UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOI'A Sports Information Office Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Contact: Angie Hultman (612) 624-3335 Fax 624-8018 220 Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue S.E. Gopher Sports News Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (for immediate release) June 26, 1991 UNIVERSITY TO HOST NCAA WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS-- The University of Minnesota women's athletic department will play host to the 1992 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships at the St. Paul Civic Center on Apri124-25, 1992 with the assistance of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer steering committee. Twelve teams and twelve individual all-around qualifiers will compete for national titles in what will be the NCAA's 11th annual championship in college women's gymnastics. Tickets will go on sale Oct. 1. The prices for two-day event tickets purchased in advance are $20 for lower level reserved seats and $16 for general admission. One-day ticket prices (sold the day of the event only) are $12 (reserved) and $10 (general admission). Special group ticket packages will be available by advance sale only. The chair of the steering committee for the championships is Anne Ford Nelson, vice president, Norwest Bank. The St Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and president Rich Hadley has also pledged its support. "Having run scores of successful tournaments in this town, St. Paul and its corporate community is proud to partner itself with Chris Voelz and the University of Minnesota women's athletic department in making this gymnastics tournament a huge success," Nelson said. University women's athletic director Chris Voelz said the goal of the women's athletic department in serving as host for the event is to set a new NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships two-day attendance record. The current attendance record for the two-day event (17,000) was set in 1983 in Salt Lake City, Utah. "We are proud to bring one of the most popular NCAA national championships to Minnesota," said Voelz. "It is especially significant to have this event embraced by the community and chamber of St. Paul and such a wonderful leader as Anne Ford Nelson." Currently joining Nelson on the steering committee are chamber of commerce programs director Pat Tapp; Dennis Cashman, vice president, John Ryan & Co.; Michelle McQuarrie Colton, partner, O'Neill, Burke, O'Neill, Leonard & O'Brien; Tom Duffy, manager of public affairs, IBM; James Hansen, senior vice president, pension division, Northwestern National Life; Dianne Johnson, business development analyst, Deluxe Corporation; Diane Moser, vice president/marketing, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Anne Reilly, tax manager, Deloitte & Touche; and Linda Ruiz of St. Paul Companies. Companies that have committed local support to the championships include ffiM, Transtop, Inc. and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The steering committee will solicit further involvement from the Twin Cities business community. J 'l NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships 2-2-2-2 6/26/91 The meet director for the championships is Donna J. Olson, associate director of women's athletics at the University, with Karen Smith, assistant athletic director of women's athletics, serving as assistant meet director. Among the teams expected to vie for berths in the championships are 1991 national champion Alabama; six-time national champion Utah, the 1991 runnerup; two-time national champion Georgia; Oregon State, which finished fourth at the 1991 national championships; and new Big Ten Conference member Penn State, which finished fifth in 1991. Individuals expected to compete are 1991 all-around champion Hope Spivey of Georgia (1988 U.S. Olympic team); Melissa Marlowe of Utah (1988 U.S. Olympic team); Coon Rapids native Rhonda Faehn of UCLA (1988 U.S. Olympic team alternate); and former U.S. national team members Chari Knight of Oregon State and Dee Dee Foster of Alabama, the latter of whom was the 1990 NCAA all-around champion. This will be the second national championship event and fourth NCAA postseason event that the University's women's athletic department has hosted in the past four years. The success of the NCAA Central region gymnastics meet held at Williams Arena in April1990 led to the University's securing of the national championships bid for 1992. The Central regional championship drew an NCAA-region record crowd of 7 ,591. Previously, in December 1988, the department set a national attendance record (17,202 over two days) in hosting the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship at Williams Arena. In December 1989, there were 4,969 in attendance (then a record for an NCAA first round match) as the Gophers beat Colorado in an NCAA first round volleyball match. RECENT AREA GYMNASTICS MEETS • 1984 Olympic medalist tour • 1984, 1985, 1986 University of Minnesota vs.Japan exhibition meets • 1985 World Team trials • 1986 Big Ten Championships • 1989 U.S. Gymnastics Federation Championships • 1990 NCAA Central Region Championship • 1990 Olympic Festival • 1992 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships -30- NCAA GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP FACTS (1982-1991) NCAA women's gymnastics attendance records -- two-day championship totals 1.) 