Four Panthers set to Compete at 2016 NCAA Regional Championship
4/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
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PITTSBURGH – Senior Pitt gymnasts Lindsay Offutt and Miya Dotson, along with juniors Tracey Pearson and Kelly Burak will represent the University of Pittsburgh on Saturday, April 2 at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional Championship, hosted by the University of Michigan. The meet will take place at the Crisler Center and is slated to begin at 6 p.m.
Offutt and Pearson will compete as all-around competitors, while Dotson will compete on bars. Burak was named an alternate on beam.
THE SETUP
• As all-around competitors, Offutt and Pearson will each rotate with designated teams. Offutt will compete alongside Auburn throughout the meet, while Pearson will rotate with Eastern Michigan.
• Dotson will compete in group two of the individual event specialists and will perform on bars during the third rotation.
LAST TIME OUT
• The University of Pittsburgh gymnastics team made program history as the Panthers scored a season-high 195.675 to win the EAGL Championship for the first time on March 19 at the Fitzgerald Field House.
• Pitt earned the championship nod after it outscored New Hampshire [2nd-195.525], reigning EAGL champs George Washington [3rd-195.350], North Carolina [4th-194.975], NC State [5th-194.500] and Towson [6th-193.875]. The Panthers score was the eighth best in program history and it marked the second time the team has hit it this season.
• Offutt concluded her career at home being named the all-around winner with a 39.525. The senior placed first on beam with a season-high 9.950, which also tied her career-high and the second-highest score in Pitt history. Offutt finished tied for second on floor with a 9.900, while tying for third on both vault (9.850) and bars (9.825).
• Dotson also finished her career at home with a first-place finish, tying for the lead spot on bars with a 9.850.
• Pearson rounded out the top-five finishes for the Panthers, as she tied for third with Offutt on vault (9.850).
• The 2016 season marks the second year Offutt will compete as an individual at Regionals. Last year, she competed on beam and tied for sixth place overall with a 9.875. Offutt has her eyes set on qualifying for the 2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships (April 14-17) in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Offutt shattered Pitt’s 17 year old all-around record (39.400) that stood since 1999 when she scored a career-high 39.575 versus Towson and Penn on February 12.
• The senior led the Panthers to their first EAGL Championship title in program history, earning wins on beam (9.950) and in the all-around (39.525).
• Offutt earned EAGL All-Tournament first team honors on all four events and in the all-around.
• She was awarded EAGL Senior Gymnast of the Year and was named to the All-EAGL first team of every event including the all-around. Offutt was the only gymnast in the EAGL to accomplish that feat.
• She currently ranks 21st in the nation in the all-around with a regional qualifying score of 39.350.
• Offutt posted 24 first-place finishes in 2016.
• In 2016 she set new career-high scores or tied her current best on all four events and in the all-around.
• Pearson enters Regionals ranked 72nd in the nation in the all-around with an RQS of 38.845.
• She posted career-high scores on all four events this season and in the all-around.
• Pearson earned EAGL All-Tournament first team honors on vault and in the all-around. She was named to the second team on floor.
• The junior garnered All-EAGL first team honors on vault and floor and was a second team honoree as an all-around competitor.
• Pearson ended the season with five first-place finishes, including three on vault and two in the all-around.
• Dotson sits 117th in the nation on bars with an RQS of 9.830. She averaged a 9.792 this season and had a high of 9.925.
• Dotson finished first four times this season, three of which came on bars and the final coming at the EAGL Championship.
• She scored career-high marks on bars and floor this season.
• Dotson garnered EAGL All-Tournament first team honors on bars.
• She was named to the All-EAGL first team on bars and was a second team honoree on floor.
• Burak competed in every meet this season for the Panthers on beam in the fifth lineup spot.
• She earned a career-high 9.875 on the event in 2016, hitting that mark twice this season.
• The junior was named to the EAGL All-Tournament first team on beam and garnered All-EAGL second team honors on the event as well.
ANN ARBOR REGIONAL INFORMATION
Teams
No. 6 Auburn
No. 7 Michigan
No. 18 Stanford
No. 24 Eastern Michigan
No. 25 Penn State
No. 33 New Hampshire
All-Around Competitors
Lindsay Offutt, Pittsburgh
Libby Groden, Rutgers
Majesta Valentine, West Chester
Tracey Pearson, Pittsburgh
Alt. – Kelsey Campbell, Bridgeport
Individual Event Specialists
Vault – Nicolette Wilson, Rutgers
Vault – Michelle Amoresano, Rutgers
Alt. – Riahanah Ali, Rutgers
Uneven Bars – Christine Liautaud, Bridgeport
Uneven Bars – Miya Dotson, Pittsburgh
Alt. – Makenzey Shank, Rutgers
Balance Beam – Kaitlin Green, Cornell
Balance Beam – Brianna Comport, Bridgeport
Alt. – Kelly Burak, Pittsburgh
Floor Exercise – Brianna Comport, Bridgeport
Floor Exercise – Randi Cutolo, Bridgeport
Alt. – Riahanah Ali, Rutgers
#H2P
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