Champions Returning/Lost: 0/0 All-Americans Returning/Lost: 0/0 The 2009 Minnesota Women s Gymnastics Media Guide is published by the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Communications Office. Additional copies may be purchased for $8 (shipping & handling included) by visiting gophersports.com to order online, or by sending a check made payable to the University of Minnesota and mailing to: University of Minnesota Athletics Communications 244 Bierman Field Athletic Building th Ave. SE Minneapolis, Minn For more information, please contact the athletic communications office at: Phone: (612) Fax: (612) gophers@umn.edu CREDITS The 2009 Minnesota Women s Gymnastics Media Guide was written and compiled by Sara Berhow. Layout and design by Sara Berhow. Cover concept by Jim Stephenson, cover design by Jeff Keiser. Photography: Alicia Jerome, Eric Miller, Chris Mitchell and Jerry Lee. Printing: University of Minnesota Printing Services. Special thanks to Bob Swoverland and the staff at University of Minnesota Printing Services. The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. GOLDEN GOPHER ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT To serve as a window to the University, in an environment of integrity and equity, that enables student-athletes to achieve excellence in their academic and athletic pursuits. [ 2 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

3 Team Roster THE 2009 GOLDEN GOPHERS Row 1: Ana Balboa, Yuri Nagai, Jamie Bullock, Kristin Furukawa. Row 2: Angela Walker, Jade Beattie, Alexis Russell, Carmelina Carabajal. Row 3: Kendra Elm, Kylie Smith, Julie Kinal, Lucy Ennis, Briana Jones MINNESOTA WOMEN S GYMNASTICS ROSTER NAME YEAR HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB Ana Balboa So. Monterrey, Mexico Universidad Regiomontana/Elite Gymnastics Academy Jade Beattie Sr. Bismarck, N.D. Bismarck HS/Bismarck Gymnastics Academy Jamie Bullock So. Eden Prairie, Minn. Eden Prairie HS/TAGS South Carmelina Carabajal Sr. Albuquerque, N.M. La Cueva HS/Albuquerque Gymnastics School Kendra Elm So. Plymouth, Minn. Wayzata HS/Olympic Gymnastics Academy Lucy Ennis Fr. Roseville, Minn. Trinity HS/Twin City Twisters Kristin Furukawa So. Pamona, Calif. Diamond Ranch/SCATS Diamond Elite Gymnastics Briana Jones Fr. Grand Forks, N.D. Red River HS/Red River Gymnastics Julie Kinal So. Tempe, Ariz. Corona Del Sol/Carter's Gymnastics Academy Yuri Nagai So. Maryville, Tenn. Maryville HS/Premier Athletics Alexis Russell Jr. Oakdale, Minn. Tartan HS/Perpetual Motion Kylie Smith Fr. Tulsa, Okla. Bishop Kelley HS/Krafft Academy of Gymnastics Angela Walker Sr. Houston, Texas Langham Creek HS/Champion Gymnastics Co-Head Coaches: Jim and Meg Stephenson Volunteer Assistant Coach: Amanda Miles Team Captain: Carmelina Carabajal Assistant Coach: Jenny (Alf) Hansen Athletic Trainer: Erika Esterby [ 3 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

4 Gopher Women s Gymnastics 2009 Season Outlook Each season, the Golden Gopher women s gymnastics coaches have high expectations, and each season their charges work toward the goals of winning the Big Ten title and earning a trip to the NCAA Championships. Yet this season is different. The goals haven t changed, and the expectations are just as high, but there s a new excitement in the program. The coaches feel that some previous weaknesses have been erased, and with the exceptional team chemistry and dedication to achieving the team s goals, the success of this year s team is eminent. We have got incredible chemistry going with this group of women, explained co-head coach Meg Stephenson. We also have an incredible level of commitment from each of them. They are driven everyday to be their best and to make things happen. They re very competitive, but at the same time, they re supportive of each other. They want to push others on the team, and they want to be pushed. It s just a great situation to be in. The gymnasts worked hard in the offseason, and the result will certainly show once the Gophers hit the competition floor come January. Each gymnast has increased her scoring potential, by adding new skills to her routines, or by refining last year s routines to make them closer to perfect. There s a culture of commitment with our program, that of course exists in the gym, but extends beyond that, to lifestyle choices, goals, and strategies, said co-head coach Jim Stephenson. This group is 100 percent on board with what we re working toward. A lot of the great team chemistry started last year, because we had great leadership last season, said Meg. That has carried over at another level because of the strong senior leadership this year. Everyone really bought into things last year. Our sophomore class, who were fresh- men last year, came back so prepared. We ve been really pleased with how that class is doing, and they are a big part of why we feel so confident about the