History-Making UB Women's Gymnastics Team Puts On Strong Showing At NCAA Gainesville Regional

Gainesville, Fla.-The University of Bridgeport women's gymnastics team held its own versus some of the best intercollegiate squads in the nation at the2013 NCAA Gainesville Regional hosted by the University of Florida on Saturday night.  Bridgeport, only the second NCAA Division II school in history to qualify as a team for an NCAA Regional slot, posted a team score of 194.225.  Host Florida took first place in the regional with a score of 198.400.  The University of Minnesota was second with a score of 197.100, flowed by Auburn (196.700), Maryland (195.575), Pittsburgh (194.775) and the Purple Knights (194.225).  Florida and Minnesota now move on to the 2013 NCAA Women's Gymnastics national Championship Meet that will be hosted in Los Angeles, California by UCLA from April 19-21.

Senior Monica Mesalles Sallares (Barcelona, Spain) was UB's top finishers in the floor exercise as she tied for tenth place with a score of 9,850, and she was the Purple Knights top finisher on the vault with a score of 9.875 which tied her for eleventh place.

Sophomore Sasha Tsikhanovich (Marysville, Ohio) was UB's top finisher on the beam with a score of 9.775 which tied her for sixteenth place in the event.  Sasha finished eighth in the all-around, as she posted a total score of 39.200 in the four events.

Junior Lissette La Fex (Diamond Bar, Calif.) was the top Purple Knight on the bars scoring 9.800 which put her in a tie for seventeenth place.  Lissette took thirteenth in the all-around with a total of 38.775.

At the conclusion of Saturday's action, the 2013 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Women's Awards were announced, and Bridgeport's Monica Mesalles Sallares was named the Division II Gymnast of the Year, plus head coach Byron Knox was named Division II National Coach of the Year and assistant coach Becky Caravetta was selected Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Up next for the Bridgeport women's gymnastics team is a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana next weekend (April 12-13-14) for the 2013 USAG National Championship where the Purple Knights will be looking to win their fifth straight national championship.  Centenary College is serving as the host for this year's USAG National Championship which will have the team competition on Friday and Saturday followed by the individual event finals on Sunday.