Michigan
Maryland Quad Meet
Women's Gym Still Perfect With Win at Maryland
3/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site:College Park, Md.(Comcast Center)
Event:atMaryland(with Pittsburgh and Temple)
U-M Team Finish: 1st Place of4 Teams (196.150)
Records: U-M (18-0, 5-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday,March22 -- vs.#2 Utah(Crisler Arena), 6 p.m.
Complete Results
COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- The No. 4 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team wrapped up its regular-season road slate and remained undefeated on the season with a score of 196.150 at the Maryland quad meet, besting the host Terrapins (194.250), Pittsburgh (191.600) and Temple (190.025) Saturday afternoon (March 15) at the Comcast Center.
After a big win over No. 1 Georgia last week, Michigan had little trouble picking up three victories in College Park, winning or sharing three of the four individual event titles and setting up a top four showdown with No. 2 Utah on Saturday (March 15).
Fifth/senior Lindsey Bruck(Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) place among the top four gymnasts in every event, winning the all-around crown with a season-best 39.450. Fellow senior Katie Lieberman(Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) won both events she competed in, tying a career-best 9.900 to share the floor exercise crown and tying a season high with a 9.900 to share the vault title with freshman teammate Kari Pearce (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron). Pearce nailed her 9.900 vault, putting up her best score since the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2) where she nailed a career-best 9.925.
Sophomore all-arounder sophomore Sarah Curtis(Reno, Nev./Reno) shared the uneven bars title with a 9.900 and only competed in two events on the afternoon. Earning her own share of the bars title was junior Becky Bernard(Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) who picked up her fifth bars title of the year and posted her fifth 9.900 in seven meets this season. Bernard also tied for runner-up on beam with a 9.850.
In the first rotation, Michigan got the call on floor where U-M put up a team score of 49.100 to take an early near half-point lead over second-place Pitt. Lieberman equaled a career high with a 9.900 in the final routine of the rotation, while Botterman's 9.875 extended her streak of 9.875 or better floor routines to five meets. Bruck went 9.850 and senior Nellie Kippley(St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) added a 9.825 score to the tally.
In rotation number two, Michigan stumbled on vault, posting a season-low 48.700 and counting a fall. Lieberman shone for the second event in a row with a season-high 9.900, matched by Pearce, who put up her highest score since a 9.925 on vault at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2). Bruck hit for 9.875 and freshman Kylee Botterman(New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) posted a respectable 9.750, but a pair of Wolverines fell to drop the overall team score.
Despite the team's struggles on vault, Michigan maintained a comfortable lead over second-place Maryland heading into bars. Bernard sparkled in the event once again, posting her fifth score of 9.900 in seven meets this season, matching Curtis' 9.900 set in the second routine of the rotation. Bruck once more kept her all-around hopes favorable with a 9.875, while Botterman scored a 9.850. Junior Tatjana Thuener-Rego(Miami, Fla./American School) rebounded from vault to post a 9.825.
In the final event, Michigan brought the meet home with a steady performance on the balance beam, led by a pair of 9.850s from Bruck and Bernard and a 9.800 from senior Megan Moore(Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) and sophomore Kelsey Knutson(Ames, Iowa/Ames) to ice the afternoon. Bruck's excellent finish helped her score a 39.450 in the all-around and set a new personal season high, while also posting the second best Wolverine all-around score this campaign.
Michigan will hostNo. 2 Utah in the regular-season finaleon Saturday (March 15) at 6 p.m. at Crisler Arena.
Team Standings
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 48.700 | 49.350 | 49.000 | 49.100 | 196.150 |
| 2. Maryland | 48.425 | 48.925 | 48.200 | 48.700 | 194.250 |
| 3. Pittsburgh | 47.375 | 48.175 | 48.625 | 47.425 | 191.600 |
| 4. Temple | 47.225 | 46.725 | 47.925 | 48.100 | 190.025 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
VAULT Kari Pearce 9.900 (t1) Lindsey Bruck 9.875 (t3) Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.275 KAtie Lieberman 9.900 (t1) Nellie Kippley 9.150 Kylee Botterman 9.750 (t5) UNEVEN BARS Lindsey Bruck 9.875 (t3) Sarah Curtis 9.900 (t1) Tatjana Thuener-Rego 9.825 Jordan Sexton 9.050 Becky Bernard 9.900 (t1) Kylee Botterman 9.850 (5) BALANCE BEAM Huneth Lor 9.700 Megan Moore 9.800 (t5) Sarah Curtis 9.625 Kelsey Knutson 9.800 (5) Becky Bernard 9.850 (t2) Lindsey Bruck 9.850 (t2) FLOOR EXERCISE Kari Pearce 9.225 Jaclyn Kramer 9.650 Nellie Kippley 9.825 (t5) Lindsey Bruck 9.850 (4) Kylee Botterman 9.875 (3) Katie Lieberman 9.900 (t1) ALL-AROUND Lindsey Bruck 39.450 (1) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
N O T E S
Freshman Kari Pearce won her first collegiate vault title and the first individual event title of her career.
Senior Katie Lieberman won her 12th collegiate vault title and her second of the season. She also won her second floor title of 2008 and the third of her career.
Sophomore Sarah Curtis wrapped up her second bars title of the year and the second of her career.
Fifth/senior Lindsey Bruck won her fourth all-around title of 2008 and the 11th of her collegiate career and puts herself in a good position to win her 10th Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor, which would set a new Conference record.
Senior Katie Lieberman tied a career high with a 9.900 on floor and set a new season best with a 9.900 on vault.
Junior Becky Bernard recorded her fifth score of 9.900 on the uneven bars this season in seven meets. Bernard has captured five bars titles this year.
Fifth/senior Lindsey Bruck posted a season-best 39.450 in the all-around, which is also the Wolverines' second best all-around total this year.
Michigan is a perfect 18-0 on the season and finishes the regular-season slate undefeated on the road at 13-0.
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Bev Plocki
On the Meet ... "We did not have our best performance of the season. Other than our meet at Penn State, this is the only meet where we counted a fall. We rested some athletes and watered down some routines but we still thought we'd be clean and hit and come out with a good score. I thought that our performance, other than vault, was very good. Our vaults were all good except for our two falls. Bars and beam were exceptional. We performed well but the scores were not indicative of that in every event. We walk away a little frustrated with our performance but we have to move forward."
On Lindsey Bruck and her all-around performance ... "We contemplated pulling her out of two events. Looking back it's a good thing we didn't because we would have been a lot worse off without her. She is such a competitor. She's sore but she's not willing to give in to being sore or having pain. She rises to the occasion. She's the only one who's done the all-around in every meet this season. We wish we could have her back for a sixth year."
On senior Katie Lieberman who won vault and floor titles ... "She's a senior veteran who knows what she can do on vault and floor and she's going out there and getting it done. She's not even training bars and beam anymore and the results seem to be showing."
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