upcoming season. They were one of the top classes we ve ever recruited, and then they came back even better as sophomores. That kind of commitment is what has improved the program. The Gophers finished the 2008 season on a high note, earning a national ranking of No. 16 after a third-place showing at the NCAA Regional Championship, which was held at Minnesota s home arena, the Sports Pavilion. Carmelina Carabajal, this year s team captain, advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual all around competitor. Carabajal, along with Minnesota s other all around competitors from 2008 in Angela Walker and Alexis Russell, return to lead the Gophers in Because the coaches sense that the team is on the cusp of a breakthrough on the national level, they aren t shy about expressing their sky-high expectations for the team in the coming season. We re absolutely expecting to be competing in Lincoln., Neb., in April, claimed Jim. Meg added, for years, we have felt that we re better than where we rank, and with our No. 16 national finish last year, I think we ve proven that. We were ranked in the 20 s all year, and then we got out on the floor with top teams, and we proved that we re in the top 20. We certainly believe this year that we ll be able to make an even greater statement on the national scene. Vault Minnesota s coaching duo is expressing excitement about vault that has not been seen in the past, and this excitement is for several reasons. Two things are happening, there s been improvement in execution and amplitude of vaults, and then we have some people who are upgrading to more difficult vaults, said Jim. Ana Balboa and Kristin Furukawa both have upgraded vaults, and Kendra Elm, who didn t vault last year, is training that event. Yuri Nagai is doing a completely different vault this year. Carmelina Carabajal, Alexis Russell, Jade Beattie and Angela Walker, who were all already doing 10.0 vaults, are doing bigger and better vaults this year. With those gymnasts who were already doing 10.0 vaults, we re striving to make their vaults bigger and better every time they do them, so that our vaulting performances are very consistent. Jamie Bullock is doing very well on vault in practice right now, and if we re able to have her in our lineup, she could be the big score we need, added Meg. Jamie is as gifted as any gymnast we ve ever worked with, but she s struggled with durability, said Jim. If we can have her in our lineup, she s a huge addition to our team. Senior Carmelina Carabajal was Minnesota s top vault performer in 2008, earning nine scores of 9.8 or better and leading the team in average vault score. Junior Alexis Russell was also a standout last season, and earned the team s best vault score with a Jade Beattie, a senior in 2009, had the team s second-best average score on vault, and earned two scores of 9.8. Sophomore Jamie Bullock, while limited because of a foot injury, was a top vault competitor in the four meets she was able to be in the line up, and earned a career-best score of [ 4 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009 Carmelina Carabajal 2008 NCAA Championship Qualifier 2009 Team Captain Jade Beattie Two of the team s freshmen are strong competitors on this event, and are contenders for a spot in the vault line up. Lucy Ennis is a powerful vaulter, and she does a front type vault, which is nice to see since that s not too popular anymore, said Jim. Kylie Smith does a full-twisting Yurchenko, which is a 10.0 value vault. Adding those freshmen into the mix has really helped us. While vault has often been the event that most concerned the Stephensons in past seasons, they feel that vault is one of their strengths heading into the 2009 campaign. Only one vaulter was lost to graduation after last season, so the core strength of the vaulting team returns. For 16 years, we ve really had a difficult time putting a vaulting team on the floor that can compete with the top teams in the country. We ve had some great vaulters, but we ve never had a whole squad of them, explained Jim. This year is the first time that we re looking at the probability of having a nationally-competitive vault squad, and we re not just talking about the top six. We re looking at having several gymnasts on the bench ready to back us up on vault at any time, and we ve never been in that situation before. We ve always given up about five-tenths on vault just in start value, so even before the competition begins, we were digging ourselves out of a hole. We re no longer in that situation, and that is particularly encouraging. We just have more people to choose from than we ve ever had, added Meg, and they re all working really hard to get a spot in the line up when competition season starts. We only lost one vaulter from last year s line up in Ashley Mutchler, so there s been a lot of internal competition to be in the top six on that event.

