Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Top-Ranked Michigan Successfully Defends Big Ten Title
3/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site: State College, Pa. (Rec Hall)
Event: #1 Michigan at 2000 Big Ten Conference Championships
U-M Team Finish: 1st Place of 7 Teams (197.850)
Record: U-M (22-5)
Attendance: 2,645
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, April 1 -- at NCAA Regional Championships (Site TBA)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The top-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team opened up its 2000 postseason action with perhaps the best single-meet performance in the history of the program. Paced by Sarah Cain's (Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island HS) Big Ten record 39.750 in the all-around, the Wolverines recorded a new team and Big Ten Championship record 197.850 on Saturday (March 18) at Penn State's Rec Hall en route to their second straight conference crown and eighth title in the last nine seasons.
Michigan began defense of its Big Ten title on the vault, in which it is ranked No. 1 in the country, and the Wolverines delivered a solid 49.300. Cain paced the Michigan vaulters with a first-place mark of 9.925, which is her ninth straight meet scoring a 9.900 or better on the vault. Wolverine junior Christine Michaud (Mill Valley, Calif/The Branson School) also delivered a clutch performance for the Wolverines as she nailed a 9.875 on her second vault. Karina Senior (Markham, Ontario/Milliken Mills HS) registered her career best on the vault with a 9.850.
Michigan began its second rotation on the uneven bars with both Penn State and Minnesota on its heels after one rotation. The Wolverines responded by matching their season high on the uneven bars with a mark of 49.450. Michigan's bars lineup was paced by a pair of freshmen as Cami Singer (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) and Tara Tagliarino (Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant HS) each nailed a 9.925 to tie for first. Cain also pushed herself that much closer to the all-around title with a score of 9.900. Following two rotations Michigan (98.750) led Minnesota (98.200) and Penn State (98.200).
Michigan moved to the balance beam for its third rotation and promptly put the meet away with the best team score (49.525) on that event in school history. Cain continued one of the best performances of her career by matching a Michigan season-best 9.950 on the beam. While Cain stayed strong in her bid for a second career conference all-around title, it was the Michigan freshmen who separated Michigan from the pack. Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) registered a career-best 9.925 as fellow frosh Singer delivered a 9.900, her second straight beam routine with at least a 9.900. Sophomore Shannon MacKenzie (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) matched her career high with a 9.925 to give Michigan four beam scores of 9.900 or higher.
With a large lead heading into its final rotation, on the floor exercise, a relaxed Michigan team continued its steady performance and recorded a 49.575. Cain polished off her Big Ten record-setting all-around performance by winning the floor exercise title thanks to a mark of 9.975. Grieco continued the great production from the freshman class as she matched her career best with a 9.925. Michigan's mark of 49.575 was a season best and is tied for fourth best in school history.
Next up for Michigan will is the 2000 NCAA Regional Championships on Saturday, April 1, at a site to be determined. Michigan will get word on Monday, March 20, about which of the six regionals it will be sent to. The sites are: Corvallis, Ore. (Region 1, Oregon State host); Minneapolis, Minn. (Region 2: Minnesota host); Tucson, Ariz. (Region 3, Arizona host); Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Region 4, Alabama host); State College, Pa. (Region 5, Penn State host); and Athens, Ga. (Region 6, Georgia host).
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 49.300 | 49.450 | 49.525 | 49.575 | 197.850 |
| 2. Penn State | 48.975 | 47.025 | 49.550 | 49.225 | 196.575 |
| 3. Minnesota | 48.800 | 49.250 | 48.950 | 49.100 | 196.150 |
| 4. Ohio State | 48.850 | 48.475 | 48.575 | 48.975 | 194.875 |
| 5. Michigan State | 48.575 | 49.050 | 47.725 | 48.925 | 193.825 |
| 6. Illinois | 48.450 | 49.050 | 47.325 | 48.925 | 193.750 |
| 7. Iowa | 48.325 | 48.250 | 47.375 | 48.700 | 192.650 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Sarah Cain 39.750 (1) VAULT Bridget Knaeble 9.700 Janessa Grieco 9.850 (T4) Karina Senior 9.850 (T4) Sarah-Elizabeth Langford 9.800 Christine Michaud 9.875 (3) Sarah Cain 9.925 (1) UNEVEN BARS Kate Nellans 9.325 Amy Kuczera 9.825 Cami Singer 9.925 (T1) Tara Tagliarino 9.925 (T1) Bridget Knaeble 9.875 Sarah Cain 9.900 (T4) BALANCE BEAM Janessa Grieco 9.925 (T3) Cami Singer 9.900 (T5) Shannon MacKenzie 9.925 (T3) Karina Senior 9.800 Kate Nellans 9.350 Sarah Cain 9.950 (2) FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.850 Melissa Peterson 9.875 Bridget Knaeble 9.900 (T3) Janessa Grieco 9.925 (2) Karina Senior 9.900 (T3) Sarah Cain 9.975 (1) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
NOTES
• Michigan has now won a total of nine Big Ten championships (1982, '92-97, '99, 2000), including two straight and eight of the last nine. This marks the second consecutive season both the men's and women's gymnastics teams at Michigan have won conference crowns.
• Sarah Cain won the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor, while Janessa Grieco won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor and Bev Plocki was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
• Michigan's team score of 197.850 is a Big Ten Championships meet record and a new Michigan record. The previous Michigan best was a 197.700, which the Wolverines earned at the 1997 NCAA Central Regional Championships.
• Sarah Cain's three individual championships give her six Big Ten titles for her career, which is tied for second most in Michigan history with Nikki Peters (1996-99). Cain has won two all-around titles, three floor exercise titles and one vault title. Beth Wymer (1992-95) holds the U-M record with 14 Big Ten titles.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Beverly Plocki
On winning the Big Ten crown ... "Winning the Big Ten championship is something that is very to special to myself and our program. The University of Michigan in general places a lot of pride in conference championships and we take the same approach."
On Sarah Cain ... "Obviously Sarah is a very special gymnast and she has earned everything she has gotten. Her consistency this season has been tremendous and we are really going to miss her."
U-M Senior Sarah Cain
On winning the all-around ... "I am very proud of my accomplishment, but I am even more happy to see our team perform like we did. In a big meet we gave a great performance and that is more rewarding for me."
Players Mentioned
