Pitt Set for NCAA Regional Championship

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh gymnastics team will travel to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to compete in the 2018 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Regional Championship at St. John Arena on Ohio State's campus.

THE MEET

The Panthers will face the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-14-1, 2-7 SEC), Boise State Broncos (15-2, 5-1 MRGC), Kent State Golden Flashes (9-12, 3-3 MAC), Ohio State Buckeyes (17-11, 5-4 B1G) and UCLA Bruins (22-2, 8-1 PAC-12) Saturday, April 7. Action is set to begin at 6 p.m.
The meet will consist of six rotations. Pitt will start on bars then move to beam in the second rotation before earning a bye in the third rotation. The Panthers will then move to floor in the fourth rotation before finishing out on vault in the fifth rotation. The team will have a bye in the sixth and final rotation.

HOW TO FOLLOW

The Columbus Regional is set to be broadcast live on BTN Plus/BTN2Go for free. There will be a live stream available for each event.
- Vault
- Bars
- Beam
- Floor
Fans can also follow along with live scoring here.
Fans can also follow @Pitt_GYM on Twitter for live in-meet updates.

LAST TIME OUT

Pitt posted a 195.475 en route to a fifth place finish at the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championship.
The Panthers tied the program record on bars in the meet after earning a 49.275 in the event, matching their score from the New Hampshire dual meet earlier this season. The squad also recorded a season-high 49.275 on floor, which is tied for ninth all-time. Pitt also scored a 48.950 on vault and a 47.975 on beam.
Individually, the Panthers saw two gymnasts reach the podium in freshman Haley Brechwald and junior Lucy Brett.
Brechwald tallied a season-high 9.925 on floor to place second in the meet while also finishing third in the all-around with a 39.325. The freshman was also awarded Rookie of the Year honors at the conclusion of the meet after recording an EAGL-record six Rookie of the Week honors this season.
Brett posted a career-high 9.925 on bars en route to a second place finish in the meet. Her impressive mark in the event also tied the second-highest bars score in program history.

REACHING REGIONALS

Pitt has qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship after earning a season RQS of 195.870, which ranks 33rd in the nation, inside the top-36 ranking needed to qualify for regionals.
The Panthers last qualified for regionals in 2013, where they placed fifth in the Southeast region with a team score of 194.775.
Pitt has qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship 20 times in program history, with its best finish coming in the 1987, 1986 and 1982 seasons, when the squad placed third.
If the Panthers' finish in the top-two of their region, they will become the first team in program history to qualify for the NCAA National Championship.

RECENT RAZORBACKS

Head coach Samantha Snider and assistant coach Ryan Snider are both graduates of Arkansas University and have spent time on the Razorbacks' coaching staff.
Samantha was a standout gymnast for the Razorbacks before graduating in 2008 and later spent time as the director of operations and assistant head coach before being named the associate head coach prior to her move to Pitt.
Ryan served as a team manager for the Razorbacks in 2014 before being named a volunteer assistant coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He is a 2017 graduate of Arkansas.

PITT VERSUS REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGERS

Pitt has faced Arkansas just twice in program history, clashing in the 2007 and 2010 seasons. The Panthers dropped both meetings to the Razorbacks.
The Panthers meeting with Boise State will be their first in program history.
Of the fellow Columbus Regional competitors, Pitt has the most history with Kent State, having met 27 times in a series that dates back to 1975. The Golden Flashes own a 19-8 all-time series edge over the Panthers, but the teams have traded victories in their last two meetings, with Pitt earning a 196.125-195.975 win in 2014 and Kent State posting a 195.750-191.175 victory in the 2015 season.
The Panthers have faced the host school 25 times in program history, with the Buckeyes holding a 21-4 all-time series edge against Pitt. The Panthers last win against Ohio State came via a 192.925-192.850 victory Feb. 11, 2006.
Pitt has never faced UCLA, with Saturday's meet marking the first contest between the Panthers and Bruins.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

Arkansas is 8-14-1 this season with a 2-7 mark in the SEC.
Most recently, the Razorbacks placed fifth in the SEC Championship with a 196.425.
Arkansas owns an overall RQS of 196.820, which ranks 10th in the nation. They rank seventh in the nation on bars (49.340), 10th on beam (49.285), are tied for 20th on floor (49.265) and rank 25th on vault (49.055).
Redshirt freshman Sarah Shaffer leads the team on floor with an RQS of 9.905 (tied for 26th in the nation). Freshman Sophia Carter ranks first on beam at 9.900 (tied for 24th in the nation) and senior Braie Speed heads the team on bars with a 9.900 (tied for 29th in the nation) and on vault at 9.890 (tied for 23rd in the nation).

SCOUTING BOISE STATE

Boise State owns a 15-2 overall record and a 5-1 MRGC record.
In their last meet, the Broncos earned a 196.875 en route to a first place finish at the MRGC Championship.
Boise State sports an overall RQS of 196.745, which ranks 15th in the nation. The Broncos rank 14th in the nation on floor (49.300) and on vault (49.160), are tied for 16th on bars (49.220) and rank 26th on beam (49.090).
Junior Shani Remme leads the team on floor with an RQS of 9.915 (tied for 17th in the nation), on beam at 9.900 (tied for 24th in the nation) and on bars with a 9.895 (tied for 34th in the nation) while senior Ann Stockwell ranks first on vault at 9.870 (tied for 43rd in the nation).

