Michigan
UCLA
Grieco Keeps Wolverines Close in Battle with No. 1 Bruins
3/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team posted its second highest score of the year, but it was not enough to outlast top-ranked UCLA tonight (Friday, March 7) at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines fell to the Bruins 197.250-196.775 in front of the third largest regular-season home crowd in program history (2,807).
| | Following a 9.750 vault, Mirkovich had a 9.925 to win the uneven bars. |
Michigan had a solid start on the vault with Mirkovich earning a 9.750. Grieco delivered a strong performance and a stuck landing to earn a 9.825. Becca Clauson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS), with a nearly identical vault as Grieco, earned a slightly better 9.850. Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) and Chelsea Kroll (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny HS) recovered from underrotated and overrotated vault landings, respectively, to each post a score of 9.700. Tonight was the first time that Kroll had performed her vault in competition. Completing the lineup with the best Michigan vault of the night, Deiley earned third place with a 9.900 and give the Wolverines a 49.025 for the rotation. UCLA was impressive on the uneven bars, as the Bruins soared high and consistently stuck their landings to pull ahead of the Wolverines with a score of 49.375 in the first rotation.
Grieco started off the Wolverines with a well-executed bar routine which included a double layout dismount to a stellar stuck landing, earning a career-high 9.850. Kroll followed but suffered a fall to post an 8.950. Unaffected by Kroll's performance, Ryals and Deiley were strong and steady to earn a pair of 9.875 marks and were two of five gymnasts tied for third place. Mirkovich came through with a clean routine and won the event title with a score of 9.925, just one quarter of a tenth less than her career high.
UCLA and Michigan were evenly matched in the second rotation, allowing Michigan to gain a little ground in the team competition. The Wolverines earned a season-high 49.275 on the bars for a two-rotation total of 98.300, while UCLA posted a 49.175 on the vault for a team total of 98.550.
Kara Rosella (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills School) started Michigan out well with a 9.800 on the balance beam. Kroll improved slightly on Rosella's score to earn a 9.850. In the third spot, Deiley had a relatively large wobble which lowered her score to a 9.800. After a fall by Clauson, Grieco helped U-M rebound by earning a 9.825. Ryals kept the momentum going with a very precise performance on the beam until a large step on her landing. Still, she earned a 9.900 and took home second place.
Michigan totaled a 49.175 on the beam, while UCLA tallied a 49.350 on the floor exercise despite a few unsteady tumbling landings and Alyssa Beckerman's knee injury during her second tumbling pass. Jamie Dantzscher, however, posted a near-perfect 9.950 for the Bruins. After three rotations Michigan had accumulated a score of 147.475, while UCLA had a total of 147.900.
In the final rotation, Kroll started off well, earning a 9.850, which Mirkovich followed with a career-high 9.800. After a fall, Deiley had a pleasantly poised routine to earn herself a 9.900 and a share of third place. Grieco put together an impressive exercise for a second-place 9.925, while Ryals ended the night with a 9.825 after a near fall on her last tumbling pass. Michigan combined for a team total score of 49.300. UCLA earned 49.350 for their various creative poses and unique movements on the balance beam.
Michigan welcomes No. 4 Nebraska to Crisler Arena at 7:30 p.m. next Friday (March 14) for the final regular-season home meet of the year. The Wolverines will honor their lone senior, Grieco, prior to the meet.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. UCLA | 49.175 | 49.375 | 49.350 | 49.350 | 197.250 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 49.025 | 49.275 | 49.175 | 49.300 | 196.775 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Jenny Deiley 39.475 (4) Janessa Grieco 39.425 (5) Calli Ryals 39.300 Chelsea Kroll 38.350 VAULT Lauren Mirkovich 9.750 Janessa Grieco 9.825 (5) Becca Clauson 9.850 (4) Calli Ryals 9.700 Chelsea Kroll 9.700 Jenny Deiley 9.900 (t2) UNEVEN BARS Janessa Grieco 9.850 Chelsea Kroll 8.950 Calli Ryals 9.875 (t3) Jenny Deiley 9.875 (t3) Lauren Mirkovich 9.925 (1) Kara Rosella 9.750 BALANCE BEAM Kara Rosella 9.800 Chelsea Kroll 9.850 (t5) Jenny Deiley 9.800 Becca Clauson 9.325 Janessa Grieco 9.825 Calli Ryals 9.900 (t2) FLOOR EXERCISE Chelsea Kroll 9.850 Lauren Mirkovich 9.800 Becca Clauson 9.350 Jenny Deiley 9.900 (t3) Janessa Grieco 9.925 (2) Calli Ryals 9.825 ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Bev Plocki
On earning the team's second-highest score of the season ... "Well, that's great, and I'm glad we didn't count any falls. Not to sound like a downer, but we didn't have our best meet. We had some things that cost us some tenths across the board, but on the other hand we showcased two new vaults tonight. Chelsea (Kroll) competed her layout full and it was a beautiful vault, but she took a few large steps backward. That was just an experience/confidence thing. And Lauren (Mirkovich) did her pike half. I think we will definitely see benefits from that starting even next week. Becca (Clauson) had a rough night. Her knees were really sore, and we are hoping we can get that kind of neutralized. Overall, not our best meet, but still we fought through everything, didn't count any falls and came out with a good score."
Junior Calli Ryals
On U-M's performance ... "It probably wasn't one of our best meets. We had a fall on beam and a fall on bars that we didn't count, but those matter against some of the best competition. Still, it was a good showing."
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
