Michigan Faces Tough Test With 2009 Schedule
10/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics program released its 2008 schedule on Wednesday (Oct. 1), featuring four teams that competed at the 2008 Super Six, including the four-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Nineteen of the Wolverines' 22 opponents advanced to an NCAA Regional last season with six moving on to the NCAA Championships.
The schedule is highlighted by the season-opening, sixth-annual Cancun Classic as well as a stretch of four weeks at the end of the regular season that featuresmeets against perennial national powers Utah, Florida and Georgia.
Michigan will host five regular-season meets at Crisler Arena, including dual-meet matchups with non-conference opponents N.C. State, Iowa State and Nebraska as well as a Big Ten showdown with Penn State. The Wolverines will also take their turn hosting the annual State of Michigan Classic, featuring Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Michigan State.
The first chance fans will have to see the Wolverines will be Friday, Dec. 12, at U-M's annual Maize and Blue Intrasquad at Crisler Arena. The event begins at 7:30 p.m.
U-M opens the season with a pair of road trips, competing in the Cancun Classic on Friday, Jan. 2, against a combination of Stanford, BYU, LSU, Denver, Boise State, San Jose State and Oregon State. The following week the Wolverines travel to face in-state rivals Michigan State for a quad meet with MSU, Illinois and Western Michigan on Friday, Jan. 9.
Michigan's home opener will be against N.C. State on Friday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Two weeks later, the Wolverines host three home meets in a row beginning with a Saturday, Jan. 31, tilt against Iowa State, the State of Michigan Classic on Friday, Feb. 6, and finally a dual meet with Penn State on Friday, Feb. 13. The final home meet will take place Saturday, Feb. 28, vs. Nebraska.
The Wolverines finish on the road with two tough tests. U-M first visits Florida on Friday, March 6, and then travels to Athens, Ga.,for the regular-season finale against Georgia on Saturday, March 14.
The 2009 Big Ten Championships are scheduled for Saturday, March 21, in Champaign, Ill., where U-M looks to defend its 2008 crown. The NCAA Regional Championships will take place on Saturday, April 4, at campus sites and the 2009 NCAA Nationals will be held in Lincoln, Neb., hosted by the University of Nebraska.
The Wolverines finished the 2008 season nearly undefeated with a 24-1 record and a perfect 11-0 mark in conference while making their 16th straight NCAA Championships appearance. The Wolverines remain one of only four programs in the nation to qualify for each of the last 16 NCAA Championships.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
