This Week in Michigan Women's Gymnastics #13
4/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
April 14, 2015
THIS WEEK
Fri-Sun., April 17-19 -- at NCAA Championships (Fort Worth, Texas), 1 p.m./6 p.m./2 p.m. (CDT)
Tickets | Championships Central | Live Results
• Live Video: Friday (NCAA.com) | Saturday (ESPN3.com) | Sunday (ESPN3.com)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team (25-3) makes its 22nd appearance at the NCAA Championships this week, slated to be held Friday through Sunday (April 17-19) at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The Wolverines will compete in the first semifinal on Friday (April 17) at 1 p.m. CDT, when they will face Florida, UCLA, Utah, Georgia and Stanford. A top-three finish advances U-M to the NCAA Super Six on Saturday (April 18) at 6 p.m. for a chance at the national championship.
The top four finishers in each event at each session (including ties) will earn NCAA All-America first team honors and advance to the Individual Event Finals on Sunday (April 19) at 2 p.m., while the fifth through eighth finishers will earn NCAA All-America second team honors. For all-around awards, the scores from both sessions are combined with the highest score earning the individual national title, the top four picking up NCAA All-America first team honors and the fifth through eighth finishers earning NCAA All-America second team accolades.
Tickets for the NCAA Championships are on sale now at fortworthncaa.com. Friday's semifinal session will be streamed on NCAA.com, while Saturday's Super Six and Sunday's Individual Event Finals will be streamed via ESPN3. The Super Six and Individual Event Finals will air tape delayed on ESPNU on Wednesday, April 29, from 7-11 p.m. EDT. Bart Connor and Kathy Johnson Clarke will be on the call.
ROTATION ORDER
For the third year in a row, Michigan will start its semifinal on uneven bars. The Wolverines will rotate with individual all-around qualifier Caitlin Brown (Iowa State).
| SEMIFINAL I (1 P.M.) | ||||||
| VT | Bye | UB | BB | Bye | FX | |
| 1 | Georgia | Stanford | MICHIGAN | Utah | Florida | UCLA |
| 2 | UCLA | Georgia | Stanford | MICHIGAN | Utah | Florida |
| 3 | Florida | UCLA | Georgia | Stanford | MICHIGAN | Utah |
| 4 | Utah | Florida | UCLA | Georgia | Stanford | MICHIGAN |
| 5 | MICHIGAN | Utah | Florida | UCLA | Georgia | Stanford |
| 6 | Stanford | MICHIGAN | Utah | Florida | UCLA | Georgia |
| SEMIFINAL II (7 P.M.) | ||||||
| VT | Bye | UB | BB | Bye | FX | |
| 1 | LSU | Oregon State | Auburn | Nebraska | Oklahoma | Alabama |
| 2 | Alabama | LSU | Oregon State | Auburn | Nebraska | Oklahoma |
| 3 | Oklahoma | Alabama | LSU | Oregon State | Auburn | Nebraska |
| 4 | Nebraska | Oklahoma | Alabama | LSU | Oregon State | Auburn |
| 5 | Auburn | Nebraska | Oklahoma | Alabama | LSU | Oregon State |
| 6 | Oregon State | Auburn | Nebraska | Oklahoma | Alabama | LSU |
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
Michigan is making its 22nd appearance at the NCAA Championships. The Wolverines have qualified as a team in 21 of the last 23 seasons.
The Wolverines have reached the Super Six on 10 occasions (1994-97, 1999-01, 2003, 2005, 2011), finishing as high as second (1995, 1999). Only six teams in NCAA history have ever won the national championship -- Alabama, UCLA, Georgia, Utah, Florida and Oklahoma. Florida and Oklahoma tied for the national championship last season.
