LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky gymnastics team earned its third-straight bid to an NCAA Regional on Monday when the tournament field was announced and sent the Wildcats to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Central Regional.

The regional is slated for Saturday, April 14 at 6 p.m. at the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum.

The three-consecutive tournament appearances come on the heels of a stretch where UK made just one trip in a five-year span. Each of the last two seasons has seen the Wildcats sent to the Central Regional and both resulted in fourth-place performances.

?We?re very excited to earn another NCAA bid this year,? Kentucky head coach Mo Mitchell said. ?We believe we?re very deserving of this honor and we?re going to give it our best shot.?

Kentucky is joined at the six-team regional by third-ranked Alabama, 10th-ranked Oklahoma, 16th-ranked Iowa State, 19th-ranked Michigan State and 21st-ranked Ohio State. The Wildcats have competed against two of the five teams in the stout field this season.

In both of its meets against Alabama, the Crimson Tide has outscored UK. At Ohio State in early March, UK dropped a tough contest to the Buckeyes. The Wildcats also have a history against Michigan State in the regional, besting the Spartans last year in Baton Rouge.

?We know a lot about the teams that we?ll be facing and what they?re capable of,? Mitchell said. ?At the same time, we know we have to focus on ourselves and post the best scores we can. If we do that, I think we have an excellent chance against everybody at our site.?

It is the second time in three years that Alabama has hosted the Central Regional, winning it in 2005 to advance to the NCAA Championships. That year, UK finished behind the Crimson Tide, Cyclones and Auburn.

Individually, senior Krystle Cook will be defending her 2006 NCAA Central Region Vault Championship. Last year, she registered a 9.9 on the event to win the crown and become the first Wildcat to advance to the NCAA Championships in five years.