Michigan
Maryland
Weekly Release #8: vs. Maryland
2/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Upcoming Schedule
Meet #8:Â No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 20 Maryland
Saturday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cliff Keen Arena
Series:Â Maryland leads 1-0
Meet #9:Â No. 3 Michigan at No. 25 Arizona
Friday, March 3, 7:30 p.m. MST, Tucson, Ariz., McKale Center
Series:Â Series tied 2-2
Wolverines Return Home
The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team returns home to face No. 20 Maryland on Saturday, Feb. 26 (4 p.m.) at Cliff Keen Arena. This dual meet marks only the second meeting all-time between these schools and the first since 1983, when Maryland won 157.150-155.450 at a neutral site in Pittsburgh, Pa. Maryland represents the 11th top-25 opponent for the Wolverines this year and the fourth such opponent Michigan will face at home.
About Maryland ...
Maryland is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation, with a 9-6 record ... The Terrapins are 4-1 in the Eastern Athletic Gymnastics League (EAGL) ... Maryland is coming off a 195.000-186.300 road win over Temple ... Maryland's has faced one Big Ten team so far this season, falling to Ohio State, 192.000-191.950 ... Maryland's highest team score of the season is 195.950, which the Terps used to defeat Towson, North Carolina and No. 14 North Carolina State ... Laura Moon owns Maryland's top all-around score (39.400) of the season ... Maryland on the Internet: www.umterps.com.
Michigan Drops Second Straight to No. 1 Georgia
Michigan traveled down to Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Feb. 19, to face the top-ranked Georgia GymDogs for the third time this season and fell 197.550-196.800. Michigan weathered an early charge by Georgia, which notched a 49.375 on the vault to Michigan's 49.125 on the uneven bars in the first rotation, to trail by only 0.200 after the second rotation. Michigan headed into the third rotation only 0.200 behind thanks to a 49.325 effort on the vault. The Wolverines stayed right on Georgia's heels with a 49.350 on the floor exercise, but a 49.000 on the beam in the final rotation was not enough to overcome Georgia.
Cain Takes All-Around at Georgia Again
Michigan senior tri-captain Sarah Cain (Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island HS), who won the all-around competition in Michigan's dual meet Georgia in 1999 (39.600), returned the favor in 2000 as well with a score of 39.575. The all-around victory was Cain's fourth this season in the six meets she has competed in the all-around, and her score of 39.575 was her second-best total of the season. The following is a breakdown by event of Cain's two straight all-around wins in dual meets at Georgia:
| Year | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | AA |
| 1999 | 9.925 | 9.775 | 9.950 | 9.950 | 39.600 |
| 2000 | 9.950 | 9.925 | 9.800 | 9.900 | 39.575 |
Nellans Improves Balancing Act
Michigan senior Kate Nellans (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein HS), who was lost to injury in each of the two previous seasons, seems to be getting into the groove on the balance beam. After struggling to a score of 9.125 on the beam in the first meet of the season at the Super Six Challenge (Jan. 8) and averaging 9.367 after the first three meets, Nellans has turned things around. In her last three performances on the balance beam Nellans has averaged a 9.825, including a personal season-best 9.900 at Georgia (Feb. 19), which matched her career best.
Cain Continues Vault Domination
Sarah Cain won the vault competition for the fourth straight meet with a 9.950 at Georgia (Feb. 19). It was Cain's fifth vault win in seven meets this season and raised her season average on the vault to a Michigan-best 9.900. During Cain's four-meet vault win streak, she has scored a 9.950 or better in each meet, including a Michigan season-best 9.975 vs. Georgia (Feb. 11).
Strong Debut
Sophomore Amy Kuczera (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS) competed on the floor exercise in a college meet for the first time at Georgia (Feb. 19) and promptly delivered a 9.800. Kuczera, who has been in Michigan's uneven bars lineup from day one this season, also nailed a career best on that event with a mark of 9.825, which tied her for fourth in the meet.
Vaulting Up
Senior vaulting specialist Sarah-Elizabeth Langford (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) recorded a season-best 9.900 to tie for third on that event at Georgia (Feb. 19). Her score of 9.900 also matched her career-best mark, which she set as a freshman in 1997 vs. Oregon State. Langford has now scored a 9.800 or better in four straight meets on the vault.
