Michigan
Maize and Blue Intrasquad (ex)
Wolverines Display 2008 Team at Annual Intrasquad
12/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: Blue 12, Maize 9
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 11 -- West Virginia and Arkansas (Crisler Arena), 7:30 p.m.
Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team opened its 2008 campaign with the annual Maize and Blue Intrasquad Friday night (Dec. 7) in Crisler Arena. The Blue team defeated the Maize squad, 12-9.
The event marked the return of three Wolverines who ended their seasons prematurely in 2007 due to injury. All-American senior Lindsey Bruck(Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) returned to action after she suffered a season-ending injury in the regular-season opener last year. Bruck competed in the all-around at the intrasquad, leading the Blue team. Sophomores Sarah Curtis(Reno, Nev./Reno) and Jordan Sexton(Weddington, N.C./Weddington) also came back from season-ending injuries to compete in the intrasquad, giving the Crisler fans a chance to see them for the first time since the 2006 Maize and Blue Intrasquad.
The events were scored by three celebrity guest judges -- graduate student Rishi Moudgil, senior Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East) of the U-M softball team, and recording artist Matt Santos. The judges voted by holding up either a Maize or Blue placard to signify their preference.
The intrasquad also served as a coming out party for three Wolverine freshmen, as Kylee Botterman(New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central), Kari Pearce(Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) and Trish Wilson(Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) each competed in front of the Maize and Blue crowd for the first time.
The teams started out evenly, both earning the affection of the judges in the first two competitions with the Blue team on the vault and the Maize team on the uneven parallel bars. Blue ended the first rotation with a 3-1 advantage. Fifth-year senior Lindsey Bruck(Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) was the only Wolverine to earn a unanimous vote by the judges, competing for Blue on the vault.
In the second round of competition, the Maize team took to the vault while the Blue hit the uneven parallel bars. Blue seemed to pull away winning the first four competitions. However, senior Katie Lieberman(Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) pulled out the lone Maize victory on vault to end the second stanza.
In the third stanza, the Blue team mounted the beam while the Maize worked the floor. In a major turn of events, Maize came roaring back, winning the five of six on the floor. In one of the most dazzling performances of the evening, senior Nellie Kippley(St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), performing to Bollywood-themed music, captured the audience with a near-flawless floor routine. The judges were unanimous in selecting Kippley as the winner of the match-up. The Maize had more tricks up its sleeve with its final floor performance. Halfway through Wilson's floor routine, Lieberman jumped in and teamed up with Wilson, somersaulting to the edge of the floor.
The final round was uncomfortably close with Blue leading by a point, 8-7. Blue went to floor and Maize went to beam. The tension mounted when Maize won the first battle with sophomore Kelsey Knutson's (Ames, Iowa/Ames) beam routine to tie things up at eight. The teams continued trading punches, each switching off winning points until Blue pulled away, gaining three consecutive points on the beam to seal a 12-9 victory.
Michigan will open regular-season competition against West Virginia and Arkansas Friday, Jan. 11, in Crisler Arena. Action begins at 7:30 p.m.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Bev Plocki
On the intrasquad meet... "This meet is always a lot of pressure for our kids because a lot of times there are new routines and they are doing them on hard surfaces for the first time. There are a lot of adjustments that need to be made and I was trying to find a way that we could lighten up the atmosphere and make it a little less stressful. We allowed some kids who ordinarily would not be allowed to compete to compete. We had some fun with it. We had some tag team floor routines. We have some kids who are coming back from injuries and they're still doing their routines in the soft surface but we didn't want them taking any chances of landing on the soft floor. Our season is a month away so we just decided to have fun but still give the audience a chance to see some of the kids who were injured last year coming back."
On preparing for the first regular season meet... "We're going to do a lot of pressure balance beam. Beam is always the event where we look really good in practice but the minute you get into a stressful pressure situation, they tighten up. You can't tighten up on beam because you make the tiniest mistake, you're not absorbing, and you end up falling off. That's the event we took the most falls, some on floor. Those are the events that definitely in another month's time we'll be ready to come out here and perform. Tonight you saw 11 or 12 routines on each event -- we compete our top six. This is a chance for everyone to get out there and show their stuff. It gives us as coaches a better idea as to who can handle the pressure and who can't."
Freshman Kylee Botterman
On her first performance as a Wolverine... "I think it went pretty well. I was happy with how I did. I stuck my vault. On beam I was kind of nervous at first but I stayed on. It was a solid routine so I was pretty happy with that. I just have to get my endurance up so I can hit my last pass."
On how she will prepare for the first regulation meet... "My last pass I did a double tuck today and hopefully that will be a double pike."
On how she felt during the meet... "I loved it. My adrenaline was up just being with all the girls. This is what I have been looking forward to -- just running out of the tunnel with my team. I can't wait to do it again."
Fifth-Year Senior Lindsey Bruck
On the intrasquad... "I think this year, the way we did it was great because it took some of the pressure off. It was a good way for us to get back on the competition floor in a not so serious way. There was a little rivalry between Maize and Blue."
On coming off injury... "I just hope to keep progressing and staying strong. I want to go out there and do my best for Michigan."
On this being her last intrasquad and last year... "Well, I thought last year was going to be my last year but it's sad because I know that this year is for sure my last year. To go out with a team like this is just amazing. I am thankful for every meet I get to compete in."
On her goals for the season... "For all of us to stay healthy and to win Big Tens and hopefully a national title this year."
Senior Nellie Kippley
On representing the Maize squad... "It was a good experience. It was fun. I really enjoyed the way it was done this year. It was a lot different but it was a lot more fun. We were all going for Michigan so we wanted everyone to do their best."
On what she will focus on before the first regulation meet... "The little things -- we can go out there and perform well under pressure so it's the little things that make a difference in this sport."
Contact: Rich Retyi (734) 647-4423
Players Mentioned
