Georgia Dominant in Qualifier

The Georgia Gymdogs came prepared to defend their national title tonight in the qualifying round of the NCAA Championship taking first in the session by more than a point.

The Gymdogs advance to the Super Six, where the national champion will be decided, tomorrow night, despite a fall in the last rotation.

Sophomore Hilary Mauro fell on her beam routine in the leadoff position, putting the pressure on the rest of the team to hit. All of Mauro's teammates did, including Cassidy McComb who fell after Mauro did in the SEC Championships, where they Gymdogs took their only loss of the season.

"To go through that as a team makes you stronger and tougher, so we were prepared for it," said Georgia Head Coach Suzanne Yoculan.

The Gymdogs will compete in the Super Six on Friday at 7 p.m. for a 10th national title.

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Sales Dismal for NCAA Championships

It's just days before the NCAA Gymnastics Championships begin in Lincoln, Neb., and just 1,900 all-session tickets have been sold for the 13,000-seat arena.

The lack of sales will prevent host University of Nebraska from coming close to breaking even, and Nebraska Head Coach Dan Kendig said he was embarrassed by the low sales.

"I take it real personal," he said.

Recent NCAA Championship hosts include the Universities of Georgia and Utah, both of which drew more than 30,000 to their events in Athens and Salt Lake City, respectively. 

Competition begins Thursday with the first of two qualifying sessions at Devaney Sports Center.

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Utah Underclassmen Step Up

When Utah senior standout Nina Kim fell ill before the regional championships last weekend, three underclassmen rose to the occasion, leading Utah to a season high score and earning a place at the NCAA Championships.

The performances of freshman Stephanie McAllister and sophomores Gael Mackie and Jacqueline Johnson on Kim's three events proved that depth is no problem for No. 2 Utah.

The Utes scored a season high 197.675 in Kim's absence and placed first in the West Regional. Head Coach Greg Marsden said he was glad to give the youngsters experience in such a competition.

"It helps us have confidence in them and for them to have confidence in themselves if we need them to step in," Marsden said.

The Utes travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the NCAA Championships on April 16-18.

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Host Team Will Sit Out Nationals

The University of Nebraska will play host to the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, but the home team won't be competing this year.

The No. 13 Huskers' absence could affect crowd size and atmosphere in college gymnastics' biggest meet of the year.

Utah Head Coach Greg Marsden said he was pulling for Nebraska to get in for just those reasons.

The Huskers finished third in their regional, failing to place in the top two required to advance to NCAAs. Nebraska also missed the 2008 Championships.

The NCAA Championship will be held in Lincoln, Neb., on April 16-18.

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Arkansas Looks for Success at Home

The University of Arkansas Razorbacks will host the NCAA South Central Regional Championship, something they hope will give them an advantage in qualifying to the NCAA Championships later this month.

The No. 10 Razorbacks won't have to travel and will have the comfort of their home arena and support of the home crowd as they take on No. 4 Stanford, No. 16 Michigan, No. 25 Arizona, No. 27 Southern Utah and No. 31 Arizona State.

The first and second place teams will advance to the NCAA Championships in Lincoln, Neb. Arkansas advanced the last time they hosted the South Central Regional in 2006.

"It's all those little things," said Arkansa Co Head Coach Rene Cook. "You know where the bathroom is. You know where the scoring table is. Nothing is a surprise because you already have that familiarity." 

Twelve teams from the six different regions will advance to NCAAs, to be held April 16-18.

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Utes to Finish Regional on Beam

The No. 2 University of Utah will have to close out its campaign for a spot at the NCAA Championships on the precarious balance beam at the regional championships in Seattle. 

If Utah enters the last rotation in any danger of not qualifying, the pressure could be on.

Only the top two teams from each region advance to the NCAA Championships to be held in Lincoln, Neb., and Utah Head Coach Greg Marsden said beam is not his first choice for ending the competition, but the Utes should be able to handle it.

"If I got to choose, I'd probably tuck beam somewhere in the middle of the rotation, but honestly, with the way we've performed on beam this season, we feel like it could be a positive for us," he said.

The Utes compete Saturday at 7 p.m. in the NCAA West Regional Championship.

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