Michigan
Nebraska
U-M Stays Undefeated With Win Over No. 12 Huskers
2/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Devaney Center)
Score: #5 Michigan 196.575, #12 Nebraska 196.075
Records: U-M (9-0, 3-0 Big Ten), Nebraska (3-3)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 16 -- vs. Minnesota (Crisler Arena), 6 p.m.
LINCOLN , Neb. -- The No. 5 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team led from start to finish against the No. 12 Nebraska Huskers, remaining a perfect 9-0 on the season with a 196.575-196.075 victory, Thursday night (Feb. 7) at the Devaney Center.
The Wolverines held a .300 lead over the Huskers heading into the final rotation and overcame a fall on the balance beam with two routines remaining. Sophomore Jordan Sexton(Weddington, N.C./Weddington) helped Michigan right itself with a title-winning 9.875 in the fifth routine and All-American fifth/senior Lindsey Bruck(Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) stuck a 9.850 routine to give U-M the win.
Botterman won her third vault title in as many meets with a 9.925, while fellow freshman Trish Wilson(Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) won her second career uneven bars title, going 9.875.
Michigan opened the meet with a solid performance on the uneven bars, with each of the six Wolverine performers scoring 9.800 or better to total 49.175 as a team. Wilson led the pack with a 9.875 in the five-spot, while sophomore Sarah Curtis(Reno, Nev./Reno) and Botterman bookended the rotation with 9.825s with the first and last performances. Nebraska competed just five vaulters, scoring 49.000 to trail by .175 heading into the second rotation.
In the second rotation on vault, Michigan caught fire in the second half of the rotation, peaking with a 9.925 from Botterman to total 49.200 on the event. Botterman was preceded by a 9.875 for junior Tatjana Thuener-Rego(Miami, Fla./American School) and a 9.850 from Lieberman.
Michigan started strong with freshman Kari Pearce's (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) collegiate-best 9.850 on floor in the third rotation, ending with back-to-back 9.825s from Curtis and Bruck to post a 49.050 score and stay ahead of the Huskers, who put up a 49.175 on beam.
With a .300 point lead heading into the final rotation, Michigan used a 9.850 from sophomore Kelsey Knutson(Ames, Iowa/Ames) in the third routine and rebounded from a fall with Sexton's 9.875 and Bruck's meet-ending 9.850.
Michigan will host Minnesota on Saturday (Feb. 16) at 6 p.m. at Crisler Arena at the "Pink Meet". The meet is a fundraiser for the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center's Survivorship Program, with one dollar from every ticket sold donated to the fund. The meet will also be televised on the Big Ten Network.
N O T E S
Freshman Kylee Botterman scored a personal-best 9.825 in her first college bars routine.
Freshman Kylee Botterman has scored 9.925 or better on vault in each of the last three meets. She went 9.925 at Nebraska and vs. Michigan State and scored a Wolverine-best 9.975 in the State of Michigan Classic.
Freshman Kari Pearce scored a collegiate-best 9.850 on the floor exercise.
Team Standings
Team Scores Vault Bars Beam Floor Total 1. MICHIGAN 49.200 49.175 49.100 49.050 196.575 2. Nebraska 49.000 48.950 49.175 48.950 196.075
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
VAULT Kari Pearce 9.775 Lindsey Bruck 9.775 Sarah Curtis 9.725 Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.875 (3) Katie Lieberman 9.850 (4) Kylee Botterman 9.925 (1) UNEVEN BARS Sarah Curtis 9.825 (t5) Maureen Moody 9.800 Lindsey Bruck 9.800 Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.850 (4) Trish Wilson 9.875 (t1) Kylee Botterman 9.825 (t5) BALANCE BEAM Huneth Lor 9.775 Megan Moore 9.800 Kelsey Knutson 9.850 (t4) Sarah Curtis 9.325 Jordan Sexton 9.875 (t1) Lindsey Bruck 9.850 (t4) FLOOR EXERCISE Kari Pearce 9.850 Katie Lieberman 9.850 (t3) Nellie Kippley 9.675 Kylee Botterman 9.750 Sarah Curtis 9.825 (t4) Lindsey Bruck 9.825 (t4) ALL-AROUND Lindsey Bruck 39.250 (3) Sarah Curtis 38.700 (5) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
