Coaching Staff, Artz Earn Regional Awards
4/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
April 2, 2017
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's gymnastics head coach Bev Plocki and her coaching staff earned Northeast Regional coaching honors, while Nicole Artz was tabbed the Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year by the NACGC/W on Saturday (April 1).
Plocki shared coach of the year honors with Temple's Umme Salim-Beasley to give her back-to-back years earning the award. She has been named the Regional Coach of the Year eight times -- also picking up the award in 1992, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2013 and 2016.
Assistant coaches Dave Kuzara and Scott Sherman and volunteer assistant coach Brooke Parker were recognized as the Assistant Coach of the Year. It is the third straight year and sixth time overall Plocki's assistant coaches have been honored. Kuzara claims it for the fourth time during his Michigan tenure, Sherman is a five-time honoree, and Parker picks up her first.
Artz becomes the 10th Michigan gymnast to win Regional Gymnast of the Year. It is her second time receiving the honor as she also won it in 2015. U-M has claimed the award in four of the past five seasons. She was the top all-around gymnast in the region and was ranked first on floor. She was also tied for third on uneven bars, seventh on vault and ninth on balance beam.
The 2017 Michigan team won the NCAA Morgantown Regional on Saturday (April 1) to advance to the NCAA Championships April 14-15 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Wolverines are also the Big Ten champions, won the regular-season B1G title and finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the RQS (Regional Qualifying Score).
