March 25, 2002

AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts junior uneven bar specialist Katie Teft (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was invited to the 2002 National Collegiate Northeast Regional in University Park, Pa., it was announced on Monday by the NCAA. Teft won the uneven bar competition at the Verizon Atlantic 10 Championships last weekend, recording a conference-record tying 9.950.

Six teams, five all-around competitors (who are not on a qualifying team) and one individual event specialist per event were named to each of the six regions. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala., April 18-20, hosted by the University of Alabama.

In addition, the event winners at the regional championships will advance to the national championships (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or the all-around qualifiers.

"We're very excited that Katie has been selected to the NCAA Regionals," head coach Dave Kuzara, the 2002 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year said, "I think she has a really good chance of winning an NCAA Championship on uneven bars."

Teams that will compete at the Northeast Regional hosted by Penn State University include Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, George Washington, Pittsburgh and host Penn State. Also competing will be individual all-arounders Katie Russo of Rutgers, Cicely Warrington of Temple, Brooke Hamilton of Rhode Island and Yale's Kathryn Fong and Jamie Green.

-UMASS-