Michigan
Georgia
Cain Wins All-Around in Michigan Loss at Georgia
2/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site:Â Athens, Ga. (Stegeman Coliseum)
Score:Â #1 Georgia 197.550, #3 Michigan 196.800
Records:Â Michigan (10-4, 3-0 Big Ten), Georgia (12-1, 4-1 SEC)
Attendance:Â 9,934
Next U-M Meet:Â Saturday, Feb. 26 -- vs. #20 Maryland (Cliff Keen Arena), 4 p.m.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The third-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team put up its second-best team score of the year on Saturday night (Feb. 19), but No. 1 Georgia responded with its season high to claim a 197.550-196.800 decision before 9,934 fans at Stegeman Coliseum. The loss dropped the Wolverines to 4-4 against top 10 teams this season.
Although the Maize and Blue fell to Georgia for the second straight week, Michigan senior Sarah Cain (Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island HS) took the top individual honor by winning the all-around competition (39.575) at Georgia for the second straight season.
Michigan opened up the meet on the uneven bars and delivered a solid start with a team mark of 49.125. Cain matched her personal and Michigan season-best score of 9.925 to place runner-up on the bars. She was followed by sophomore Amy Kuczera (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS), who nailed a career-best 9.825 to tie for fourth on the bars. Although Georgia came through with a team score of 49.375 on the vault in the first rotation, Michigan's 49.125 allowed the Wolverines to stay tight with the Bulldogs.
In rotation two, Michigan moved on to the vault and turned up the heat on Georgia by recording a team score of 49.325, while Georgia registered a 49.275 on the uneven bars. Cain won the vault competition for the second straight meet, this time with a score of 9.950, to help Michigan cut into Georgia's lead. Fellow senior Sarah-Elizabeth Langford (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) nailed her best vault of the season as she matched her career high with a 9.900 to place third on the event. At the halfway point of the meet, Michigan trailed the top-ranked Bulldogs on the road by just two-tenths of a point.
The Wolverines moved to the third rotation and continued to compete at a high level as they put up a 49.350 on the floor exercise. Michigan's floor lineup was paced by freshman Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS), who shook off her first sub-9.800 score on that event in her career a week ago (9.375) to deliver a 9.900 and tie for fourth. Grieco was tied for fourth place on the floor exercise by teammate Cain, whose score of 9.900 matched her second-best score of the season. Despite Michigan's great effort on the floor exercise, Georgia slightly widened its lead after scoring a 49.425 on the balance beam in the third rotation.
Michigan closed out the meet on the balance beam, and although the Wolverines were solid with a team mark of 49.000, it was not enough as Georgia notched a 49.475 on the floor exercise to pull out the victory. Michigan's star on the balance beam was senior Kate Nellans (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein HS), who recorded a season best and matched her career high with a score of 9.900 to tie for second. Cain nailed a 9.800 on the beam to hold off Georgia's Kristi Lichey for victory in the all-around competition.
The Wolverines return home next weekend as another top 20 opponent invades Ann Arbor for a big meet. The Maize and Blue will face No. 20 Maryland on Saturday (Feb. 26) at 4 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena.
Final Results
TEAM SCORES Vault Bars Beam Floor Total 1. Georgia 49.375 49.275 49.425 49.475 197.550 2. Michigan 49.325 49.125 49.000 49.350 196.800
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Sarah Cain 39.575 (1) VAULT Bridget Knaeble 9.775 Janessa Grieco 9.825 Karina Senior 9.700 Sarah-Elizabeth Langford 9.900 (t3) Christine Michaud 9.875 Sarah Cain 9.950 (1) UNEVEN BARS Kate Nellans 9.750 Amy Kuczera 9.825 (t4) Cami Singer 9.800 Tara Tagliarino 9.775 Bridget Knaeble 9.800 Sarah Cain 9.925 (2) BALANCE BEAM Janessa Grieco 9.600 Cami Singer 9.775 Shannon MacKenzie 9.800 Karina Senior 9.725 Kate Nellans 9.900 (t2) Sarah Cain 9.800 FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.675 Amy Kuczera 9.800 Bridget Knaeble 9.875 Janessa Grieco 9.900 (t4) Karina Senior 9.875 Sarah Cain 9.900 (t4) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
NOTES
• Sarah Cain has now won the all-around competition in four of Michigan's seven meets this season.
• Michigan freshman Cami Singer (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) competed on the uneven bars for just the third time this season and nailed a career-best 9.800. Singer was also solid on the beam with a 9.775.
• Amy Kuczera made her career debut on the floor exercise with a mark of 9.800.
• Michigan's team score of 196.800 was its second-best team total of the season. Michigan's team totals on the vault (49.325) and the floor exercise (49.350) are its second-best of the season on each event.
• Junior Bridget Knaeble (New Hope, Minn./Totino-Grace HS), a 1999 All-American on the floor exercise, is returning to that form after registering a season-best 9.875 on that event tonight.
Players Mentioned