LAST YEAR: Michigan finished 10th at the 2014 NCAA Championships, held in Birmingham, Alabama. Four gymnasts received NCAA All-America honors, including Sachi Sugiyama and Joanna Sampson (2011-14). Each qualified to event finals, with Sampson finishing runner-up on floor exercise and Sugiyama tying for ninth on vault. [ Recaps: Semifinals | Individual Event Finals ]
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Four gymnasts have won individual national champions: Beth Wymer (1993-95: uneven bars), Elise Ray (2001: all-around; 2002: balance beam; 2004: uneven bars), Kylee Botterman (2011: all-around) and Joanna Sampson (2013: floor exercise).
ALL-AMERICANS: Michigan has had 43 gymnasts combine to receive 174 NCAA All-America honors in the history of the program. There are two former NCAA All-Americans on the roster: Nicole Artz (2015: 1st -- all-around; 2nd -- uneven bars, floor exercise) and Sachi Sugiyama (2015: 1st -- vault). U-M has had at least one gymnast receive NCAA All-America honors (first or second team) in 23 consecutive NCAA Championships.
PREVIEWING SESSION I
The Wolverines enter Friday's semifinal having faced three of their opponents already this season. They defeated Georgia (196.600-195.600 on Jan. 10), lost to Utah (198.250-197.675 on March 6) and took second at the NCAA Columbus Regional to UCLA (197.500-197.000 on April 4). Michigan last faced Florida at the 2010 NCAA Semifinals, with the Gators finishing higher (196.775-195.700). Additionally, Michigan and Stanford were in the same semifinal last year, with the Cardinal finishing higher (196.600-196.450).
Among the individuals to watch out for include Kytra Hunter (Florida), who is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the all-around (39.625 RQS) and No. 2 on both vault (9.955 RQS) and floor exercise (9.960 RQS); Sam Peszek (UCLA), who is ranked No. 1 on balance beam (9.945 RQS) and No. 10 on vault (9.925 RQS); and Georgia Dabritz (Utah), who is ranked No. 1 on uneven bars (9.975 RQS), No. 3 on vault (9.950 RQS) and No. 9 on floor exercise (9.935).
PRE-NCAA REGIONAL TEAM RQS:
| VT | UB | BB | FX | Team | |
| Florida | 49.540 | 49.500 | 49.360 | 49.505 | 197.790 |
| Utah | 49.560 | 49.500 | 49.320 | 49.415 | 197.670 |
| MICHIGAN | 49.330 | 49.370 | 49.325 | 49.365 | 197.270 |
| UCLA | 49.375 | 49.280 | 49.400 | 49.340 | 197.200 |
| Georgia | 49.280 | 49.320 | 49.195 | 49.295 | 196.875 |
| Stanford | 49.280 | 49.420 | 49.225 | 49.185 | 196.720 |
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS!
The Wolverines posted their second-highest score in program history (197.825) to win the Big Ten Championships back on March 21 in front of the home crowd at Crisler Center. Having won both the Big Ten championship and the Big Ten regular-season championship this season, U-M now has a total of 23 Big Ten titles in its history. [ Recap | Notes | Photos 
| Highlights 
]
Nicole Artz won a trio of titles, taking first on balance beam (9.950), tying for first on uneven bars (9.950) and winning the all-around (39.650, a new career high). She is the first U-M gymnast to win the Big Ten all-around title since Lindsey Bruck in 2006. Additionally, senior Sachi Sugiyama and sophomore Talia Chiarelli tied for the floor exercise title (9.925). All three gymnasts were named to the All-Big Ten Championships Team, as was junior Briley Casanova.
NOTES: Michigan scored 197.825 at the Big Ten Championships, its second-highest score in program history. The program's highest score in history was 197.850, set at the 2000 Big Ten Championships ... Michigan has crowned at least one Big Ten individual champion in 25 consecutive seasons ... The Wolverines recorded the second-highest team totals in postseason history on both uneven bars (49.525) and balance beam (49.450) ... Not one routine was scored below a 9.800. U-M had 11 scores of 9.900 or better.