5 Uneven Bars Minnesota s bars team returns intact for the upcoming season. While bars may have been a concern heading into last season, especially with three freshmen in the line up, it is viewed as a strength looking toward the 2009 campaign. We have every bars competitor from last season returning, so it will be tough to break into the bars line up, said Meg. We also brought in a very good bars performer in Lucy Ennis. We re very deep on that event, and we haven t had that luxury in the past. When you have that deep bench, the competitiveness within the team is greater, and that pushes everyone to get better. We don t have openings on bars from last year s line up, but we have so much ambition to get in there, and that has fueled improvement on that event. Right now, we have the strongest, most consistent bars team we ve ever had, added Jim. We ve had great people on bars in the past, but we ve never had the kind of depth that we have with this year s team. With the offseason improvements that all the returning athletes made, and the addition of the freshman class, bars is going to be the toughest line up to make. Every gymnast in the line up last season earned at least one score of or better. Carmelina Carabajal and Kristin Furukawa tied for the team s best score of the 2008 season with scores of Carabajal was the most consistent bars performer last season, earning the team s top average score. As in seasons past, Angela Walker anchored the bars line up and was a top scorer for the Gophers. The Gopher coaches took a risk in 2008, and competed with three freshmen in the line up in Kendra Elm, Kristin Furukawa and Yuri Nagai. The risk paid off, as all three were strong and consistent competitors. Each of the three finished the 2008 season with average scores above 9.625, and all have entered their sophomore year with improved routines. All 10 of the returning gymnasts who compete on bars are at a higher level than they were a year ago. Even the athletes who were our top scorers last season are better now than they were last year, explained Meg. Carmelina has cleaned up her routine very well. Angela and Jade are doing bigger and better performances this year. People aren t going to recognize Alexis Russell on bars, she has been doing phenomenal in practice, said Jim. Kristin, Kendra and Yuri all competed for us last year as freshmen, and they have improved during the offseason. Yuri and Kristin both have some new skills. Julie Kinal is absolutely competitive on bars, as is Ana Balboa. That sophomore class is thick with great bar workers. People will be impressed with our bars team, we re really impressed with them. Kristin Furukawa Angela Walker Balance Beam For several seasons, Minnesota called upon 2008 seniors Amanda Miles, Ashley Stanton and Ashley Mutchler to lead the way on balance beam. After their graduation, the beam team looks very different heading into However, beam is still a strength for the Gophers according to the coaches. On balance beam, we lost three big guns to graduation, noted Meg. Amanda, Ashley and Ashley were three great beam competitors. The good news is that we had several gymnasts waiting in the wings last season who are ready to get up there and compete. All was not lost to graduation, as several of the team s top beam workers return for Carmelina Carabajal was the team s top scorer last season, earning 11 scores of or better, including the team s best beam score of the 2008 season with a Angela Walker has also been a top competitor on beam throughout her career. Walker earned five scores of 9.8 or better last season, including her season-high mark of Both Carabajal and Walker averaged over on beam during the season. Our returning strongholds on beam are Carmelina Carabajal, Angela Walker, Alexis Russell, and Jamie Bullock, all who competed for us during the 2008 season, said Meg. Jade Beattie didn t compete on beam last year, but she s doing very well in practice. Then there s the sophomore class, none of who competed last season with the exception of Ana Balboa, but they are all much improved. Ana is very solid on beam, she is looking great. Kristin Furukawa is much improved on beam. Kendra Elm and Julie Kinal are doing well. All three freshmen work beam, and have impressive skills. Again, we have a deep bench on beam. Consistency is the name of the game on beam, and even though the returning athletes on beam don t have new routines, they are more confident and more consistent. We re always going to go with the sure thing on beam, so those gymnasts who show us the most consistency will earn the six spots in the line up, explained Meg. Beam is a mental event, and consistency builds confidence. If a gymnast is consistent in the gym, she is a viable competitor. That s true of all the events, but there is much less margin for error on balance beam, so