Michigan
Alabama Quad Meet
Wolverines Pleased with Performance in Tuscaloosa
1/11/2019 11:55:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
» Freshman Natalie Wojcik won vault, balance beam and the all-around.
» Michigan finished strong with a 49.350 on vault.
» Olivia Karas had an emotional return to floor exercise.
Site: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Coleman Coliseum)
Event: Alabama Quad Meet
Score: Denver 196.275, Alabama 196.175, Michigan 196.025, Bowling Green 189.675
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 18 -- vs. Michigan State (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.
• Photo Gallery | Complete Results (PDF)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- After the University of Michigan women's gymnastics team placed third at the Alabama Quad Meet on Friday (Jan. 11), the feeling around the team was a sense of accomplishment.
The Wolverines finished third with a score of 196.025, behind Denver (196.275) and No. 18 Alabama (196.175), respectively, and ahead of Bowling Green (189.675). But afterward, the overwhelming thoughts from the Wolverines revolved around hitting all 24 routines, improving on little things from the first meet of the season in Cancun, and several individuals showcasing their talents in front of the Coleman Coliseum crowd.
Freshman Natalie Wojcik followed up her impressive debut with another great performance, posting the top all-around score of 39.450. She won two more individual events as well, scoring a 9.950 on vault and a 9.875 on balance beam to give her back-to-back wins on the two apparatuses.
Her big score on vault capped a great run of vaults that led to a meet-high score of 49.350 in the fourth rotation. Freshman Abby Brenner had her first career 9.900 after senior Emma McLean went 9.875 and senior Olivia Karas scored a 9.850.
Karas competed in the all-around for the first time this season, making her debut on floor exercise. It was an emotional debut as it was her first floor routine since February, when she suffered a season-ending injury on her tumbling pass.
As she finished the 9.725 routine Friday night, Karas was flooded with emotions as her team had cheered loudly and embraced her when it was over. It was a relief after she found out during warmups that she would be inserted into the lineup in the sixth and final spot. She also scored a team-best 9.850 on uneven bars and a 9.750 on beam to finish with a 39.175 all-around score.
Other notable performances included freshman Maddie Mariani competing her first career vault with a 9.775 and sophomore Anne Maxim doing exhibition routines on vault and bars.
Michigan next will host Michigan State in its home and Big Ten Conference opener next Friday (Jan. 18) at 7 p.m. The meet will be a Maize Out in Crisler Center, and the Wolverines will host their sixth annual sensory friendly meet as U-M raises awareness within the community about developmental disabilities and provides an accommodating atmosphere for all fans.
Players Mentioned