SCOUTING KENT STATE

Kent State is 9-12 this season with a 3-3 mark in the MAC.
Most recently, the Golden Flashes placed sixth in the MAC Championship with a 194.375.
Kent State owns an overall RQS of 195.855, which ranks 34th in the nation. They rank 23rd in the nation on floor (49.250) and bars (49.180), are tied for 38th on beam (48.860) and rank 45th on vault (48.840).
Senior Rachel Stypinski leads the team on beam with an RQS of 9.920 (tied for 10th in the nation), on bars at 9.910 (tied for 15th in the nation) and on floor with a 9.900 (tied for 33rd in the nation) while freshman Abby Fletcher ranks first on vault at 9.795.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

Ohio State owns a 17-11 overall record and a 5-4 B1G record.
In their last meet, the Buckeyes earned a 196.375 en route to a fifth place finish at the B1G Championship.
Ohio State sports an overall RQS of 196.215, which ranks 25th in the nation. The Buckeyes are tied for 15th in the nation on floor (49.295), rank 22nd on bars (49.185), rank 23rd on vault (49.085) and are tied for 38th on beam (48.860).
Senior Alexis Mattern leads the team on floor with an RQS of 9.890 (tied for 50th in the nation) and on vault at 9.860 (tied for 53rd in the nation). Freshman Jenna Swartzentruber ranks first on bars with a 9.865 (tied for 67th in the nation) while junior Jamie Stone heads the team on beam at 9.830.

SCOUTING UCLA

UCLA is 22-2 this season with an 8-1 mark in the PAC-12.
Most recently, the Bruins placed first in the PAC-12 Championship with a 197.500.
UCLA owns an overall RQS of 197.840, which ranks third in the nation. They rank first in the nation on floor (49.575), second on beam (49.570) and fourth on vault (49.435) and bars (49.425).
Redshirt senior Christine Peng-Peng Lee leads the team on beam with an RQS of 9.985 (ranks first in the nation). Junior Katelyn Ohashi ranks first on floor at 9.970 (tied for first in the nation). Sophomore Kyla Ross heads the team on bars with a 9.960 (tied for first in the nation) while senior Napualani Hall leads the team on vault at 9.915 (ranks ninth in the nation).

RELEVANT RANKINGS

The Panthers rank fourth in the North East Region and 33rd in the nation with an RQS of 195.870.
Pitt ranks third in the North East Region on bars with an RQS of 49.155, on floor at 49.075, on vault with a 48.955 and fourth on beam at 48.805.
The Panthers RQS of 49.155 on bars also ranks 26th in the nation and their 48.955 on vault ranks 32nd.
Individually, Brechwald is tied for 46th in the nation in the all-around with an RQS of 39.285, tied for 68th on floor with a 9.880 and tied for 85th on vault with a 9.840. Senior Catie Conrad is tied for 78th in the all-around with an RQS of 39.000 and tied for 89th on bars with a 9.855.

STARS ON BARS

The 2018 Panther squad currently owns four of the top five bars scores in program history.
Pitt set a new program record in a dual meet against New Hampshire, earning a 49.275, which broke the 49.250 mark set by the 1999 squad. The Panthers then earned a 49.275 on bars for the second time this season in the EAGL Championship March 24.
They also recorded a 49.250 (tied third all-time) in a quad meet against Texas Woman's University, Auburn and NC State before posting a 49.175 (ranks fifth all-time) in a tri-meet against George Washington and West Virginia.
The team currently ranks 26th in the nation on bars with an RQS of 49.155 and has ranked as high as 16th during the season.
Conrad currently owns the team's top RQS on bars with a 9.855, followed by Brechwald and Brett at 9.840, sophomore Lucy Jones with a 9.825, sophomore Megan Tripp at 9.810 and senior Taylor Laymon with a 9.780.

A FRESHMAN TO FEAR

Brechwald earned EAGL Rookie of the Year honors after receiving an EAGL-record six Rookie of the Week awards over the course of the season.
Brechwald has collected 12 individual titles through 11 meets. She earned the beam title in Pitt's final home meet of the season March 4. Brechwald also earned the bars title in Pitt's tri-meet at WVU and took the all-around title in the Panthers' quad meet at TWU. She earned the bars, floor and all-around titles in Pitt's home quad meet against NC State, Temple and Towson. Versus New Hampshire, Brechwald took home the bars, floor and all-around title. Against Oregon State, she won vault, bars and the all-around title.
She currently ranks first on the team in RQS on floor with a 9.880 and on vault at 9.840 while being tied for first on beam with a 9.820 and tied for second on bars at 9.840. Her all-around RQS of 39.285 is also tops on the team.

UP NEXT

If the Panthers place in the top-two in the Columbus Regional, they will head to Saint Louis, Mo., to compete in the NCAA National Championship Saturday, April 21.
Pitt will also have a shot to send individuals to the NCAA National Championship meet as the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championship. In addition, the event winners at each regional will advance to the national championship (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or an all-around qualifier.

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Pitt Set for NCAA Regional Championship

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Haley Brechwald

Lucy Brett

Catie Conrad

Lucy Jones

Taylor Laymon

Megan Tripp

Pitt Set for NCAA Regional Championship

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Haley Brechwald

Lucy Brett

Catie Conrad

Lucy Jones

Taylor Laymon

Megan Tripp

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