STUBBLEFIELD, BOYCE, MEILLER EARN BERTH INTO NCAA POSTSEASON

3/30/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eryn Stubblefield, Cayla Boyce and Nicole Meiller will each represent the Sacramento State gymnastics team at the NCAA West Regional on April 10. Stubblefield will compete in the all-around while Boyce and Meiller will be the beam and vault specialist, respectively.

Sacramento State has now had at least three gymnasts compete in the postseason for the last eight years and has had one representative each season since 1994. The NCAA assigns the top 36 teams in the nation to the six regionals. After those teams have been seeded, the next five all-arounders in each region are awarded berths based upon their season Regional Qualifying Score. Following that, one event specialist is also invited.

This year's regional will be held at UCLA and also includes Arkansas, Iowa State, Arizona, BYU and Arizona State. Sacramento State finished the season ranked 42nd nationally with an RQS of 193.525. The final regional team spot went to North Carolina with an RQS of 194.385.

Stubblefield was one of five all-arounders that were at-large selections to the West Regional. The Corvallis, Ore., native competed in the all-around in each meet this season and becomes just the fourth Hornet to qualify for the NCAA postseason each year of their career. She was a member of the team which advanced in 2007 and 2008 and also competed as an all-arounder last year.

Boyce will be making her first NCAA appearance and most recently won the Western Athletic Conference title on beam with a 9.875. The sophomore had five scores of at least 9.800 during the season and is ranked ninth in the West Region with an RQS of 9.830.

Meiller used a career-high vault of 9.825 at the WAC Championships to earn her berth to the meet. The freshman averaged 9.750 over her final four meets and became the first Sacramento State vaulter to qualify for regionals since Kimiye Narasaki in 2003.