Michigan
Georgia
Wolverines Edged by Georgia on Meet's Final Routine
2/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ATHENS, Ga. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team fell to the fourth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 196.675-196.625 tonight (Saturday, Feb. 10) in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,912 fans at Stegeman Coliseum. The meet came down to Georgia's final floor exercise routine of the meet -- a 9.975 performed by Suzanne Sears, the defending national champion on the floor exercise -- after Michigan suffered three consecutive falls on the balance beam to close its portion of the competition.
Despite the loss, Michigan managed to post a season-high team score of 196.625, including season bests in the vault (49.250), uneven bars (49.525) and floor exercise (49.550). The uneven bars score is the third highest score on the event in the program's history, and the floor exercise score is the ninth highest score in that event in the history of the program. Individually, Michigan gymnasts earned 10 career-high scores among the 17 season highs posted throughout the meet.
Michigan (7-5) started the meet on the uneven bars, while Georgia (10-0) started on the vault. Michigan took a 49.525-49.200 lead as five gymnasts set career highs on the apparatus. Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) started things off with a career-high 9.850 on a new routine which included a reverse Hecht, a major release move. Amy Kuczera (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS) scored a career-high 9.900, while Bridget Knaeble (New Hope Minn./Totino-Grace HS) and Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS) rounded out the rotation with career-high scores of 9.975 and a 9.950, respectively.
The Wolverines extended their lead to 98.775-98.200 after the second rotation. With the Bulldogs on the uneven bars, Michigan added three more career-high scores in addition to three season highs on the vault. Ray competed her toughest vault of the season, a full twisting Yurchenko, and received a career-high 9.825 for her attempt. Karina Senior (Markham, Ontario/Milliken Mills HS) set a career high on the event with a 9.900. Michigan closed its second rotation with another solid pair of scores, as Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) and Christine Michaud (Mill Valley, Calif./The Branson School) each earned a score of 9.875.
In the third rotation, Michigan was on the floor exercise and Georgia was on the balance beam. The Wolverines added pressure to the Bulldogs by extending the lead to 148.325-147.100 after three rotations. Knaeble led the way with a career-high 9.950, while Senior (9.900), Ryals (9.900) and Ray (9.925) each scored 9.900 or better in the event.
The Wolverines return home for the first time in a month when they host Southeast Missouri State next Saturday (Feb. 17) at 4 p.m. in Cliff Keen Arena.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. Georgia | 49.200 | 49.000 | 48.900 | 49.575 | 196.675 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 49.250 | 49.525 | 48.300 | 49.550 | 196.625 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Karina Senior 39.425 (3) Elise Ray 39.150 (4) VAULT Shannon MacKenzie 9.675 Elise Ray 9.825 Bridget Knaeble 9.775 Karina Senior 9.900 (3) Janessa Grieco 9.875 (T4) Christine Michaud 9.875 (T4) UNEVEN BARS Calli Ryals 9.850 Christine Mantilia 9.825 Amy Kuczera 9.900 (5) Karina Senior 9.850 Bridget Knaeble 9.975 (T1) Elise Ray 9.950 (T3) BALANCE BEAM Calli Ryals 9.800 Janessa Grieco 9.875 (3) Karina Senior 9.775 Melissa Peterson 8.850 Elise Ray 9.450 Shannon MacKenzie 9.400 FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.325 Janessa Grieco 9.875 Karina Senior 9.900 (T5) Calli Ryals 9.900 (T5) Bridget Knaeble 9.950 (2) Elise Ray 9.925 (T3) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
N O T E S
Michigan gymnasts earned 10 career-best scores in the meet. On the opening event, the uneven bars, the Wolverines had five career highs among six season-high scores. The Wolverines recorded a total of 17 season-high scores in the four rotations.
Bridget Knaeble set career-high marks in the uneven bars (9.975) and floor exercise (9.950) and set a season high on the vault (9.775).
Karina Senior set career-high scores on the vault (9.900) and all-around (39.425). She also set a season high on the floor exercise (9.900) and tied her season high on the uneven bars (9.850).
Elise Ray earned career-high scores on the vault (9.825) and the uneven bars (9.950). She tied her career high score on the floor exercise (9.925).
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Bev Plocki
On losing the lead in the final rotation ... "Well, as [Elise Ray] just said, 'It's not over until it's over.' It's amazing the pressure athletes are under when they're out there in a meet like this. Sometimes your mind starts playing tricks on you when you're up there. Instead of focusing on the mechanics and your technique, you start to think about just staying on the beam."
On not changing the final routine for Michigan ... "I could have watered down Shannon's (MacKenzie) routine, but I wanted to show the confidence I have in her. That was the first time she has performed the dismount which she fell on. She has worked hard on it for a while, and I wanted to show that I have confidence in her, especially since she is a very consistent performer on the beam."
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
