March 31, 2014
San Jose, Calif. - The San Jose State University women's gymnastics competes at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional on Saturday, April 5, at 6:00 p.m. (CDT). As the sixth seed, the Spartans start the meet on beam, then have a bye before rotating to floor, vault, a second bye and ending on bars.
Vault | Bye | Bars | Beam | Bye | Floor | |
Rotation 1 | Minnesota | Oklahoma | Southern Utah | San José State | Illinois | California |
Rotation 2 | California | Minnesota | Oklahoma | Southern Utah | San José State | Illinois |
Rotation 3 | Illinois | California | Minnesota | Oklahoma | Southern Utah | San José State |
Rotation 4 | San José State | Illinois | California | Minnesota | Oklahoma | Southern Utah |
Rotation 5 | Southern Utah | San José State | Illinois | California | Minnesota | Oklahoma |
Rotation 6 | Oklahoma | Southern Utah | San José State | Illinois | California | Minnesota |
ABOUT THE NCAA REGIONALS: San José State is one of 36 teams competing in six regionals that night. The top-18 teams were seeded on a national basis, based on Regional Qualifying Scores. The next 18 teams were then placed in regions, partially based on geographic proximity and hosts. All-around competitors and event specialists were assigned within their respective regions.
The top-two teams at the regional will advance to the 2014 NCAA Championships April 11-12, in Birmingham, Ala. The top-two all-arounders not on advancing teams, will compete at the championships along with any event winners not on advancing teams.
PRACTICE TIMES: Practices on Friday, April 4, are free and open to the public. The Spartans will practice in the second session of the day, beginning at 4 p.m. (CT).
1:15-3:00 p.m. - Minnesota, Southern Utah, Illinois
4:00-5:45 p.m. - Oklahoma, San José State, California
TICKETS: Tickets are available through the Minnesota Ticket Office at (612) 626-4110 or online at MyGopherSports.com. Prices range from $8 to $12.
HEAD COACH: The San José State University women's gymnastics team head coach is Wayne Wright in his 13th season. The 2012 NCAA West Regional Coach of the Year has brought six teams to an NCAA Regional since 2003 and at least two gymnasts have competed as individuals each season in that time. Overall, Wright has a 178-137-1 record.
SPARTANS AT REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: San José State is making its seventh appearance at an NCAA Regional. The Spartans have tied for fourth twice (2011, 2006) and had its best score of 194.800 in 2009 at Washington. In 2012, the team finished fifth with a 193.400 at the NCAA Salt Lake City Regional.
NCAA REGIONAL EXPERIENCE ABOUND: Six members of the 2014 Spartans have placed at an NCAA Regional. Bekah Gher is the only current Spartan to finish in the top-10 in any event, winning the beam at the 2011 NCAA North Central Regional while competing at Boise State. Last year at the 2012 NCAA Corvallis Regional, she finished 13th in the all-around, 17th on beam, 35th on floor, 36th on bars and 37th on vault. Cassandra Harrison finished 17th in the all-around in Corvallis, 27th on floor, 33rd on bars and 40th on vault and beam. Kiley Field, Julia Greer, Cami Guyer and Alyssa Montalban finished in the top-40 on at least one event in 2012. At the 2011 NCAA Corvallis Regional, Greer placed 11th on floor and 15th on beam, while Harrison placed 25th on vault and 32nd on beam.
2012 | Bars | |||||
2013 | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | All-Around 13th | |
2011 | Beam | |||||
2012 | Vault | Beam | Floor | |||
2011 | Beam | Floor | ||||
2013 | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | All-Around | |
2012 | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | All-Around | |
2011 | Vault | Bars | ||||
2012 | Beam | |||||
2012 | Vault | Floor |
NCAA REGIONAL TITLE WINNERS: Three Spartans have won regional event titles. In 2011 while competing for Boise State, senior Bekah Gher won the beam with a career-high 9.900. Thomasina Wallace won the bars her freshman year at the 2009 NCAA West Regional with a 9.950. In 2011, Katie Valleau tied for first on the floor with a 9.900 at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: San José State ranks 31st nationally with a 195.510 RQS.
Vault - 37th 48.835 RQS
Bars - 41st 48.850 RQS
Beam - 31st 48.865 RQS
Floor - 31st 49.040 RQS
Individually, two Spartans are ranked among the top-50 in their events.
Julia Greer
Beam - 47th 9.845 RQS
Bekah Gher
All-Around - 50th 39.135 RQS
HISTORY MADE IN 2014: The 2014 Spartans are one of the best teams in program history, ranking the highest in program history at No. 27 earlier this year. The team earned an unprecedented six scored over-195.000, recording seven scores in the top-20 all-time, including earning the third-best score in school history three times. On vault, 10 scores were among the top-20 all-time, while eight bars, beam and floor scores were among the 20 best scores. Individually, Cassandra Harrison's 39.300 was the ninth-highest all-around score in school history. Bekah Gher's 9.900 on vault was the second-highest score in program history, while five top-3 bars scored were earned, led by Marissa Unpingco and Cami Guyer's 9.875 scores. On beam, Julia Greer's 9.900 earned is the top score in program history, with Unpingco scoring a 9.875, the second-highest score, and six 9.850 third-ranked beam scores earned.
SPARTANS AT THE MPSF CHAMPIONSHIPS: The San José State University women's gymnastics team earned a third-place 194.550 finish at the 2014 MPSF Championships. Sacramento State won the Championships with a season-high 195.650, and UC Davis finished second, scoring a 194.875. Seattle Pacific (194.075), Air Force (193.650) and Alaska Anchorage (192.200) rounded out the competition.
GREER NAMED MPSF'S BEST: By a vote of the conference's head coaches, Julia Greer was named the MPSF Gymnast of the Year at the championship meet. Greer won 10 individual event titles in 2014, scoring above-9.825 on floor in every meet this season. She is the second gymnast in school history to receive a conference gymnast of the year honor (Thomasina Wallace in 2012).
ALL-MPSF HONORS: Seven Spartans received All-MPSF honors at the conference championships on March 22. Cami Guyer was an All-MPSF selection in every event, Bekah Gher earned All-MPSF honors on vault, beam and in the all-around, Cassandra Harrison was a bars, floor and all-around All-MPSF honoree, Kiana Gordon was an All-MPSF pick on vault and Marissa Unpingco garnered All-MPSF honors on bars.