the consistency expectation in practice on beam is huge for us. We re going to have a lot of great choices on that event. Floor Exercise Traditionally, floor exercise has been a strong event for Minnesota, and although the coaches are tentative about making that claim in regards to the 2009 season, the Gophers should field a highly-competitive floor team once again. As with the balance beam, top competitors Carmelina Carabajal and Angela Walker return to anchor the Gophers. Carabajal had the team s best average score on floor, and tallied 10 scores of 9.8 or higher last season. She earned the team s highest floor score in 2008 with a Walker had six scores at 9.8 or better, including a 9.85, her career-best score. Senior Jade Beattie competed on floor in nine meets last season, and has upgraded her tumbling in the offseason. Junior Alexis Russell was also a regular competitor on floor last season, and scored a career-high last winter. Kendra Elm competed in all but one meet last season as a freshman, and returns with an altered routine including new tumbling and new dance elements this season. Floor, which is normally our strongest event, is not necessarily our strongest event this year. The reason I say that is that we re much improved on the other events, explained Meg. We ve been coaching together for 28 years, and no matter what environment we ve been in, at clubs or universities, floor has always been our strongest event, added Jim. We re not there yet, but we ll come around. We re starting to see more people look qualified to make the line up. We re being hard on ourselves because we set high expectations on floor. An element of the floor exercise competition that Minnesota s coaching team has always felt comfortable with is the choreography and high level of dance skills that their athletes possess. We would always put our choreography and music up against anybody in the country, claimed Meg. We feel strongly about how important it is to be a quality, classic dancer. Our style on floor reflects artistic gymnastics in its truest form, and we think that s an area where we really excel. Jim elaborated, saying, Our selection of athletes come from clubs where credence is given to the importance of a dance background. That is something we look for in the athletes we recruit, that they have some dance training, and some of them, like Jade Beattie and Briana Jones, have a very high level of dance training, and it shows in their performances in all events. Alexis Russell [ 5 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

6 Coaching Staff Jim & Meg Stephenson co-head coaches 17th season at Minnesota This season marks 28 years of partnership for co-head coaches Jim and Meg Stephenson. The Stephensons have combined both knowledge and experience to create a successful coaching team year after year. On a personal note, we feel fortunate to find a unique situation where we can continue to work together in something that we are both passionate about, said Meg Stephenson who specializes in choreography and dance, working with the balance beam and floor exercise. We get to do the things we want to do the most and on top of that we get to do it together. We ve been coaching for 28 years because it works so well, said Jim Stephenson who works with vault, tumbling and the uneven bars. We share the same philosophies and methodologies in teaching and goals. The Stephensons believe that the athletes on their team should continue to improve their gymnastics throughout their collegiate careers, and that the gymnasts should expect more than just maintaining their current skills. The co-head coaches take pride in running a teaching program, and the success of their gymnasts shows that the program works. A recent example of skill improvement under the Stephensons leadership is 2005 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Carolyn Yernberg. Yernberg joined the team as a walk-on in 2002, and went on to become the first gymnast in Minnesota history to score a 10.0, and became a Big Ten Champion in the floor exercise. The coaching strengths of the Stephensons were evident in their athlete s performances in 2002 when Minnesota achieved its highest national finish (9th) in the history of the program. Minnesota s tandem received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors twice (1998, 2002), as well as Regional Coach of the Year honors in The duo has led the Golden Gophers to NCAA regional competition in each of the past 13 seasons, capturing top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships twice (1997, 2002). In their 16-year tenure, the Stephensons have led the Gophers to top-25 national finishes 10 times. The Gophers final 2008 ranking of No. 16 tied for the third-best national finish in team history. The Golden Gophers have won two Big Ten Championships in