Michigan
Penn State
Michigan to Travel for Dual at Penn State
2/13/2019 4:21:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
THIS WEEK
Sunday, Feb. 16 -- at No. 24 Penn State (State College, Pa.), 4 p.m.
Watch | Live Scoring | Tickets
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team will take to the road for a top-25 matchup against No. 24 Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (Feb. 16) at 4 p.m.
Facing Penn State
• Michigan and Penn State will meet for the 59th time. The Wolverines hold a 48-10 record in the all-time series.
• The last time U-M traveled to State College was in 2016 for the Big Five meet. The Wolverines placed third with a score of 196.875.
• The Wolverines were in State College for its 2014 Big Ten Championship victory (197.550).
• The 2012 season was the last time U-M and Penn State met in State College outside of a Big Five or Big Ten Championship meet. Penn State topped Michigan, 196.000-195.900, in that meet.
• Penn State head coach Sarah Shire Brown was a volunteer assistant coach for Michigan in 2016.
• The Nittany Lions are 3-4 overall and seventh in the Big Ten with a 1-3 conference record.
Last Time Out
• Michigan improved to 4-0 in the Big Ten with a season-high 197.350 against Iowa at home.Â
• The Wolverines posted season highs on both uneven bars (49.500) and balance beam (49.475). Nine U-M routines matched or set a career high.
• The Wolverines swept the event titles. Freshman Abby Brenner claimed her first career win with a 9.850 on vault. Senior Olivia Karas and freshman Natalie Wojcik tied for the win on bars with a 9.950. Junior Lexi Funk won beam for the first time in her career with a 9.950. Karas added a win on floor exercise with a 9.925, and Wojcik took the all-around crown with a 39.550.
• Freshman Abby Heiskell made her collegiate debut, competing on vault and floor.
Big Ten Race
• With two meets left in the conference season, there is a two-way tie for first place between Michigan and No. 16 Minnesota at 4-0.
• Ohio State fell one back in the standings after a loss to Maryland last weekend.
• This weekend, Minnesota will host Maryland on Friday (Feb. 15) at 8:30 p.m., while No. 17 Nebraska will travel to No. 22 Ohio State.
Weekly Honors
• Wojcik swept the Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in January to join Karas as the only Wolverines to win the award the first four weeks in a season.
• The Gymnast of the Week honor also has gone to Wojcik three times in the first six weeks of the season.
• McLean and Funk have been named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week this year.
Freshman Impact
• Wojcik has been a standout, but the other three in her class have provided a big lift for Michigan this season.
• Brenner, Heiskell and Maddie Mariani have combined to hit on all 33 of their routines in 2019.
• Heiskell made her debut on two events, Brenner has been a regular on three apparatuses and Mariani has competed on three events.
Winning Titles
• Wojcik has won at least two individual events in five of the six meets this season, tallying 13 total. She has also won the all-around five times with three scores above a 39.500.
• She has posted a 9.900 on all four events at some point this season and has twice hit the 39.625 mark in the all-around.
Floor Dominance
• Karas has won floor exercise in each of the last four meets, improving her score each time.
• She matched a career high with a 9.950 against Nebraska and has scored a 9.925 or better in three straight outings. Â
• Karas has gradually returned to full strength over the last four meets, adding in more difficult skills to make her floor routine complete.
In The Rankings
• U-M moved up two spots to No. 8 in the latest College Gymnastics Association rankings. [ Poll ]
• The Wolverines moved up two spots to No. 8 on bars, three spots to No. 8 on beam and the biggest jump came on floor, with U-M going from No. 20 to No. 16.
• Wojcik is ranked No. 4 on balance beam with five wins this season. She is also No. 10 in the all-around and tied for 12th on bars.
• Senior Emma McLean is No. 7 on vault despite not competing the event the last two weeks. Brenner is also ranked tied for 26th on vault.
• Karas is No. 27 on floor and 34th on bars, while ranking No. 20 in the all-around.
Home Slate
• Michigan has one final regular-season home meet remaining after this weekend. The Wolverines will host No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, March 9, at noon on Senior Day. U-M will honor its senior class -- McLean and Karas -- following the conclusion of the meet.
• Ann Arbor is also home to one of four NCAA Regional sites in 2019. Get tickets for the three-day NCAA Regional here.
• Individual and group tickets for Michigan's final home meet are on sale with general admission tickets starting at $6 and groups of 10 or more eligible for $3 tickets.Â
• For more information visit the tickets page on MGoBlue.com here.
Players Mentioned
