The Arizona women’s gymnastics team competed in their 37th NCAA regional championships Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska finishing with a score of 195.500 wrapping up their 2016-2017 season. LSU, the top seed, took home first place at the championship with a score of 197.450, followed by Nebraska (196.625), Boise State (196.150), Minnesota (195.575), Arizona (195.500) and Iowa State (195.250).
The GymCats were unable to qualify for the semifinals where the top two teams, LSU and Boise State, received bids to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
Arizona wasn’t able to grab ahold of their usual high numbers in the first rotation on the uneven bars. Senior Krysten Howard started off the Cats with a power routine as she performed her jaeger but was unable to stick her landing and finished with a 9.725.
Senior Gabrielle Laub ended her bars routine with a small hop on her dismount earning her a 9.750, followed by senior Selynna Felix-Terrazas with a solid handstand in the beginning of her routine ending in an “Arizona Stick” earning her a 9.775. Junior Victoria Ortiz ended the rotation with her high Tkatchev followed by a double tuck dismount for a score of 9.750.
Going into the second rotation, the GymCats brought their stability to the beam for a score of 49.000. Howard led off the Cats with a strong routine ending with an “Arizona Stick” for a 9.800.
Sophomore Haylie Hendrickson performed her layout series ending with another “Arizona Stick” earning her a 9.850. The junior GymCats concluded the beam rotation with Kennady Schneider and Ortiz both landing identical scores of 9.750, followed by Madison Cindric with a solid layout series for a 9.850.
The GymCats moved onto floor where sophomore Lauryn Mattson had powerful tumbling including her double pike ending with a strong double tuck giving her a 9.800, followed by Cindric with a solid double back earning her a 9.775. Senior Krysten Howard brought the heat as she showed her skills by nailing her double pike followed by a double back tuck for a score of 9.800.
Freshman Christina Berg finished the floor rotation for the Cats earning a 9.750 leaving the Cats with a score of 48.900.
Arizona finished the championship on vault with Mattson leading off the Cats with a 9.750. Cindric was full of power going into her vault with a solid Yurchenko full ending with an “Arizona Stick” earning her a high of 9.825. The freshman GymCats concluded vault with Heather Swanson scoring a 9.775, Courtney Cowles scoring a 9.725 and finishing with Maddi Leydin who posted a 9.750.
The Arizona GymCats ended the competition in fifth earning a 195.500 ending the Wildcats 2016-2017 season in Lincoln.
The GymCats finished No. 6 in the Pac-12 with a high score of 196.275 during their regular season.
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