Gymnasts try to put it together at regional

In the NCAA Regionals for the eighth straight year, the BYU gymnastics team will perform tonight in Denver in the North Central Region as the No. 23 seed in the nation.

The top two teams from each regional will make it to nationals held in the Huntsman Center at the University of Utah April 26-28. But BYU has an uphill battle to climb if it plans to be one of the 12 teams to compete in Salt Lake for the title.

The Cougars are the fourth seed in Denver, trailing No. 2 Georgia, No. 11 Penn State and No. 14 Denver. They will also have to contend with No. 25 Minnesota and No. 28 Utah State in the meet.

They do have some experience in coming from behind to take home a spot at nationals as two years ago they went into the regional in third place and finished in second behind the Utes to head to the national championships.

But the Cougars have been fighting for the past few weeks to come back from nagging injuries to key competitors and have been shuffling lineups trying to get back to the best possible routines for the regional competition.

"They just have to put it all out there and relax. If we can do beam the way we're capable of and we can do everything else, if we give it our best shot, I think we can hit a 196. On any given night anything can happen," said BYU coach Brad Cattermole.

Several key Cougars are coming back from injuries, including Kacie Capra Callens, who recently had surgery on her ankle but has competed in the last two meets and has had two weeks to work.

Alethea Boon is working on returning from an Achilles tendon problem, is uncertain on vault and beam and will not be doing the floor, and Hayley Jensen recently came back from being hurt the entire season. The one major problem the Cougars are now dealing with is that freshman vaulter and beam worker Jenna Kerbis recently fell down stairs and broke her wrist, leaving her unable to compete on either event.

"We're a little concerned about vault, but we should be OK on the other events" as far as injuries are concerned, added Cattermole.

"We just have to get them to relax and compete at regionals. If we make nationals, that's why we do this, everything else is just practice for regionals," said Cattermole.

He also noted that this could be the final performance for seniors Lisa Willis and Callens as "when gymnasts finish with college gymnastics, there is no pro career."

The North Central Regional is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Magness Arena in Denver.

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