Hawaii Trip on Difficult 2002 Schedule for Wolverines
9/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With seven NCAA Championships finalists on the 2002 schedule, the University of Michigan women's gymnastics team has once again put together one of the toughest schedules in the nation. In addition to the tough competition the team faces three high-mileage road meets, including a season-opening trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. On the home front, the Wolverines host four teams from last year's NCAA Championships in meets at Crisler Arena, the site for four of Michigan's five home meets during the regular season.
The Wolverines, who finished third at the 2001 NCAA Championships, will perform for the first time this season at the annual intrasquad meet in Cliff Keen Arena on Sunday, Dec. 16. Senior co-captain Jodie Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) and junior co-captain Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) will lead the way and give fans a feel for this year's squad.
To open the regular season, Michigan will make its first trip to Hawaii and participate in the Maui Invitational on Jan. 4 in Wailuku, Hawaii. The collegiate meet, which includes Arizona, Sacramento State and NCAA Championship participant Oklahoma, is part of three days of competition for gymnasts ranging from Level 4 to Elite.
Michigan returns home to host Northern Illinois in Cliff Keen Arena on Sunday, Jan. 13, the Wolverines' only home meet in the 1,800-seat facility. To close out the month, Michigan travels to Minnesota on Jan. 19 and Ohio State on Jan. 26.
In the first home meet of 2002 in Crisler Arena, the Wolverines host the Florida Gators, 2001 NCAA Championships participants, on Friday, Feb. 1. Two days later, Michigan heads a few miles east to Ypsilanti for the State of Michigan Classic at Eastern Michigan University on Sunday, Feb. 3. The annual meet against Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Michigan State is back on the Wolverines' schedule after a conflict with an away meet prevented Michigan from attending last season.
The rest of the February lineup features a pair of home meets with two of the top six teams from last season. On Sunday, Feb. 10, the Georgia Bulldogs visit Crisler Arena for a dual meet. The Dogs finished second in the nation last season, just .125 of a point ahead of the Wolverines at the NCAA Championships Super Six team finals. On Friday, Feb. 22, Utah is Michigan's opponent. The Utes finished tied for fifth at the national championships. In between the two home meets is a trip to West Virginia, the alma mater of Michigan head coach Bev Plocki, for a dual meet with the Mountaineers on Sunday, Feb. 17.
Continuing the mid-season battles, Michigan travels to Los Angeles to participate in the UCLA Invitational on Sunday, March 3. The Bruins, the defending national champions, host Michigan, Minnesota and California State-Fullerton in the quadrangular meet.
In the final home meet of the 2002 season, Michigan welcomes Denver and Washington to Ann Arbor on Saturday, March 9. It will be the first meet against Michigan for the Pioneers' head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, an assistant coach at U-M from 1994-98. The Wolverines close out the regular season with a trip to Oregon State for the Shanico Inn-vitational on Saturday, March 16.
For the postseason, Ohio State hosts the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23. NCAA Regional competition is slated for Saturday, April 6, with the NCAA Championships taking place April 18-20 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., hosted by the University of Alabama.
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
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