OHIO STATE WOMEN S GYMNASTICS

Transcription

1 2010 SCHEDULE Ohio State-Iowa On The BTN (1-3; 0-1 Big Ten) January 8 at Missouri , L 16 OREGON STATE , L 22 at Pittsburgh , W 30 at Michigan State* , L February 6 at Iowa* 8 p.m. 13 at West Virginia 8 p.m. 19 at Kentucky 7 p.m. 21 UIC 2 p.m. 27 PENN STATE* 4 p.m. March 6 at Illinois* 2 p.m. 13 AUBURN 4 p.m. 27 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2 p.m. April 9 NCAA Central Regionals 1 TBA NCAA Championships 2 TBA Meet dates and times subject to change; All times listed in EST; Home meets in WHITE BOLD CAPS held at St. John Arena unless otherwise denoted 2010 CAPTAIN senior all-arounder HILLARY DOW Buckeyes take on second conference opponent in a row on the road COLUMBUS, Ohio Continuing its five-meet road swing, the Ohio State women s gymnastics team will face Iowa at 8 p.m. EST Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa. The Big Ten Network will be on hand to capture the Buckeye-Hawkeye conference dual meet which will air on a tape delayed basis at 7 p.m. Feb. 13. The Scarlet and Gray enter the matchup with a 1-3 overall record and 0-1 Big Ten ledger, after falling to Michigan State last Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. FOLLOW IT LIVE Live scoring for Ohio State s road contest vs. Iowa can be found on the women s gymnastics schedule page at Ohio- StateBuckeyes.com or at HawkeyeSports.com. WATCH IT AGAIN Set your DVR, while Ohio State takes on West Virginia at 8 p.m. Feb. 13, the Big Ten Network will be airing the Ohio State-Iowa dual meet for the first time at 7 p.m. ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK The Buckeye-Hawkeye dual is the first of three appearances for Ohio State on the Big Ten Network in The Ohio State at Illinois conference meet will be televised on a tape delayed basis at 7 p.m. March 13 so Buckeye fans can run home from the 4 p.m. meet vs. Auburn in St. John Arena to catch the showing. The Big Ten Network then makes a trip to Columbus to air the 2010 Big Ten Championships LIVE at 2 p.m. March 27. ABOUT OHIO STATE The Buckeyes returned eight gymnasts from the 2009 squad that finished ranked 17th in the GymInfo national rankings with a RQS. However, Ohio State has lost the service of senior Beth Ann Ballard and sophomore Krissi Woodward for the season because of injury. In addition, freshmen Sarah Gillespie and Vanessa Kowis are sidelined with injuries, while classmate Lauren Ritter is slowly working her way back from a serious injury sustained her senior season of high school. The Buckeyes have been fighting their way through the first half of the year, holding a team average to rank seventh in the Big Ten. Ohio State s season-high team total of came on the road vs. Pittsburgh Jan. 22. INDIVIDUALS IN THE RANKINGS On vault, sophomore Nicole Krauter owns the best Buckeye average with a to rank 11th in the Big Ten. Krauter notched a season-high on vault twice this season vs. Oregon State (Jan. 16) and Pitt (Jan. 22). Sophomore Casey Williamson leads Ohio State on the uneven bars with a average to rank 22nd in the league. In the past three meets, the Mansfield, Ohio, native has scored a or higher, including a season-best vs. Oregon State. Senior captain Hillary Dow is 25th in the Big Ten with a mean after hitting a on bars to finish second on the event vs. Pitt. On beam, three Buckeyes rank in the conference s Top 20. Junior Rebecca Best holds 10th with a average, freshman Colleen Dean is 13th with a and senior Kristin Perchatsch is 19th with a Best has scored two 9.800s on beam and has hit a or better at all four meets in Perchatsch owns the highest Buckeye ranking on floor with a for 14th while Dean holds the 17th spot with a average. Dean has been outstanding for Ohio State on floor, scoring a season-high for her first career event win vs. Pitt after recording a vs. Oregon State the week before. What to Know About Ohio State - With a fi nal RQS of , OSU ended 2009 ranked 17th in the NCAA. Under Carey Fagan, the Buckeyes have climbed from 38th in 2005, her first season, to 17th in just six years. - Junior Rebecca Best is OSU s fi rst returning All- American since She scored a on floor to earn the distinction in Sophomore Taylor Jones returns after becoming just the second Buckeye to earn the Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor. She led OSU in the all-around a season ago. - Hillary Dow, the fi rst solo captain under Fagan, leads by example and is a tireless worker. Owns a average in the all-around a Buckeye high. - Colleen Dean has had a tremendous freshman season on fl oor, notching a vs. Pittsburgh Jan With four gymnasts most likely out for