April 8, 2001

Lincoln, Neb. - Senior Cheryl Rubinger (Stockton, Calif./Lincoln) placed 11th overall in the all-around competition while teammate Amy August (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) placed 30th on the uneven bars at the NCAA South-Central Women's Gymnastics Region Championship on Saturday.

Rubinger missed advancing to the NCAA Championships on the balance beam by five hundredths of a point as she tied for second place with a mark of 9.850.

"Cheryl's performance on the beam was unbelievable," women's gymnastics coach Peter Jansson said. "It was one of her best routines of the year."

Rubinger added a 9.500 on the vault followed by a 9.650 on the uneven bars and a 9.775 on the floor exercise for an all-around score of 38.775.

Jansson was not disappointed with August as she earned a mark of 9.250 on the uneven bars.

"You can't really have a real preparation for this meet when you're just competing on one event," Jansson said. "You just can't find the feel of the meet.

"I think that's the hardest way to compete."

Following the meet, Co-Head Coach Mary Jansson was recognized as the South-Central Region's Assistant Coach of the Year while Assistant Athletic Director Susan Kovacs earned Administrator of the Year honors.

"It was a fantastic meet," Jansson said. "It was real special for the girls.

"It was a first-class experience all the way through."