BSU Gymnasts Look for First Team Dance

Boise State has sent many an individual gymnast to the NCAA Championships but never their whole team! Now for the 11th straight year the Broncos once again have a chance to dance, as a team, in the NCAA National Championships April 20-21 in St. Louis.

First they have to compete at an NCAA  regional in Columbus, Ohio April 7th. There the 15th ranked Broncos will be joined by #3 UCLA, 10th ranked Arkansas, the home team Ohio State plus Kent State and Pittsburgh.

The regional in Columbus is one of six regionals across the country from which the top two teams from each regional advance to the National Championships.

Five times since 2009 the Broncos have finished 3rd failing to advance as a team. Once again the numbers would suggest Boise State is looking at another third place finish with UCLA and Arkansas both ranked ahead of them. Throw in a Big 10 home team like Ohio State and it's easy to see how tough a regional the Broncos have drawn.

UCLA is the reigning Pac 12 Champions but Arkansas, although 10th in the nation, was only 5th in their SEC Championships.

Each of the last two years Boise State has finished 3rd at regionals only to watch Shanni Remme, now a junior, compete individually in balance beam in 2016 and the All-Around last year.

Boise State is hoping 2018 is a team effort and if so it would be a first for a gymnastics program that has been one of the best for years but just unable to crack into the ranks of the elite.