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Life > Athletics > Gymnastics > 4/15/06
REHM AND ARNO WIN INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
ITHACA , N.Y. – Texas Woman’s University continued right where they left off by winning two individual event National titles at the 2006 USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships.
Bethany Rehm won the uneven bars and Courtney Arno captured the balance beam on the third and final day of competition.
“We had great representation in the finals,” head coach Frank Kudlac said. “The leg events (vault and floor) showed third day fatigue. It’s difficult to compete for three days. But having two national champions out of the four is phenomenal.”
The meet was a combination of the men and women event finals. On the ladies side, they competed in Olympic order competing on the vault twice. The men staggered their six events into the four rotations.
Rehm ended her Pioneer career with a 9.725 on the bars. Brisa Fuentes earned third place with a 9.575 after winning the event last year. Amber McMeans also competed on bars with a 9.050 mark.
“I was excited to win bars and really just to make it to finals. I did my normal routine and one thing at a time,” Rehm added. “It’s like the exclamation point on a senior year to win.”
“What a storybook ending for Bethany’s career. Winning her freshman year and than finishing her senior season with another title and an individual championship,” Kudlac said. “She struggled with her bar routine all fall. We really worked hard on overcoming a lot of obstacles. Perseverance was her middle name and got her to this point.”
Arno followed that up with a 9.75 on the beam. Last season, she finished seventh in the event finals.
“It’s exciting. I was just trying to go out there and have fun today,” Arno stated. “I went out hoping to do my best. I knew I had a chance to win so I tried to relax and give it my all. Last night was more exciting but today was a good way to top it off.”
“The word for Courtney is revenge,” Kudlac said. “I think she thought about her fall yesterday in team finals. She came back with a vengeance to claim a national championship and certainly did that.”
The duo of Nakia Westbrook (9.0125) and Brittany Parker competed on the vault. Nicole Poling (9.550) represented TWU with an eighth place finish on the floor exercise.
All seven gymnasts earned All-America honors by advancing to the individual finals. Additionally, the Pioneers had five gymnasts named USAG Scholar-Athletes prior to the meet. Arno, Rehm, Westbrook, McMeans and Brenda Campbell were honored by virtue of being a junior or senior and having a 3.25 grade point average or higher.
The Pioneers concluded the 2006 season with a successful postseason run. TWU won their eighth USAG National Championship and captured the Midwest Independent Conference Championship.
TWU is returning to Texas on Sunday. The team lands at the DFW airport at 3:51 p.m. and arrives in Denton at 5:00 p.m. They will be on campus in the parking lot by the tennis courts east of Pioneer Hall.
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