Highlights of Minnesota's meet against Penn State.
2012 Season: Qualified for NCAA National Championships in the all around • competed in the all around every meet except for one • claimed first place four times in the all around and floor, twice on beam and once on vault • began the season by snagging first in the all around with a 38.925 and floor with a 9.875 against Ohio State (1/7) • grabbed first in the all around with a 38.825 and beam with a 9.850 at Illinois (1/14) • tied for first on floor with a 9.850 at Best of Minnesota (2/11) • recorded a season-high beam score of 9.875 versus Nebraska (2/18) • set three career-highs (vault - 9.875, bars - 9.825 and all around - 39.450) and tied two season-highs (beam - 9.875 and floor - 9.875) at Iowa (2/24) while also taking first in vault, beam, floor and the all around • took first in the all around with a 39.225 and helped the Gophers notch a season-high on floor with a 49.325 against Iowa State (3/10) • helped Minnesota score a season-high bars score of 49.075 • assisted the Golden Gophers in notching a season-high vault score of 49.300 • scored a 39.125 in the all around to finish fifth at NCAA Regionals and qualify for Nationals • finished 16th in her session at NCAA Nationals with a 38.900 all around score • named 2012 Team Most Valuable Performer • received her second letter.
2011 Season: Competed in the all around competition in the first two meets of the season before sitting out due to an elbow injury • Going into NCAA Regionals she averaged 9.818 on both beam and floor from the seven times she has competed in the events • Made her Golden Gopher debut against Ohio State in the Big Ten Conference season opener by scoring 9.600 on vault, 9.650 on uneven bars, 9.825 on balance beam for a second place finish in the event, and 9.775 on floor, for an all around second-place mark of 38.850 • Improved her all around score to 38.925, taking third place, against Iowa by tallying scores of a 9.550, a 9.675, a second place 9.825, a first place 9.875 in the respective events of vault, bars, beam, and floor • Was back in the line-up for two events against Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 25 where she earned a career-high 9.850 on balance beam, good enough for second place in the event, and 9.750 on floor • Tallied marks of 9.775 and 9.850 for beam and floor respectively at the meet on Feb. 27 against UCLA • Set a career-high mark of 9.900 on balance beam at Iowa State on Mar. 4 to take first place in the event • She also scored 9.725 on floor against the Cyclones • Posted 9.850 on beam and set a career-best 9.900 on floor against NC State on Mar. 12 • In the meet, she took the beam title and shared the floor title • Saw scores of 9.700 on beam and 9.850 on floor at the Big Ten Championship Meet on Mar. 19 • Competed in Ann Arbor, Mich. at the NCAA Regional Meet where she earned marks of 9.825 on beam and 9.850 on floor • Owned the second-highest score on the team on balance beam • Also tied for the top score on the team for floor exercise • Dusti finished the season ranked among the Big Ten Conference in two events with a No. 11 spot for balance beam and a No. 16 spot for floor exercise • Nationally, she came in at No. 47 on balance beam and No. 97 on floor.
High School / Club: A 2010 graduate of Oshkosh West High School • Trained at the Oshkosh Gymnastics Center • Club coaches were Dale and Phyllis Hardt • A four-time Junior Olympic Level 10 National Championship qualifier (2006-09) • As a junior in 2009, she won three Wisconsin state titles (bars, beam, floor), and was the state runner-up in the all around • At the regional meet in 2009, Russell notched four top-three finishes • Was the regional beam champion, and was the runner up on floor • Placed third on bars and in the all around • At the 2009 J.O. national meet, she finished fifth on floor • In 2008, her sophomore season, she was the Wisconsin state champion on floor, and was the runner-up on beam, floor and in the all around • At the 2008 J.O. regionals, she took first place on floor and was the all around champion • Went onto the national meet in 2008, where she finished 10th on beam, 11th on floor and 13th in the all around.
Personal: Russell comes from a family of gymnasts, her parents, David and Debbie Russell, were collegiate gymnasts at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh • oldest sister, Rehana, competed for the Gophers from 2005-07 • Sister, Randi Jo, is currently competing at the University of Arizona • Brother Cody has also trained in gymnastics • Plans to major in education at Minnesota.
GET TO KNOW DUSTI JEAN RUSSELL: If you were not participating in gymnastics, what sport might you play? I would do archery!
What is your favorite cartoon character, and why? Ellie, Russell, Dug, and Mr. Fredricksen from my favorite Disney movie, Up!
If you could have any super power, what would it be? To fly!
Do you have any hidden or secret talents? Baking.
If you could meet anyone in the world, who would you want to meet? Miranda Lambert.
What is your favorite vacation spot? Myrtle Beach, and to travel to my brother's shows.
What is your favorite actor or actress? Emma Stone.
Who is the funniest person on the team? Everyone is quirky in their own way!