the Stephenson era, in 1998 and They have an record in their 11 years as co-head coaches at Minnesota. Jim Stephenson enters his 17th season as the head coach of the Golden Gopher women s gymnastics team and his 12th as co-head coach with wife and former assistant Meg Stephenson. He has a record in his 16 years as a head coach at Minnesota. In addition to the two Big Ten Coach of the Year honors he shared with Meg Stephenson, Jim was also honored as the league s coach of the year in 1997 and After reaching the NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Fla., in 1997 and coaching the Golden Gophers to a 10th-place finish, Stephenson said he has reached one of the goals he set out to accomplish at Minnesota. After beating that performance with the 9th-place national finish in 2002, he now looks to guide the team to a return trip to the NCAA Championships in The Stephensons have worked to increase meet attendance at the Sports Pavilion and to uphold and better the University of Minnesota s gymnastics reputation locally and nationally. Minnesota has ranked among the top 20 nationally in average home attendance in each of the last 12 seasons, ranking as high as ninth in the country in Last season, Minnesota added two meets to the top 10 list in the school s attendance records. With 3,571 fans at the NCAA Regional Championship last season, Minnesota set a new all-time attendance record. The 2008 Best of Minnesota meet drew a crowd of 2,685 to tie for the ninth-biggest attendance in program history. Jim Stephenson knows all about coaching a team to national success. Before coming to Minnesota, Stephenson spent four years at the University of Utah as the first assistant coach. He helped coach the women s program to national titles in 1990 and Before going to Utah, Stephenson was an assistant men s coach at the University of New Mexico. There he coached NCAA vault champion Chad Fox and NCAA rings champion Paul O Neill. From , Jim and Meg Stephenson owned and coached at the Pantheon School of Gymnastics in Rancho Cordova, Calif., where they produced 98 individual state champions, two national Junior Olympic champions and seven state team champions. Outside of coaching, Stephenson has an accomplished history on the collegiate competitive level as well. Stephenson was a member of Iowa State s NCAA championship teams in 1971 and 1973, and earned All-America honors in Stephenson and his teammates were honored by Iowa State in December 2006 for their accomplishments, and are now recognized with national championship banners in ISU s home arena. Prior to college, he won Southern California High School all-around titles in 1967 and Stephenson competed internationally in the 1974 World University Games in Moscow and represented the United States in the 1974 South African World Cup. In addition to his coaching success, Stephenson is an accomplished artist and has worked as a technical illustrator for numerous U.S. Sports Federations. He has also sculpted various bronze pieces THE STEPHENSONS AT MINNESOTA YEAR BIG TEN REGION NCAA th 3rd DNQ* th 5th DNQ st 5th DNQ* rd 4th DNQ* th 6th DNQ th 5th DNQ nd 2nd 9th rd 3rd DNQ* rd 4th DNQ* th tie-4th DNQ st 5th DNQ nd 4th 10th th 6th DNQ th DNQ DNQ rd 5th DNQ th DNQ* DNQ * Team did not qualify for competition, however individual gymnasts qualified and competed [ 6 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

7 Coaching Staff for both public sites, including Oregon State University and the University of Georgia, as well as several private collections. Born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and moving to San Diego at age 10, Stephenson graduated from Iowa State in 1973 with a bachelor s degree in physical education. Meg Stephenson is in her 17th year coaching the Golden Gopher women s gymnastics team and her 12th as co-head coach. Before becoming a co-head coach, Meg Stephenson had been an assistant in the program for five years. Meg primarily works with the balance beam and floor exercise teams. She is responsible for the choreagraphy of the team s beam and floor routines, as well as arranging the music for floor exercise. She has helped guide two Gophers to Big Ten balance beam titles (Mindy Knaeble in 1997 and Cathy Keyser in 1998), and one gymnast to a Big Ten title in the floor exercise (Carolyn Yernberg in 2005). In 2002, she guided two athletes (MaryAnne Kelley and Annie Laatsch) to All-America performances on the floor exercise. Outside of Golden Gopher gymnastics, Meg has been very active in the gymnastics community, on a local and national scale. She served as the president of the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women from After completing her third year in the position, she declined to run again in order to focus more completely on coaching and return to school, but continues to serve on the