AWARD WATCH
NCAA REGIONAL AWARDS (April 4): Nicole Artz was named 2015 NCAA Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year, while assistant coaches Dave Kuzara and Scott Sherman were named 2015 NCAA Northeast Region Co-Assistant Coaches of the Year.
NACGC/W REGULAR-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS (March 27): Nicole Artz, Brianna Brown and Sachi Sugiyama received two honors apiece: Artz on balance beam (first team) and in the all-around (first team); Brown on uneven bars (first team) and in the all-around (second team); and Sugiyama in the all-around (first team) and on floor exercise (second team). [ Release ]
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (March 25): Nicole Artz, Talia Chiarelli, Brooke Parker, Austin Sheppard, Sachi Sugiyama and Lindsay Williams were each named Academic All-Big Ten selections. Recipients must be in their second year at the institution and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA. [ Release ]
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS (March 21): Brianna Brown was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year (sharing the award with Penn State's Briannah Tsang), while Bev Plocki was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
ALL-BIG TEN (March 17): Sachi Sugiyama, Nicole Artz, Talia Chiarelli and Brianna Brown each made the first team, while Brooke Parker was picked to the second team. This is the third consecutive year that Michigan has placed at least five gymnasts on the All-Big Ten teams. [ Release ]
SUGIYAMA AMONG THE BEST
Sachi Sugiyama was named one of the six national finalists for the 2015 AAI Award on March 19, given to the nation's top senior collegiate gymnast. She is having the best season of her four-year career and is currently ranked eighth in the nation in the all-around (39.515 RQS). Sugiyama has won or tied for 13 individual event titles and finished first or second in the all-around in eight meets. Additionally, she has scored at least 39.500 in the all-around in five meets, culminating with a career-best score of 39.550, which she achieved twice this season (last: March 21 at Big Ten Championships). The winner will be chosen at the NCAA Championships banquet on Wednesday (April 15). [ Video Feature ]
SUPER SOPHOMORE
Following a breakout freshman season, Nicole Artz has established herself as one of the nation's strongest gymnasts. The 2014 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has not stopped as a sophomore, winning three Big Ten titles and two NACGC/W Regular Season All-America honors. She entered NCAA Regionals tied for fifth in the nation in the all-around (39.550 RQS) while also being ranked on two events: balance beam (9.920 RQS, tied for third) and floor exercise (9.920 RQS, tied for 17th). Artz has won or tied for 15 individual titles this season and has finished first in the all-around six times.
BROWN DOING HER PART
Freshman Brianna Brown has established herself as one of the nation's top freshmen. The 2015 Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, Brown entered NCAA Regionals ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 2 nationally in the all-around (39.430 RQS). She was also tied for fifth on uneven bars (9.920 RQS), her best event.
RETURNEES STEPPING UP
After Michigan saw six seniors and half the routines graduate from last year's team, the returning upperclassmen were looked at to fill the voids. Among the changes: Sachi Sugiyama went from being a three-event specialist to competing in the all-around for the first time since her freshman season ... Briley Casanova competed only on balance beam last year but has proven to be one of the team's most versatile athletes, performing on each event at least four times this season. She has been in three lineups (uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise) in each of the last four meets ... Brooke Parker had only seven routines last year as a junior (two on vault, five on floor exercise) but has performed 29 routines this season, including vault and floor exercise in every meet. Her averages have also gone way up; she is averaging 9.808 on vault (9.763 in 2014) and 9.858 on floor exercise (9.675 in 2014) ... The same can be said for Lindsay Williams. She performed 10 routines last season (six on balance beam, four on uneven bars) but has done 32 this season, including eight on floor exercise, an event that she had not competed in since her club days.
ALL ABOUT THE HITS
Michigan is the only team in the nation to score 49.000 in every rotation this season (12 meets). The Wolverines have also won or tied for 35 of 48 event titles.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Michigan has been performing at a consistent level all season, and its scores are proof. If the team's high score (197.825) and low score (196.600) are taken out, U-M is averaging 197.115 in its 10 other competitions. The Wolverines have also performed well regardless of the venue, as there is less than a three-tenth difference between its averages at home (197.295) and on the road (197.014).
