Thuener-Rego Sends Wolverines to NCAA Finals

Saturday, April 14

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:00 PM

Michigan

NCAA Northeast Regional

4/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team extended its streak of consecutive trips to the NCAA Championships with a runner-up finish, scoring 196.050 at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships Saturday (April 14).

Michigan gutted out another close postseason victory by overcoming a pair of falls on the balance beam with a season-high score on the floor exercise (49.325). With the crowd of 2,548 on its feet, Michigan bounced back to overtake Arkansas, which struggled on the uneven bars and balance beam down the stretch. Florida took the regional title (197.325), with Arkansas third (195.875), New Hampshire fourth (192.925), Pittsburgh fifth (192.550) and Rutgers sixth (190.875).

Sophomore Tatjana Thuener-Rego (Miami, Fla./American School) won the all-around competition (39.450), punctuating her meet with a 9.900 and individual title on the floor exercise, while sophomore Huneth Lor (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) continued her postseason heroics with a third-place finish in the all-around (39.125), posting a career-best 9.850 on floor. Sophomore Becky Bernard (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) performed three solid events, posting three top-six finishes highlighted by a 9.875 on floor and 9.850 on beam.

With Florida scoring high on each of its events, the Wolverines and Gym'Backs battled for second place and a ticket to the NCAA Championships. With half of the meet in the bag, Michigan suffered a falls on beam in the third and fifth routines, putting them in a poor position to win. Arkansas took to the floor with two events left and a chance to advance to its second NCAA Championships, but struggles on bars dropped the Gym'Backs behind the Wolverines by 0.175. In the final rotation -- with Michigan on floor and Arkansas on beam -- U-M put up a season-best total to counter the Gym'Backs' solid finish, advancing to nationals once again.

Thuener-Rego became the seventh Wolverine in program history to win the all-around title at regionals -- the first since Elise Ray in 2004. Thuener-Rego is also the first Wolverine regional floor champion since Calli Ryals in 2003.

Michigan will travel to the NCAA Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Utah April 26-28. Nationals begin with preliminary competition on Thursday, April 26, with six teams advancing to the Super Six team finals on Friday, April 27. The individual championships conclude the meet on Saturday (April 28).

Final Results

Team	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
1. Florida	49.425	49.075	49.425	49.400	197.325
2. MICHIGAN	49.150	48.925	48.650	49.325	196.050
3. Arkansas	49.300	48.700	49.275	48.600	195.875
4. New Hampshire	48.525	47.450	48.775	48.175	192.925
5. Pittsburgh	48.475	48.125	47.325	48.625	192.550
6. Rutgers	48.100	46.575	47.800	48.400	190.875

Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores

VAULT Huneth Lor 9.825 Nellie Kippley 9.800 Carol McNamara 9.800 Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.850 Maureen Moody 9.775 Katie Lieberman 9.875 (t5) UNEVEN BARS Katie Lieberman 9.325 Huneth Lor 9.650 Kelsey Knutson 9.775 Maureen Moody 9.850 (t3) Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.850 (t3) Becky Bernard 9.800 (t5) BALANCE BEAM Nellie Kippley 9.800 Huneth Lor 9.800 Kelsey Knutson 9.350 Becky Bernard 9.850 Clare Flannery 9.250 Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.850 FLOOR EXERCISE Huneth Lor 9.850 Carol McNamara 9.750 Katie Lieberman 9.875 Becky Bernard 9.875 Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.900 (t1) Nellie Kippley 9.825 ALL-AROUND Tatjana Thuener-Rego 39.450 (1) Huneth Lor 39.125 (3) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5