TUCSON, Ariz. University of Arizona women's gymnastics head coach Bill
Ryden announced Wednesday that Monica Bisordi (San Mateo, Calif.), Jamie
Duce (Flushing, Mich.) and Katie Johnson (Moorhead, Minn.) and have signed
national letters of intent and will join the Wildcats for the 2001-2002
season.
"This is a very solid class, and all three gymnasts bring amazing talent
to the program," Ryden said. "They each will come into the program with the
ability to compete in all four events, and they will add a great deal of
depth to the team. Depth is so important, and it is great that we are
getting deeper and stronger each year."
Bisordi is a Level 10 national competitor and currently trains at the
Airborne Gymnastics Center in Santa Clara, Calif., with club coaches
Melanie Rugeiro and Steve Ohel. Bisordi, who has participated in club
gymnastics for eight years, was a U.S. National Team member in 1997.
Bisordi competed at the 1999 Junior Olympic National Championships, where
she placed sixth in the all-around and tied for seventh on beam. She
finished seventh in the all-around at the 2000 Pontiac Junior Olympic
National Championships. Bisordi, a product of Notre Dame Prep High School
in Belmont, Calif., also trained alongside current Wildcat freshman Cori
Messina.
"Monica is a very quick and explosive athlete, and she is very talented,"
Ryden said. "She is a high-quality recruit out of California, and we are
excited about having her join the program because she will be able to
contribute right away in every event."
Another Level 10 gymnast, Duce comes to Arizona from Geddert's Twistars
USA gymnastics club in Lansing, Mich. She currently trains with coaches
John and Kathryn Geddert and has participated in club gymnastics for the
last seven years. Duce tied for 12th in the all-around at the 2000 Pontiac
Junior Olympic National Championships. She tied for third on bars at the
1999 Junior Olympic National Championships in Austin, Texas. Duce attends
Flushing High School in Flushing, Mich.
"Jamie is a good all-around gymnast, and she is already improving upon
where she was at the national meet last season. She is has been very
impressive on bars, and she is a strong all-arounder," Ryden said.
Johnson, the class' third Level 10 competitor, is a member of the American
Gold Gymnastics club in Fargo, N.D., and trains with club coach Amy Sahli.
Johnson, who attends Moorhead High School in Moorhead, Minn., has competed
at the club gymnastics level for eight years. She is a six-time North
Dakota state champion, a four-time Junior Olympic National Team qualifier
and a 1996 National Team member. Johnson finished fourth on floor in the
1998 Junior Olympic national finals and 19th in the all-around.
"Katie's two best events are vault and floor, and she will be able to
contribute to the lineup in those events immediately. She is working hard
and getting better on bars and beam, and she will add so much to our
depth," Ryden said.
Arizona opens the 2001 season on Sunday, Jan. 14, when the Wildcats hit
the road for a quadrangular meet against North Carolina State, James
Madison and New Hampshire, in Raleigh, N.C.