SCORING RECORDS
When it comes to scoring, Michigan has already set (or is on pace to set) several program records:
• Total meets with scores of 197.000-plus: Eight (Previous single-season high: Six in 2001)
• Consecutive meets with 197.000-plus scores: Six (Previous single-season high: Four in 2001)
• Single-Season Scoring Average: 197.154 (Previous record: 196.998 in 2013)
• Single-Season Scoring Average on Balance Beam: 49.283 (Previous record: 49.105 in 2004)
Additionally, Nicole Artz is on pace to set program records for highest single-season scoring averages in both the all-around (39.493; old record is 39.458 from Elise Ray in 2004) and balance beam (9.905; old record is 9.855 from Elise Ray in 2004).
A LOOK AT THE FUTURE
Michigan's two signees for the 2015-16 performed well at their respective State Championships meets at the end of March. At the Illinois L10 State Meet, Olivia Karas won vault (9.850) and balance beam (9.600) and finished second in the all-around (37.350) in the Senior B Division. At the Michigan Level 7-10 Girls State Meet, Emma McLean won all-around (38.050), vault (9.825) and floor exercise (9.700) titles, and took second on uneven bars (9.375) in the Senior B Division. Both gymnasts also competed at the Nastia Cup in Dallas in early March. [ Signing Day Release ]
COACHES' CORNER
 | Bev Plocki Head Coach |
Q: You've preached the idea of "practicing competing" all season long with all those experiences leading to this -- facing the top teams, being in big arenas with large crowds. Now that you are here, how do you draw back on those experiences and incorporate them into your mental framework for the week?
A: We are certainly talking about that in our preparation. We have to remind ourselves that we are prepared because we did those things. All the things that we've done this year, from facing the top teams to competing in front of the biggest crowds, have prepared us for this moment. That's why we should be relaxed and confident. Nothing should be new. Convincing themselves that they are ready to go and prepared is 90 percent of the game.
Q: How important is the experience factor? Of the eight gymnasts that have been the core this year, seven of them have experience at an NCAA Championship and the one that doesn't, Brianna, has a lot of high-level experience from club.
A: It's certainly beneficial, but every team that'll be there can probably say the same thing. This meet is really about the frame of mind that you can get your team into when they go out there. What's your mentality? What's your frame of mind? We're certainly trying to build that up as much as possible. As much as we talk about having fun, getting them to compete loosely and aggressively is the key to everything at NCAAs. It doesn't matter what event we're starting on. What matters is, are we going out there and attacking the competition?
Q: Going along with that, one thing you mentioned after Regionals was how you hoped the team would be looser and more relaxed. Will that be easier now knowing that there isn't another competition after this? They can just go out, give it all they have and see what happens?
A: That's a great question. Sometimes it can be very challenging. I feel like we should be going into this meet with an unbelievable amount of confidence and aggressiveness, like we have everything to gain and nothing to lose. I hope that's what we do. Sometimes when you care a lot about something, you try too hard. We have to guard against that. Let's go out there, have fun and be aggressive with everything that we're doing.
Q: Lastly, what's it going to take to be on the floor on Saturday for the Super Six?
A: Four clean events. It's going to take at least 20 routines, but I feel like this competition could be so close that we'll need all 24. If it comes down to a tiebreaker, you better have all 24 routines that were hit and clean. In a normal situation, you drop one routine you made a mistake on, but in a tiebreaker scenario, every one of them will count. It's going to be a very close meet. There's unbelievably great competition in our session. I think all six teams are very comparable. There's so much parity. The good news is that on any given day, any team could not only qualify to Super Six, but they could win. You have to put up or shut up. This is when it counts. That's why going in there with confidence and thinking of it as a fun and entertaining experience is going to be very important. If you can make it look fun and easy, you're in good shape.
Communications Contact: Brad Rudner (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
