Gymnasts Kick Off 2009 at Cancun Classic

PROVO -- The BYU gymnastics team will kick off the 2009 season this Friday as the Cougars compete in the sixth annual Cancun Gymnastics Classic in Cancun, Mexico. The Cougars will officially begin their 2009 campaign in the evening session of the Classic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. MT on Friday.

“This is our first real competition, and we’re ready to get going and see who can step up for us,” said BYU head coach Brad Cattermole, whose squad has no seniors this season. “We’ve got a good group of kids, and I know if we perform at our best, we can be very successful.”

BYU has become an annual participant in the event and will be competing against Oregon State, Stanford and Denver, all three of whom competed at last season’s NCAA Championship with the Cardinal finishing third. Michigan, LSU, North Carolina and Boise State will be squaring off in the afternoon session. In addition to experiencing a high level of competition, the Cougars will see a preview of coming attractions as BYU will face Oregon State (Jan. 9), Boise State (Feb. 20, March 6) and Denver (March 9) again during the upcoming season.

The Cougars will also have a chance to strut their stuff in front of a younger generation of gymnasts as numerous clubs and Junior Olympic competitors gather at the event. Last year, 35 clubs and over 600 JO competitors from all over the world competed at the Classic.