Michigan
Maize and Blue Intrasquad (ex)
Thrilling Comeback Caps Women's Gymnastics Intrasquad
12/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In one of the most thrilling comebacks in Maize and Blue Intrasquad history, the University of Michigan Maize team overcame a deficit in the final rotation to overcome the Blue team 115.725 to 115.125 Friday night (Dec. 8) at Crisler Arena.
Trailing the entire evening -- and down 0.150 points with one rotation to go -- the Maize team used sparkling performances from freshman Jordan Sexton (Weddington, N.C./Weddington) and junior Nellie Kippley (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) on the balance beam to overcome a Blue squad that struggled on the floor exercise in the final rotation. Kippley's clutch score late in the meet, an event-winning 9.800, pushed the Maize team over the edge and completed a thrilling comeback.
Kippley added a runner-up finish on floor (9.750) and in the all-around competition (38.725), while sophomore teammate Becky Bernard (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) tied for the uneven bars title (9.750) and freshman Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno) wowed the crowd with a title on floor (9.800).
Led by senior Lindsey Bruck (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus), who finished runner-up on beam (9.800) and won the all-around crown (39.050), the Blue team rolled early, but an all-around effort by the Maize team wrapped up the comeback.
For the Maize and Blue Intrasquad, the teams counted their top three scores rather than their top five scores, giving each team a maximum score of 160.000.
In the first rotation, Bruck dazzled with a 9.825 on vault to propel the Blue team to an early 0.075 lead. On the Maize side, All-American Bernard anchored her squad with a 9.750, while Curtis scored 9.725 in her first collegiate routine.
In the second rotation, Bruck maintained her solid meet with a 9.725 on bars, while sophomore Tatjana Thuener-Rego (Miami, Fla./American School) led the way for the Blue team with a 9.750 to extend her team's lead to .350. On the Maize end, Curtis led the way for her squad with a 9.700, while fellow frosh Sexton scored 9.675.
In the third rotation, the Maize squad cut its deficit to 0.150 thanks to a stellar 9.800 by Curtis in the anchor spot, while Kippley scored 9.750 in the previous routine. Blue countered on beam with a 9.800 from Bruck, who continued to dominate the meet, while freshman Kelsey Knutson (Ames, Iowa/Ames) scored 9.725 in her first collegiate beam routine.
The Maize squad mounted its comeback in the final rotation on arguably the most difficult event -- beam. Sexton hit a respectable 9.675 routine in the three hole, sending Kippley to the beam. Kippley posted what would eventually be the highest score of the night on the event, tallying a 9.800 to spark her Maize mates into action and give the team a strong toehold down the home stretch. The Blue team struggled on floor, save Bruck's 9.700, which led her teammates. When it was all said and done, the Maize team more than made up for the late deficit, vaulting the Blue team for a .500 win.
Michigan will begin the 2007 regular season on the road against No. 24 West Virginia on Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. Maize | 28.925 | 29.100 | 28.825 | 28.875 | 115.725 |
| 2. Blue | 29.175 | 29.200 | 28.675 | 28.075 | 115.125 |
Event-By-Event Individual Scores
VAULT 1. Lindsey Bruck, Blue 9.825 2. Katie Lieberman, Blue 9.700 Sarah Curtis, Maize 9.700 4. Jordan Sexton, Maize 9.675 5. Maureen Moody, Blue 9.650 6. Huneth Lor, Blue 9.625 7. Becky Bernard, Maize 9.550 8. Nellie Kippley, Maize 9.525
UNEVEN BARS 1. Tatjana Thuener-Rego, Blue 9.750 Becky Bernard, Maize 9.750 3. Lindsey Bruck, Blue 9.725 Sarah Curtis, Maize 9.725 Maureen Moody, Blue 9.725 6. Nellie Kippley, Maize 9.625 7. Huneth Lor, Blue 9.600 8. Kelsey Knutson, Blue 9.500 9. Jaclyn Kramer, Blue 9.350 Katie Lieberman, Blue 9.350 11. Megan Moore, Maize 9.050 12. Jordan Sexton, Maize 8.200
BALANCE BEAM 1. Nellie Kippley, Maize 9.825 2. Lindsey Bruck, Blue 9.800 3. Kelsey Knutson, Blue 9.725 4. Jordan Sexton, Maize 9.675 5. Sarah Curtis, Maize 9.325 6. Megan Moore, Maize 9.175 7. Huneth Lor, Blue 9.150 8. Jaclyn Kramer, Blue 9.100 9. Becky Bernard, Maize 9.050 10. Maureen Moody, Blue 8.975 11. Clare Flannery, Maize 8.750
FLOOR EXERCISE 1. Sarah Curtis, Maize 9.800 2. Nellie Kippley, Maize 9.750 3. Lindsey Bruck, Blue 9.700 4. Becky Bernard, Maize 9.325 5. Jaclyn Kramer, Blue 9.250 6. Huneth Lor, Blue 9.125 7. Jordan Sexton, Maize 9.100 Katie Lieberman, Blue 9.100 9. Maureen Moody, Blue 8.400
ALL-AROUND 1. Lindsey Bruck, Blue 39.050 2. Nellie Kippley, Maize 38.725 3. Sarah Curtis, Maize 38.550 4. Becky Bernard, Maize 37.675 5. Huneth Lor, Blue 37.500 6. Maureen Moody, Blue 36.750 7. Jordan Sexton, Maize 36.650
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
