Led by senior tri-captains Lindsey Compitello, Nicci Filchner and two-time All-American Randi Liljenquist, the Arizona gymnastics team jumped into the national spotlight and earned its first NCAA Championships berth since 1996.

During the season, Liljenquist broke school records in the All-Around (39.775), beam and bars, with the latter two being perfect 10.000 marks.

"Randi had one of the best years in UA history," head coach Bill Ryden said. "For her to have that in her last year is really special for her as an athlete, and all of us who had the opportunity to be a part of it."

While Liljenquist dominated on the mats during her senior campaign, Compitello capped off her career by earning her second straight all-conference academic honor, maintaining a 3.75 cumulative GPA.

It was not just the seniors who stood tall for the upstart Gymcats, as a host of underclassmen stepped into the spotlight for the untested Arizona squad.

Sophomore Andi McCabe and freshmen Monica Bisordi and Katie Johnson each earned All-Pacific 10 Conference honors for their performances during their first season in Tucson.

Along with the individual accomplishments, the team showed poise in matching up with some of the nation's best all season long, as the Pac-10 held five schools ranked in the top 20 nationally.

Looking ahead to next season, the now accomplished Gymcats should be able to match the success they had this year, which included a second-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships, a second-place finish at the South-Central Regional Championships, and the trip to nationals.

Current Junior Nikki Beyschau will be the lone returning senior next season, while the strong core of returning underclassmen, along with a few key freshmen recruits, should make next season just as memorable as this year.

Commentary: Gymcats and Icecats and Laxcats, oh my·

Brett Fera

Covering gymnastics was not quite what I had initially hoped for when I applied to work at the Wildcat. It was not that I really had anything against gymnastics as a sport, or its place at this school, it just was not one of the high-profile sports that I had hoped to be assigned to when starting out.

That was before I learned what it really meant to be an athlete at a school like Arizona, and before I realized that covering the Gymcats was actually a great opportunity, not just an assignment.

I spent the entire spring semester covering the gymnastics team for the Wildcat, and finally learned that one should not have to be a part of Mackovic's media-frenzy of a football team, or play for the winningest college basketball program over the past 15 years, to be able to earn respect and accolades for their efforts at this school.

Despite their countless accomplishments and the hard work and effort they put forth each week - off-season included - the Gymcats still do not get a fair share of attention here on campus.

We are lucky to have our basketball, football and women's softball teams be so successful that they continue to gain our school attention and notoriety year in and year out. Yet, when looking at the Arizona athletics program as a whole, it is important for us to remember that gymnastics, tennis, golf and even the Icecats and Laxcats club sports teams, along with every other "smaller" sport on campus, are what really make this place a sports fan's dream.

Here at Arizona, for every Jason Gardner or Luke Walton there is a Ricky Barnes or Stephen Capriati, and for every Jennie Finch or Bobby Wade there is a Lorena Ochoa or Randi Liljenquist standing in the background. For each major sport we have, there is a handful of others that, while not bringing in truckloads of money to the school, still deserve their days in the sun.

When we come back next fall, no doubt, I will surely be at every football game with my face painted and jiggling keys in hand. I also know that I will be up at 1 a.m. again with hordes of other die-hards, come October, just to get in line for basketball tickets before everyone else does.

But come next spring, because of that "opportunity" that I was given this year, I will be in McKale Center on Friday nights, with the other 900 people who attend, cheering on my new favorite team on campus - the Arizona Gymcats. I urge you to look beyond the gridiron and hardwood for yourself as well, you might be surprised by what you find.