17,000 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 1983 (host-University of Utah) 2.) 16,746 at Corvallis, Oregon, 1990 (host-Oregon State University) 3.) 16,481 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 1987 (host-University of Utah) 4.) 14,900 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1991 (host-University of Alabama) 5.) 14,815 at Gainesville, Florida, 1986 (host-University of Florida) 6.) 13,760 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 1985 (host-University of Utah) 7.) 12,302 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 1988 (host-University of Utah) 8.) 10,000 (est.) at Los Angeles, California, 1984 (host-UCLA) 9.) 9,616 at Athens, Georgia, 1989 (host-University of Georgia) NCAA women's gymnastics one-day attendance bests -- regular season 1.) 15,238 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 2/11/91 (Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton) 2.) 13,443 at Salt Lake City, Utah, 1/30/89 (Utah vs. Alabama) NCAA women's gymnastics team champions 1982 Utah 1983 Utah 1984 Utah 1985 Utah 1986 Utah 1987 Georgia 1988 Alabama 1989 Georgia 1990 Utah 1991 Alabama NCAA women's gymnastics all-around champions 1982 Sue Stednitz, Utah 1983 Megan McCunniff, Utah 1984 Megan McCunniff-Marsden, Utah 1985 Penney Hauschild, Alabama 1986 Penney Hauschild, Alabama Jackie Brummer, Arizona State 1987 Kelly Garrison-Steves, Oklahoma 1988 Kelly Garrison-Steves, Oklahoma 1989 Corrine Wright, Georgia 1990 Dee Dee Foster, Alabama 1991 Hope Spivey, Georgia NCAA women's gymnastics vault champions 1982 Elaine Alfano, Utah 1983 Elaine Alfano, Utah 1984 Megan McCunniff-Marsden, Utah 1985 Elaine Alfano, Utah 1986 Kim Neal, Arizona State Pam Loree, Penn State 1987 Yumi Mordre, Washington 1988 Jill Andrews, UCLA 1989 Kim Hamilton, UCLA 1990 Michele Bryant, Nebraska 1991 Anna Basaldua, Arizona Hope Spivey, Georgia J NCAA women's gymnastics uneven bars champions 1982 Lisa Shirk, Pittsburgh 1983 Jeri Cameron, Arizona State 1984 Jackie Brummer, Arizona State 1985 Penney Hauschild, Alabama 1986 Lucy Wener, Georgia 1987 Lucy Wener, Georgia 1988 Kelly Garrison-Steves, Oklahoma 1989 Lucy Wener, Georgia 1990 MARIE ROETHLISBERGER, MINNESOTA 1991 Kelly Macy, Georgia NCAA women's gymnastics balance beam champions 1982 Sue Stednitz, Utah 1983 Julie Goewey, Cal State Fullerton 1984 Heidi Anderson, Oregon State 1985 Lisa Zeis, Arizona State 1986 Jackie Brummer, Arizona State 1987 Yumi Mordre, Washington 1988 Kelly Garrison-Steves, Oklahoma 1989 Jill Andrews, UCLA Joy Selig, Oregon State 1990 Joy Selig, Oregon State 1991 Gina Basile, Alabama Melissa Marlowe, Utah NC<\A women's gymr.~ · · s floor exercise champions 19 Mary Ayotte ·l Jregon State 19b. Kim Neal, Ar:. _State 1984 Maria Anz, F: .... la 1 985 Lisa Mitzel. 1 ·· 1 b86 Lisa Zeis, A1, .;na State Penney Hauschild, Alabama 1987 Kim Hamilton, UCLA 1988 Kim Hamilton, UCLA 1989 Kim Hamilton, UCLA Corrine Wright, Georgia 1990 Joy Selig, Oregon State 1991 Hope Spivey, Georgia UNNERSITY OF MINNESOTA Sports Information Office Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Contact: Angie Hultman (612) 624-3335 Fax 624-8018 220 Bierman Field Athletic Building 516 15th Avenue S.E. Gopher Sports News Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (for immediate release) July 8, 1991 UNIVERSITY RECOMMENDED AS HOST FOR 1995 WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR •• University of Minnesota women's athletic director Chris Voelz announced today that the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee_ has recommended the University of Minnesota as the host institution for the 1995 NCAA Women's Final Four. The recommendation will be presented for approval to the NCAA Executive Committee at its August 12-13 meeting. The event, to be held April1-2, 1995 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, will be the third NCAA national championship event hosted by the University's women's athletic department "We are excited to add to our hub of activity and excellence yet one more spoke," said Voelz. "We hosted a record-setting NCAA volleyball championship in 1988 and will be hosting the NCAA women's gymnastics championships on April24-25, 1992. Now, we have added the biggest of all, the women's basketball Final Four in 1995. "It is a statement of partnership and a clear commitment to the role of women in Minnesota as the I women's athletic department at the University of Minnesota joins hands with the city of Minneapolis, the Target Center and the state of Minnesota in hosting this premier event." ! e Voelz and seven others presented the bid to the NCAA on July 1 in Monterey, Calif. Joining Voelz as presenters of the bid were Susan Carlson, first lady of the state of Minnesota; Peter Hedlund, vice president of convention sales, Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association; Nancy Bindas, director of marketing, Target Center; and Paul Erickson, executive director, Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. Also on the Minnesota bid team were Dick Haskett, assistant director, Minnesota Office of Tourism; Donna Olson, associate director of women's athletics at the University; and Karen Smith, assistant director of women's athletics at the University.