Michigan
Cancun Classic
Wolverines Cancun Classic Champions in 2019 Debut
1/4/2019 10:25:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
» Michigan won its season opener in Cancun, Mexico, with a team score of 196.050.
» U-M has won the Cancun Classic in 2013, 2016 and 2019.
» Freshman Natalie Wojcik won three events and the all-around in her Michigan debut.
Site: Cancun, Mexico (Fiesta Americana)
Event: Cancun Classic
Scores: Michigan 196.050, Iowa State 194.325, West Virginia 194.150, Rutgers 189.750
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 11-- at Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 7:30 p.m. CST
• Complete Results (PDF)
CANCUN, Mexico -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team opened up its 2019 season with a first-place finish at the Cancun Classic on Friday (Jan. 4), scoring a 196.050 in the Grand Coral ballroom of the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun Resort.
The Wolverines overcame a slow start on balance beam to finish strong and take the victory over Iowa State (194.325), West Virginia (194.150) and Rutgers (189.750).
The Wolverines captured their third Cancun Classic, also having won in 2013 and 2016.
Freshman Natalie Wojcik stole the show in her collegiate debut. The Douglassville, Pennsylvania, native won the all-around with a score of 39.625, the highest score in school history by a freshman in her debut. She anchored the leadoff rotation with a 9.925 on balance beam in her first official college routine. After a strong 9.825 on floor exercise, she nearly had a perfect 10 on vault with a 9.975 on her stuck Yurchenko 1 1/2. She finished off with a 9.900 on uneven bars to win beam, vault and bars in her first meet.
Senior Emma McLean was also impressive in the season opener. The captain competed on two events, scoring a 9.925 to tie for the floor title and a 9.875 on vault. She has ranked among the top gymnasts in the country on both events the last two seasons.
Wojcik was one of three Wolverine freshmen to make their college debuts. Abby Brenner made her debut on floor with a score of 9.800, and also competed on vault (9.850) and bars (9.875). Maddie Mariani led off the uneven bars for her debut event and scored a 9.850.
Junior Maggie O'Hara made her college debut on bars as well, scoring a 9.825 to go with her career-best 9.825 on beam.
After two falls on beam to start the meet, Michigan regrouped and kept getting better throughout the meet. Despite the two falls, U-M placed the top three finishers on beam, as Wojcik won with sophomore Lauren Farley coming in second with a 9.850 and O'Hara third.
The Wolverines also had the top three bars finishers, all freshmen. They helped the team close the meet with a rotation-high score of 49.275 on bars. U-M had three of the top four finishers on vault as well with Wojcik, McLean and Brenner taking first, second and third, respectively.
Michigan will be back on the road in one week (Jan. 11) when the Wolverines travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on the Crimson Tide, Bowling Green and Denver at Coleman Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Players Mentioned