executive board. Meg was a member of the USAG Board of Directors from 2004 to She has served as the chair of the Big Ten women s gymnastics coaches, and recently completed a four-year term as a member of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships Committee. Prior to coming to Minnesota, Meg was a consultant for four years at the University of Utah, where she assisted in both balance beam and floor exercise. From , Meg served as a gymnastics official and was an executive board member of the Northern California Coaches Association from Stephenson was the owner, co-head coach and business manager of the Pantheon School of Gymnastics in Rancho Cordova, Calif., from Meg was an accomplished gymnast in her collegiate days at Iowa State University from She served as the team captain for the Cyclones in 1980 and She was also a fouryear regional competitor. Before Stephenson attended Iowa State, she was a fouryear competitor for Evanston Township High School. In 1998 Stephenson was named to the Evanston Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame. She was named the Colgate High School Woman Athlete of the Year in 1977 and the AMF Illinois Outstanding Senior Gymnast. She is also a member of the IHSGC Hall of Fame. Stephenson earned a bachelor s degree in elementary education in 1981 from Iowa State and received her master s degree in human resource development at the University of Minnesota in The Stephensons live in Plymouth, Minn. They have two children, son Jack and daughter Sierra. Jack attends the University of Minnesota-Duluth, while Sierra is a student at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, Minn. QUOTING THE STEPHENSONS ON WORKING AS CO-HEAD COACHES: This situation allows us to focus more intensely on separate, specific aspects of the program. By capitalizing on our individual strengths, we can pay greater attention to detail and create a broader influence. ON THE GOLDEN GOPHERS TRAINING PHILOSOPHY: The Minnesota gymnasts train in an environment where staying safe, having fun, and improving are the prioritized objectives. The University of Minnesota women s gymnastics team works to continually increase difficulty value without sacrificing form, excecution, or consistency. We hold a philosophy closely aligned to the concepts of classic, artistic gymnastics and pride ourselves on substantial improvement through positive coaching. ON THE FUTURE OF GOLDEN GOPHER GYMNASTICS: Our continually improving national ranking has made us more visible to the top talent. Our recruitment from that pool is evidence that Minnesota has become a big-league player in collegiate women s gymnastics. We are at a worldclass university that is not only on the cutting edge of intercollegiate athletics, but whose financial support and longrange commitment is equalled by few other institutions. This program is a complete package, possessing all of the key ingredients needed for continued success. The Stephenson Family: Sierra, Jim, Meg, and Jack [ 7 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

8 Coaching Staff Sport Becomes Art Jim Stephenson has created gymnastics sculptures for both private collections as well as public display Mindy Myhre, University of Minnesota Graduate, Jim s latest work, pictured above, is displayed at the University of Georgia, in the entry way to the Coliseum Training Facility. The life-size sculpture of Joy Selig (left) is set just outside of the Oregon State University s Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center Catie Christensen, University of Minnesota graduate, [ 8 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

9 Coaching Staff Jenny Hansen assistant coach third season at Minnesota Jenny (Alf) Hansen, a Gopher gymnast from , and a former volunteer assistant coach, is entering her third season as a full-time assistant coach with the Gopher women's gymnastics program. Hansen, who spent the 2006 season as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois before returning to the Minnesota program, is involved in virtually every aspect of the program. Hansen is responsible for the Gophers vaulting team, and also works with the beam and floor competitors. She acts as a liaison with several groups, including the booster club and Gopher gymnastics alumnae. Hansen is very involved in planning the annual Minnesota Gymnastics Foundation Hall of Fame banquet. "We were looking to find someone who is fully capable of coaching in the gym, and who can handle all of the responsibilities outside of the gym," explained co-head coach Jim Stephenson. "Jenny primarily works on vault, floor exercise and the balance beam. She also works with trampoline training and aerobic conditioning. She is more involved in the recruiting process than any assistant coach we've had. She has a great eye for gymnastics, and has experience