Gustavus gymnasts Laura Hansen and Aryn Bell will take part in the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) this Friday and Saturday at Cortland State University in Cortland, New York. Hansen qualified individually on the balance beam, while Bell qualified on the vault. This will be the third consecutive year that Hansen has participated at the national meet, however it will be the first appearance for Bell.
The championships will begin on Friday evening at 5 p.m. (CDT) with the team competition and all-around finals. The event will continue on Saturday with the individual event finals. Hansen and Bell will compete in their respective events on Friday night with the top 12 scores on Friday advancing to the event finals on Saturday afternoon.
Hansen, a junior from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., competed on the uneven bars and balance beam this season for the Gusties. She qualified for the NCGA Championships with a season average score of 9.185 on the balance beam. Hansen finished seventh on the beam at the NCGA West Region meet with a season high score of 9.40. Hansen’s two previous appearances at the national meet have been on the uneven bars, so this will be her first appearance on the balance beam.
Bell, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., competed on the vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise this season. She qualified for the NCGA Championships with a season average score of 9.2275 on the vault. Bell placed 13th at the NCGA West Region meet with a score of 9.225. Her top score of the season was a 9.275 at the Gustavus Triangular on January 31. This will be Bell’s first appearance at the national meet.