There's been very little chatter on this...annnnnd I'm guessing not too many of us are major gymnastics fans...but this is still a major event, bringing in people from all parts of the country.  Press is happening in newspapers all over as well as national coverage.

 

Hopefully, this event is well attended and puts Cleveland in the positive spotlight.  Here's some local press so far:

 

Coaches thrilled to bring competition to Cleveland: NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships Insider

Published: Friday, April 15, 2011, 1:26 AM    Updated: Friday, April 15, 2011, 1:34 AM

By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

 

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland is a rare "neutral" site for the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships.

 

The event is usually hosted on the campus of one of sport's power teams. So all are anxious to see how Cleveland, Kent State and Cleveland State do as hosts of the event away from the Southeastern Conference, Big 12 or Pac-10 arena traditionally aligned with the event.

 

"I think it's a positive thing for our sport," Oregon State coach Tonya Chaplin said. "Whenever we are able to go into a [new] area, bringing NCAA gymnastics to a community that may not have it close, it is always exciting because it brings more interest and hopefully gets someone new hooked on our sport.

 

"Hopefully that will even help Kent State get more people in the future go watch the competitions there. It's really, really exciting to see Kent State here. I think that is so good for our sport. It makes it more challenging for the rest of us, but it is healthy for the sport."

 

Cleveland State received kudos for its Wolstein Arena setup for the event from Georgia coach Jay Clark.

 

"The arena is fantastic," he said. "It is the right size for this event. It appears to be something that will feel full, based upon what we know about ticket sales. I haven't been to Cleveland but one other time, and not knowing what to expect, I've been pleasantly surprised."

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2011/04/coaches_thrilled_to_bring_comp.html

 

 

And our local team is the cinderella story and co-host, Kent State University:

 

Kent State flying high into NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships in Cleveland

Published: Friday, April 15, 2011, 1:13 AM    Updated: Friday, April 15, 2011, 1:34 AM

By Elton Alexander, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kent State women's gymnastics coach Brice Biggin has received a lot of glad hands and backslaps for leading the Golden Flashes into this weekend's 12-team NCAA Championships at the Wolstein Center.

 

But none was as welcome as the one earlier this week from longtime KSU golf coach Herb Page.

 

"Herb came up to me the other day and said, 'You're with the rest of us now,' " a beaming Biggin said. "Coming from Herb, who is the coach of coaches at Kent, that was special. That means a lot."

 

Gymnastics joins other successful KSU programs like wrestling, field hockey, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf and baseball that have all advanced to NCAA Championships in recent years.

 

Biggin spoke Thursday from the floor of the Wolstein Center, where he and his team are the clear underdog beside favorites Alabama, UCLA and Oklahoma. Opposing coaches searched him out to say congratulations and to wish him good luck, understanding it is no small feat for a program like Kent to stand with the sport's elite.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2011/04/kent_state_flying_high_into_nc.html