in this area from her work at Illinois." At Illinois, Hansen primarily dealt with the floor exercise, music selection compilation, and choreography. In addition to coaching the floor exercise competitors, she also played an important role in on-campus recruiting and alumni relations. Illinois recorded a record of in 2006, and finished seventh at the Big Ten Championship with a team score of At the NCAA South Central Region Championship, Illinois came in fourth with a score of , and finished the season with a No. 25 national ranking. As a volunteer assistant coach in 2005, Hansen helped coach the Golden Gophers to a third-place showing at the Big Ten Championships, which was the team s highest finish at the conference championships since As a student assistant coach in 2004, she helped lead Minnesota to record-breaking performances, including the program's best team score, a , and the best uneven bars and balance beam scores in team history. As a gymnast, Hansen competed as a Golden Gopher from In 2003, she finished fifth in the vault at the NCAA Regional Championships with a career-best score of At the completion of her career, she ranked third on Minnesota's all-time top performers list on the balance beam (9.925), was tied for seventh on the floor exercise list (9.925), and was tied for ninth all-time on the vault (9.850). Hansen, a native of Ripon, Wis., served as a team captain in her senior season with the Maroon and Gold. She was a four-year letterwinner and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She completed her bachelor's degree in kinesiology in at the University of Minnesota in May of "Jenny's return to Minnesota has been a wonderful attribute to our program," said Stephenson. "She was a great gymnast, and she is a great leader. She stayed with us for two seasons after her competition days were done to learn the other side of things. She left for Illinois for a year, where she was able to learn even more concepts and get different perspectives. Joining back with us has been a great benefit to our program." Hansen and her husband Justin were married in June CO-HEAD COACHES JIM AND MEG STEPHENSON ON JENNY HANSEN: We have always had certain goals with our staff. We want to have the highest technical knowledge, we want to coach with a teaching philosophy where the athletes are treated with compassion and understanding, and we want to display a level of motivation that equals what we expect from the athletes. Jenny s phiosophy and style perfectly compliment us in that regard. We are fortunate to have a Gopher alum on our coaching staff, especially one with such passion, loyalty, and leadership ability. Jenny has capabilities in every aspect of what we do as coaches, so she is able to positively affect every part of our program. Jenny will help us take the Minnesota gymnmastics program to the next level. [ 9 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009

10 Gymnastics Staff Erika Esterby athletic trainer Erika Esterby is in her ninth year as an athletic trainer at the University of Minnesota. Esterby earned her bachelor of science degree in athletic training from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1998 and her master s degree in biomechanics from Ball State University in May Prior to starting at Minnesota in August 2000, Esterby was a graduate assistant certified athletic trainer at Ball State University. At Minnesota, she works specifically with the women s gymnastics and golf teams. Esterby resides in Apple Valley with her husband Matt, and sons Kyan and Kasen. Amanda Miles volunteer assistant coach Amanda Miles is in her first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Golden Gophers. Miles competed at Minnesota from , and was a four-year letterwinner. She was a regular competitor on beam and floor, and earned career-best scores of 9.85 in both events. She was one of the team s most consistent performers in her senior season, compiling averages scores of on beam and on floor. She served as a team captain in both 2007 and During her four years as a Gopher gymnast, Miles also earned numerous academic accolades. She was a four-time U of M Scholar Athlete, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten award winner, and earned NACGC/W Academic All-America honors twice. Miles completed her bachelor s degree in psychology in spring of Gymnastics Support Staff Phil Esten Associate Athletics Director Gymnastics Administrator Dr. Elizabeth Arendt Medical Director Chelsie Schafer Academic Counselor Deborah Diamond Marketing & Promotions Mary Jo Brandt Administrative Specialist Sara Berhow Athletic Communications Megan Appell Event Management Kelly Fang Meet Manager Mike Chandler Ticket Manager Hannah Nilles Student Athletic Trainer Alexa Smith Team Manager Dr. Suzanne Hecht Team Physician [ 10 ] Minnesota Gymnastics 2009