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Life > Athletics > Gymnastics > 3/28/06
ARNO AND FUENTES EARN SPOTS AT NCAA SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONALS
 DENTON , Texas – Texas Woman’s University junior Courtney Arno and sophomore Brisa Fuentes will compete as individual gymnasts in the 2006 South Central Regional Championship on April 8 at the University of Arkansas. The meet starts at 6:00 p.m. in Barnhill Arena.
Arno was selected on the uneven bars and balance beam. Fuentes was tabbed for the floor exercise.
The 18 th-ranked Lady Razorbacks will host the meet with No. 3 Florida, No. 9 UCLA, No. 30 Illinois, No. 42 Illinois-Chicago and No. 49 Southeast Missouri State.
The Pioneers gymnasts will compete with the Fighting Illini squad which starts the meet on bars. Next is the beam followed by a bye, floor, vault and another bye to end the competition.
 “We are very excited to have two student-athletes qualify. Brisa and Courtney both certainly deserve to compete and can do very well,” head coach Frank Kudlac said. “I believe they both have quality routines and will represent TWU with pride.”
Arno qualified on the bars with a Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) of 9.810. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the USAG and 19th in the South Central Region. She has a season-high of 9.875 and has won the event three times this season.
On the beam, Arno has a RQS of 9.770. Right now she is first in the USAG standings and 25 th in the region. She recorded a season-best score of 9.825 in the Pioneers’ season-opening quadrangular meet.
Fuentes earned her spot on the floor with a RQS of 9.775. At this time she holding first place in the USAG floor rankings and is 25 th in the region. Fuentes recorded a season-high score of 9.850 at the Midwest Independent Conference Championships to win the event.
Nakia Westbrook was also chosen as an alternate on the vault. If Meghan Koshman of Illinois State is unable to compete prior to April 4, Westbrook will take her place.
“I think this is a great experience leading up into the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships,” Kudlac added. “The student-athletes will benefit by performing at a big meet type of environment.”
As a team, TWU turned in a RQS of 191.530, which was just behind Southeast Missouri State (192.005) for one of the six team slots. The Pioneers are the top team in the USAG standings heading into the collegiate national championships, April 13-15, at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
The last two seasons, individuals have qualified for NCAA Regionals but Kudlac declined the invitations. The last time the Pioneers competed in the regional meet was in 2003 when TWU sent Luci Romberg, Stephanie Loudat and Amber McMeans.
The highest a Pioneer gymnast has placed in NCAA Regionals is a tie for eighth place when Kim Koenig competed as an all-arounder in 1999.
Live statistics from the South Central Region Championship will be available on the Arkansas web site at www.ladybacks.com during the meet.
Tickets for the regional championship are on sale at the Arkansas Ticket Office. Fans can call 877-LADYBACK or log on to LADYBACKS.COM for more ticket information.
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