Michigan
NCAA Regional
Michigan Places Fourth at NCAA Regional
4/7/2018 10:08:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
» Michigan's team season came to an end with a fourth-place finish at NCAA Regionals.
» Senior Brianna Brown, who posted a 9.950 to win the uneven bars, qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual as the top all-arounder not on a qualifying team.
» The Michigan coaching staff and senior Paige Zaziski were honored with regional awards after the meet.
Site: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Coleman Coliseum)
Event: NCAA Regional
U-M Team Finish: 4th Place of 6 Teams (196.350)
Records: U-M (26-5-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 20 -- Brianna Brown at NCAA Semifinals (St. Louis, Mo.)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team saw its season come to an end on Saturday (April 8) as it placed fourth at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional to miss out on advancing to the NCAA Championships.
Senior Brianna Brown advanced as an individual and will have a chance to earn All-America honors for the fourth straight season. She qualified as the top all-arounder not on a qualifying team, taking third place in the all-around (39.325) and winning on uneven bars (9.950).
The Wolverines, led by Brown, made a charge at the end of the meet with a great uneven bars rotation but had too much of a deficit to overcome. Brown capped the rotation with a 9.950 to win the event, following a 9.900 by senior Paige Zaziski. U-M posted a 49.375 after trailing Illinois by 49.450 entering the final event.
Michigan started with a challenge as it came out full of energy and led off the meet on balance beam. The Wolverines were able to harness that energy and hit six-of-six routines to post a 49.075. That put U-M in third place after the first rotation. Freshman Lauren Farley had a tremendous performance for a team-best 9.875.
The Wolverines had a bye after beam, and when they came out on floor exercise, things did not go as they would have liked. A fall and step out of bounds on a pair of third floor passes led to a rotation score of 48.850. Despite the two mishaps, U-M did have a 9.850 from junior Emma McLean and a 9.825 from sophomore Lexi Funk, two of their strongest on floor all year.
U-M scored a 49.050 on vault. McLean ended with a big vault for a 9.875 to lead the way, while sophomore Polina Shchennikova led off with a stuck landing for a 9.800.
Michigan finished .075 behind fellow Big Ten member Illinois. The two teams advancing to the NCAA Championships out of the Tuscaloosa Regional are Alabama (197.225) and Georgia (196.500).
Following the meet the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) announced the regional award recipients from around the country. Michigan claimed several awards in the Northeast Region. Zaziski was named Gymnast of the Year, giving Michigan 11 winners since 2002. Head coach Bev Plocki earned her third consecutive Coach of the Year honor and the ninth of her career. Assistant coaches Scott Sherman and Scott Vetere and volunteer assistant Kaitlyn Betts shared the Assistant Coach of the Year accolade as Michigan has taken the award in four straight seasons and seven overall.
The NCAA Championships will be held April 20-21 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.
Players Mentioned