Michigan's Depth Shines
One of the strengths of this Michigan team is its depth and a great example of that is freshman Cami Singer (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS), who competed on the uneven bars for just the third time in her young career at Georgia (Feb. 19). Singer registered a career-best 9.800 on the bars and also delivered a solid beam routine to notch a 9.775.
Near Season Bests
Despite the loss at Georgia (Feb. 19), Michigan earned its second-best team score (196.800) of the season. Only the Wolverines' score of 197.500 in a win over Kentucky (Jan. 28) bettered their effort on the road against No. 1 Georgia. En route to its team score of 196.800, the Maize and Blue notched its second-best team efforts of the season on the vault (49.325) and floor exercise (49.350). Michigan's top vault score of 49.350 came vs. No. 1 Georgia (Feb. 11) one week earlier, while its best floor exercise score of the year (49.500) came vs. then-No. 17 Kentucky (Jan. 28).
Knaeble's Floor Routine Returning to Form
Michigan junior Bridget Knaeble (New Hope, Minn./Totino-Grace HS), a first-team All-American on the floor exercise in 1999, delivered her best floor routine of the season at Georgia (Feb. 19), with a score of 9.875. Knaeble's season average on the floor is now up to 9.800 and she has scored a 9.800 or better in each of her last four floor routines after scoring just a 9.650 vs. Michigan State (Jan. 20) in her first appearance on the floor this season.
Floor Exercise Strong and Young
Michigan is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation on the floor exercise, and that ranking could improve after scoring 49.350 at No. 1 Georgia (Feb. 19). Despite its lofty ranking, this is a very young floor exercise lineup, one in which its top five season averages belong to underclassmen. Junior Karina Senior (Markham, Ont./Milliken Mills HS) leads the way (9.875) and is followed by sophomore Jodie Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) (9.804), freshman Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS), junior Bridget Knaeble (9.800) and sophomore Melissa Peterson (Shawnee, Kan./Shawnee Mission West HS) (9.796)
Plocki Earns 200th Win
Michigan head coach Bev Plocki, now in her 11th season at the helm of Michigan women's gymnastics, earned her 200th career win as the Wolverines went 4-0 at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 6). Plocki inherited a Michigan program which had more than 15 wins in a season only once in its first 14 years of existence dating back to 1976. Since Plocki took over in 1990, the Wolverines have averaged more than 19 wins a season and have 20 wins or more on six occasions under her direction. Plocki is now 201-61 all-time at the University of Michigan.
Cain Moving Up the Charts
Sarah Cain's eight All-America citations ties her for third on Michigan's all-time list with Heather Kabnick (1995-98). Wendy Marshall (1993-96) is second on the list with 10 All-America honors, while Beth Wymer (1992-95) heads the list with 14 All-America honors earned.
Tri-Captains
The 2000 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team has tri-captains leading the squad. Senior Sarah Cain is joined by juniors Bridget Knaeble and Brianne Fuller (W. Bowdoin, Maine/Mount Ararat HS). Cain was a tri-captain in 1999 as a junior as well.
GymInfo Top 25 (2/15/2000)
RANK, TEAM AVERAGE 1. Georgia 196.268 2. Alabama 196.257 3. MICHIGAN 196.155 4. Utah 196.129 5. UCLA 196.054 6. Louisiana State 195.113 7. Nebraska 194.913 8. Iowa State 194.880 9. Stanford 194.630 10. Penn State 194.469 11. Denver 194.129 12. Brigham Young 194.055 13. West Virginia 194.015 14. North Carolina State 193.980 15. Washington 193.960 16. Oklahoma 193.885 17. Arizona State 193.796 18. New Hampshire 193.663 19. Florida 193.550 20. Maryland 193.519 21. Minnesota 193.504 22. Cal State-Fullerton 193.450 23. Boise State 193.318 24. Oregon State 193.158 25. Arizona 193.096
Tracking Michigan in the Rankings
Preseason 7th Jan. 11 3rd Jan. 18 6th Jan. 25 3rd Feb. 1 2nd Feb. 8 3rd Feb. 15 3rd
Players Mentioned
