Oct. 4, 2012
SEATTLE – In her seventh season as the head gymnastics coach at the University of Washington, Joanne Bowers is excited to announce the 2013 schedule. The Huskies will start something new this year. On Nov. 9, 2012 at 7 p.m., fans are welcome to join the Gym Dawgs in their training gym on the concourse level of Alaska Airlines Arena. The team will hold a free event to the public in which fans can get to know the team, watch special gymnastics skills and get excited about the upcoming season. More information about the event will be available as it gets closer. The annual Purple and Gold Meet (Intrasquad) will be held Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. on the main floor of Alaska Airlines Arena. This exhibition event will give the team a chance to perform in a “meet-like” setting with the crowd watching and not have to worry about the scores counting. The 2013 competition schedule kicks off at Minnesota on Jan. 12 at 4 p.m. PT. The Golden Gophers are one of 11 teams that made last year’s NCAA Regionals that the Huskies will face on the season. California, the University of Illinois-Chicago (2012 Regional team) and UC Davis will compete against the Huskies in the season home opener on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Washington will also host Arizona with the UW men’s team vs. Air Force (Feb. 1), Utah (Feb. 15) and BYU and Seattle Pacific (March 15) for senior night. “I am always excited when we are going against top teams in the country because I have always said you need to compete against the best to see where you compare in order to be the best,” Bowers said. “Looking even in the Pac-12 conference, seeing UCLA, Oregon State, and Utah, those are some of the top teams in the country and we get to see them not only during the regular season but at the conference championships. I think that will help us out a lot.” Perhaps the biggest non-conference road meet will be the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth Texas, near the home of senior Paige Bixler. Four teams that made the NCAA’s last year, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU and Oregon State will compete against the Huskies. “Getting to go to the Metroplex challenge down in Texas and getting to see a lot of the top programs all together on the same floor, that will get us ready for what it’s like being in the big championship meets towards the end of the season,” Bowers added. “I think that type of environment is important for your team to get used to.” Washington will also take road trips to Los Angeles to face UCLA, UC Davis and Sacramento State (Feb. 10), Tempe, Ariz., to face off against the Sun Devils (Feb. 22) and Corvallis, Ore., to meet the Beavers and Sacramento State for the second time on the season (March 9). The road meet at OSU will be a good test just two weeks before the Pac-12 Championships that will be hosted by the Beavers this season. The conference will once again split the teams into two sessions at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. “I love the idea of going to the school that we know Pac-12’s is going to be located at,” said Bowers. “We are going to try to stay in the same hotel and try to do the same things on both trips. Sometimes on the away trips you’re trying to keep things as normal as possible. This gives us a great opportunity to do that. If we end up getting placed there for Regionals, and go there three times, let’s start counting this as a home event for us. You just get used to the equipment, used to the environment, plus Oregon State is the only venue we can bus to. It ends up being a really good trip for us. We love going down there. Their environment is great, they run a wonderful meet. I’m excited to go down there for a meet and then back for Pac-12’s.” NCAA Regionals begin on April 6. Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Florida and West Virginia are the six teams that were pre-selected to host this season. The NCAA Championships will be hosted by UCLA April 19-21. |
