Click to hear Brooke Morari’s comments

Click to hear Amber Basgall’s comments

Click to hear Trista Condren’s comments

Click to hear Marina Borisova’s comments

Click to hear coach Kim Hughes’ comments

For the second time in the history of Sacramento State’s gymnastics program the Hornets will be competing at the NCAA West Regional as a team on Saturday at Maples Pavilion on the campus of Stanford University.

The Hornets of April 7 are a far cry from the team that opened the year dead last at the Oahu Invitational with a 188.075. Head coach Kim Hughes is proud of the team’s accomplishments since that Jan. 3 meet.

“Being the second time we’ve ever made it (to Regionals) it is a very big deal,” Hughes said. “This is like the first round of NCAA playoffs for most sports so we’re very excited to be a part of that. I’m very proud of this year’s team’s accomplishments.”

In the Hornets’ first year of competition in the Western Athletic Conference, a solid performance of 193.50 at the WAC championships two weeks ago was enough to hold off Boise State for the conference crown.

Hughes has quietly built a very consistent program for the Hornets over his 25 years as head coach. Gymnastics has won the conference title each of the last three times the program has jumped up to a more nationally competitive conference, taking the Western Independent Conference in 1996, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation 2002 and this year’s title.

No. 8 Stanford and No. 5 Alabama are expected to dominate the competition on Saturday, however freshman Marina Borisova is confident she will make an impression on the field for the 31st-ranked Hornets.

“I think I have some chance to make nationals,” Borisova said. “We’re relaxed, we’re not scared. I believe in our team.”

Borisova won the floor title and Freshman of the Year award at the WAC finals in Logan, Utah.

If Sac State is able to meet the team goal of third place, it will be a vast improvement from the 1999 season that ended with a sixth-place finish at the regionals in Corvallis, Ore.