the entire year, the Buckeyes are hampered by injuries in THE IOWA HAWKEYES Iowa enters the weekend with a 4-4 record. Junior Rebecca Simbhudas led the Hawkeyes with an all-around score of last Saturday, finishing first on vault (9.850), bars (9.850), beam (9.875) and floor (9.825) to earn Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors Monday. Still, the Hawkeyes fell, , to No. 25 Illinois. ALL-TIME SERIES Ohio State leads the all-time series record, 7-3-1, vs. Iowa. Under head coach Carey Fagan, the Buckeyes are vs. the Hawkeyes, including a OSU victory last season in St. John Arena. In 2008, the two squads tied with matching marks in Iowa City. GYMNASTS TO WATCH As voted by the Big Ten coaches, the Buckeye Gymnasts to Watch are Rebecca Best and Hillary Dow. Best, who was named a second-team All-American after finishing sixth on the floor exercise at the 2009 NCAA Championships, and Dow, the team s two-time captain, will look for a higher fi n- ish at the 2010 Big Ten Championships as Ohio State hosts the event in St. John Arena. LEADING BY EXAMPLE Senior Hillary Dow was named captain of the 2010 squad, head coach Carey Fagan announced Nov. 3. Dow becomes the first solo-captain under Fagan after serving as a co-captain as a junior. Hillary is a natural leader and understands the values and expectation of our program, Fagan, who is in her sixth season at the helm of the Buckeyes, said. She leads by example in her work ethic and in her attitude. Hillary was selected by her peers to be the captain of the 2010 season and this decision was well-supported by the coaching staff. Her ability to look beyond herself for the good of the team is remarkable and we feel very lucky to have her leading the way again this season. Dow, a native of Yorktown, Va., finished the 2009 season as one of the Buckeyes top all-arounders and fl oor per- OHIO STATE WOMEN S GYMNASTICS

2 THE UNIVERSITY Location... Columbus, Ohio (pop. 1.7m) Founded Enrollment...52,568 (Columbus campus); 60,347 (all campuses) Nickname... Buckeyes Colors... Scarlet (PMS 200) and Gray (PMS 429) Mascot...Brutus Buckeye President... E. Gordon Gee Director of Athletics... Eugene Smith Faculty Representative... John Bruno Conference...Big Ten (1913) Facility...Steelwood Athletic Training Facility Playing Surface/Capacity...St. John Arena/13,276 THE HISTORY First Year All-Time Record (.618) National Championship Appearances...8 AIAW ( ); (NCAA ) NCAA Regional Appearances...31 All-America Honors...6 Scholastic All-American Selections...45 Big Ten Championships...5 ( ) Big Ten Individual Champions...12 All-Big Ten Selections...58 Academic All-Big Ten Selections THE TEAM Head Coach...Carey Fagan, sixth season Alma Mater, Year... Penn State 98 Record at Ohio State (Yrs.) (5) Career Record (Yrs.) (5) Assistant... William Lorenz, sixth season Alma Mater... UMass, 97 Assistant... Meredith Yonushouis, second season Alma Mater... Penn State, 06 Letterwinners Returning/Lost... 9/ Dual Record Big Ten Dual Record Big Ten Championship finish...5th 2009 NCAA Central Regional finish...3rd formers. The emotional leader of the team, Dow helped lead the Buckeyes at final Top 15 ranking in the nation - a feat unmatched by Ohio State squads in over a decade. After missing half of her freshman season to injury in 2007, Dow returned to make an immediate impact and was a key reason for Ohio State s growing success in BUCKEYES GO PINK For the Ohio State women s basketball and gymnastics team, Feb. 21 will be focused on breast cancer awareness. As the women s gymnastics team takes on UIC in St. John Arena, the Buckeyes will get in the spirit by donning pink instead of its normal scarlet. Join the Buckeyes in the fight against breast cancer by attending the meet and wearing pink. Admission to Ohio State home meets in St. John Arena is free of charge during the regular season. POSTSEASON IN COLUMBUS! The Scarlet and Gray are thrilled to bring the 2010 Big Ten Conference Championships to St. John Arena for the first time since the season. Head coach Carey Fagan is excited to host the league meet March 27 after hosting the NCAA regional championships last year. The regional championship was a great dress rehearsal for hosting the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Fagan said. The conference championships are a big deal so I think it will attract even more attention than the regional championship did a season ago so the atmosphere will be electric. For tickets, call GO-BUCKS! FUTURE BUCKEYES Ohio State head coach Carey Fagan announced the addition of three standout Level 10 gymnasts to the 2011 Buckeye squad Nov. 17. Melanie Shaffer of Pleasant