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Three Rutgers gymnasts qualify for NCAA Regionals

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Rutgers
Hannah Joyner looks to extend her decorated career. Photo credit Rutgers Athletics

Rutgers gymnastics will have three student-athletes competing at next week’s NCAA Regional Championships. They are senior Hannah Joyner as well as juniors Emily Leese and Stephanie Zannella. The competition takes place in Norman, Oklahoma on Thursday, March 30. It’s the 13th straight season that RU has competed at an NCAA Regional.

Joyner is making her third straight NCAA Regional appearance after another standout campaign. She qualified for the all-around with a NQS of 39.410.

Last week, she became the first Scarlet Knight in program history to be named a four time First Team All-Big Ten selection. Earlier this season, Joyner also earned the program’s first ever Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors.

Joyner produced the three best scores in program history this season alone, including the record score of 39.575. She also holds the program record in the beam with a 9.950, which she has equaled three times. The senior has recorded scores of 9.9 or higher 39 times in her career, a program record, including 11 time this season. Joyner led Rutgers to a program record with a team score of 196.875 on Senior Day earlier this month.

Leese qualified for regionals for the second time in her career with a 9.8750 NQS on vault. She tied the program record of 9.925 on vault earlier this month.

Zannella will compete at regionals for the first time in her career. She qualified on the beam with a NQS of 9.885. A strong finish to the season included three scores of 9.925 in the final five meets of the season. This includes last week’s Big Ten Championships in which she finished seventh on the beam out of 60 competitors.

Session I of the NCAA Regionals takes place at 2 p.m. ET on March 30. In order to advance to the NCAA Championships, the top gymnast in each event not on a team advancing to nationals will qualify. Joyner will compete in the all-around, Leese on vault and Zanella on beam.

Good luck to all three Scarlet Knights!

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