Conference-Best Seven Gymnasts Earn All-Big Ten Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team had seven student-athletes named to the All-Big Ten team, the most since 2008 when U-M placed eight on the all-conference squad. Michigan had four student-athletes named to the first team and three to the second team.

The honorees on the first team include seniors Brianna Brown and Paige Zaziski, junior Emma McLean and sophomore Lexi Funk. The All-Big Ten second team includes senior Lauren Marinez and freshmen Lauren Farley and Syd Townsend.

It is the sixth straight year at least four first-team selections were Wolverines. Nebraska had the next most with five, followed by five other teams with three each.

Brown is a three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, adding to her 2015 and 2016 honors. She was the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week on Jan. 8 and is ranked among the conference leaders in the all-around (5th), bars (9th) and beam (T-3rd). She has seven event or all-around titles on the year and has scored 9.900 or better on nine routines.

Zaziski completes her conference career with four all-conference selections, including back-to-back years on the first team at Michigan after two All-SEC honors at Arkansas. Zaziski earned one Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor this season. She ranks second in the conference in the all-around, third on vault, fifth on bars and tied for eighth on beam. She has won 10 event or all-around titles and has scored 9.900 or better on 13 routines.

McLean is also on the first team for the second straight year. She was twice named the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week and leads the Big Ten on floor, while ranking second vault. She has eight individual wins this year with 12 routines of 9.900 or better.

Funk receives her first career selection to the All-Big Ten team. She is ranked tied for seventh in the conference in the all-around, is seventh on beam and tied for fifth on floor. She has two event or all-around wins in 2018 and has nine scores of 9.900 or better.

Marinez adds to her second-team honor from a year ago. She is sixth in the Big Ten on beam and has three routines that have scored 9.900 or better.

Farley and Townsend each earn all-conference in their first year at Michigan. Farley is tied for 10th in the Big Ten on beam and Townsend is ranked fifth on vault. Farley has one beam title and Townsend has won both vault and bars once.

Seven of the 13 student-athletes on Michigan's roster made the All-Big Ten team this season. U-M claimed its fourth Big Ten regular-season championship in six years. The 10 schools in the conference will compete at the Big Ten Championships on Saturday (March 24) in Champaign, Illinois, with Michigan set to compete in the evening session at 7 p.m. CDT.

All-Big second team