Hills, Pa., Victoria Aepli of Dublin, Ohio, and Alexandra DeLuca of Longwood, Fla., will join Ohio State in the fall of Shaffer comes to Ohio State after being one of the most highly recruited Division I gymnasts in the country for the 2011 class. Shaffer advanced to Level 10 status early in her athletic career at just 14-years old. Last April, she scored a in the all-around to take 12th in the senior division at the Region 7 Level 10 Championships behind a fifth-place finish on vault (9.500) and sixth on floor (9.350). Ohio born Aepli finished eighth in the Senior B division at the 2009 Junior Olympic National Championships with a in the all-around behind a fourth-place finish on bars (9.350) and fifth on beam (9.450). In 2009, Aepli was the all around and uneven bar champion at the Region 5 Level 10 Championships scoring a and 9.550, re- BIG TEN EVENT TEAM RANKINGS Rank Team Avg. High Vault 1 Penn State Michigan Michigan State Illinois Ohio State Minnesota Iowa Uneven Bars 1 Michigan Penn State Minnesota Illinois Iowa Michigan State Ohio State Balance Beam 1 Michigan State Illinois Michigan Penn State Ohio State Minnesota Iowa Floor 1 Michigan Penn State Minnesota Illinois Michigan State Iowa Ohio State spectively. DeLuca comes to Ohio State with an all-around personal-best score of as a Level 10 gymnast. A student at Lake Mary High School with at 4.25 GPA, she fi nished third at the 2009 Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament with a DeLuca, is a fi ve-time Level 10 Regional qualifier. In 2008, she was the Level 10 Regional floor champion UP NEXT The Buckeyes step back into nonconference action, traveling to West Virginia next Saturday before fi nishing their five-meet road swing at Kentucky (Feb. 19). Ohio State then returns to Columbus Feb. 21 to host UIC in St. John Arena for a Buckeyes Go Pink outing. junior all-american REBECCA BEST 2010 Women s Gymnastics Roster Name Event Yr. Hometown Previous School Pronunciation Beth Ann Ballard AA Sr. Kingwood, Texas Kingwood Rebecca Best AA Jr. Williamstown, N.J. Williamstown Colleen Dean AA Fr. Sylvania, Ohio Sylvania Northview Hillary Dow AA Sr. Yorktown, Va. Tabb Sarah Gillespie AA Fr. Yorktown, Va. Smithfield GIL-les-PEE Taylor Jones AA So. Edmond, Okla. Edmond Memorial Vanessa Kowis AA Fr. Hartland, Wis. Arrowhead Nicole Krauter AA So. Carmel, Ind. Carmel Crout-er Kristin Perchatsch AA Sr. Naperville, Ill. Neuqua Valley Per-Hahtch Lauren Ritter AA Fr. Burlington, Ky. St. Henry District Casey Williamson AA So. Mansfield, Ohio St. Peter Krissi Woodward AA So. Lapel, Ind. Lapel Head Coach Carey Fagan, sixth season (Penn State, 98) Assistant Coach William (Bill) Lorenz, sixth season (UMASS, 97) Assistant Coach Meredith Yonushouis, second season (Penn State, 06) YAWN-a-SHAUN-is Volunteer Undergrad Coach Jessica Staton, first season (Ohio State) Stay-Ton

3 CAREY FAGAN QUICK FACTS... Hometown: North Canton, Ohio High School: Hoover Alma Mater: Penn State, 1998 (B.A. in media studies and speech communications) Family: Husband, Ryan and son, Brady Coaching Awards: 2007 Big Ten Coach of the Year, 2009 Central Region Coach of the Year Gymnastics Career: While at Penn State, Fagan was a three-year letterwinner, serving as captain her senior year in During her collegiate career, the Nittany Lions were consistently ranked in the Top-10. She was the recipient of the Penn State Pride award in 1996 and 1998 for outstanding team leadership and also was a member of the Spirit of the Lion Academic/Athletic Honor Society in 1998 for excellence in the classroom and in the gym. Assisted Under: Larry Cox (Ohio State) Away from Gymnastics: Carey enjoys running, shopping, spending time with her family and playing with their dogs Frankie and Eddie. Carey Fagan, Sixth season The Ohio State women s gymnastics program continues to climb up the rankings under the leadership of Carey Fagan. In just her sixth season at the helm, Fagan has produced two All-Americans and led the Buckeyes to four-consecutive appearances at the NCAA regional championships. With Fagan as an assistant coach in , the Buckeyes fi nished with an average team score that ranked No. 42 in the nation. In , her fi rst season as head coach, that ranking rose to No. 38, then the Buckeyes upped their position to No. 27 and qualifi ed for the NCAA regional championships in Fagan earned her first Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2007 and led the Buckeyes into the Top 20 at No. 19 before tying for 18th in The 2009 squad continued the growing trend, posting four team totals that ranked in the Top 10 all-time Ohio State scores, including the fourth-best mark. Rebecca Best became the sixth Buckeye All-American and Taylor Jones was named Big Ten Rookie of the Year, the second in OSU history. With a regional qualifying score, the Buckeyes fi nished ranked 17th in the nation. For her team s success, Fagan was recognized as the 2009 Central Region Coach of the Year, her fi rst career regional coaching laurel. The season marks Fagan s eighth overall in Columbus - the fi rst two as an assistant coach and now six as head coach. My coaching philosophy has always been to train the individual, not the team, Fagan said. I believe each athlete has individual needs and my role as a coach is to fi gure out what each person needs to be successful and to implement workouts and training techniques to help each team member reach her full potential. In the sport of gymnastics, self confi dence is critical for successful performance. I really focus on building confidence in my student-athletes so that when it comes time to perform, they know they are ready to compete. At Ohio State Fagan has coached two student-athletes to back-back All-America honors. Last season, Best received the national laurel on fl oor as a sophomore after travelling to the NCAA championships as an alternate her first season. In 2008, Kaylan Clevinger ( ) earned All-America honors on the uneven bars, becoming the first Buckeye to earn the accolade since Clevinger made two national appearances on bars (2007 and 2008) and earned All-Big Ten honors in the same years. A former gymnast at Penn State, Fagan has mentored six Buckeyes to All-Big Ten honors the last fi ve years. Best returns this season as a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection while Jones earned fi rst-team honors as a freshman in Maalika Moore-Thomas ended her career as a three-time All-Big Ten honoree in 2008 and Karley Walek was named a second-team honoree in One of the eight threetime All-Big Ten picks, OSU s Elizabeth Meaney ( ), was tutored by Fagan all three of those season.

4 O H I O S T A T E B U C K E Y E S JESSICA STATON VOLUNTEER UNDERGRADUATE COACH 1ST SEASON A series of knee injuries ended Jessica Staton s gymnastics career as a competitor for Ohio State but the junior remains a part of the team, returning in 2010 as part of the Buckeye coaching staff. Staton competed for Ohio State in 2008, her freshman season, but has been battling to remain healthy ever since, sitting out in A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she will help the Buckeyes prepare for the 2010 and 2011 seasons while she completes her undergraduate degree in exercise science. Named the team s Most Dedicated Gymnast in 2008, Staton was a solid competitor for Ohio State on vault and beam. In high school, the Fishers, Ind., native placed fifth in the allaround at the 2006 Region 5 Championships. In 2004, Staton won state titles on bars and vault. Staton is the daughter of Mike and Karen Staton and has three siblings, Tiffany (18), Cynthia (16) and Ashton (3). 10 O h i o S t a t e B u c k e y e s. c o m

5 2010 OHIO STATE WOMEN S GYMNASTICS SEASON, CAREER HIGHS Vault Bars Beam Floor All-Around Gymnast 2010 Career 2010 Career 2010 Career 2010 Career 2010 Career Rebecca Best Colleen Dean Hillary Dow Taylor Jones Nicole Krauter Kristin Perchatsch Lauren Ritter Casey Williamson Bold score indicates team best; (#) indicates Top 5 finish No. 18 Ohio State at No. 16 Missouri - L, (0-1) Jan. 8, Columbia, Mo. Best (t-2) (2) Dean (5) Dow Jones Krauter (t-3) - - Williamson (t-3) (t-4) Team (2) (2) (1) (2) Ohio State vs. No. 5 Oregon State - L, (0-2) Jan. 16, Columbus, Ohio Best (t-4) Dean (t-4) (4) Dow (t-1) (3) Jones (t-4) - Krauter (3) - - Ritter Williamson (5) (5) Team (2) (2) (2) (2) Ohio State at Pittsburgh - W, (1-2) Jan. 22, Pittsburgh, Pa. Best (t-2) (1) (t-3) (5) Dean (t-3) (t-1) (4) Dow (2) (5) (2) Jones (4) (t-3) - Krauter (t-5) (3) (t-1) - - Perchatsch Ritter Williamson (t-5) (5) (3) Team (2) (1) (1) (2) Ohio State at Michigan State - L, (1-3; 0-1 Big Ten) Jan. 30, East Lansing, Mich. Best (4) Dean (3) (t-4) (5) Dow (t-5) Jones (t-4) - Krauter (t-5) Perchatsch Williamson (t-5) Team (2) (2) (2) (1) TEAM BESTS Event Score Date Location V /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa. UB /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa. BB /8/10 Columbia, Mo. FX /30/10 East Lansing, Mich. TEAM /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa INDIVIDUAL BESTS Event Individual Score Date Location V Dow /16/10 Columbus, Ohio UB Best /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa. BB Krauter /16/10 Columbus, Ohio FX Dean /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa. AA Dow /22/10 Pittsburgh, Pa.