Season Review: 2019 Michigan Women's Gymnastics
5/15/2019 4:20:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
• Team Captains: Emma McLean, Lexi Funk
• Big Ten Conference: Regular Season Champions
• Big Ten Championships: Champions
• NCAA Regionals: 2nd Place
• NCAA Semifinals: 3rd Place
The 2019 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team finished fifth in the nation, claimed its sixth straight Big Ten Championship and earned the Big Ten regular-season title. The team finished the year with a 23-5-1 record, including an undefeated 9-0 record in the Big Ten.
Team Highlights
• Michigan competed in its 24th NCAA Championship, finishing third in the NCAA Semifinal to place fifth in the nation. The Wolverines scored a 197.200, the second-highest score for U-M at the NCAA Championships. That included the program's highest balance beam score (49.3375) as the team produced four All-Americans on the event. Â
• U-M had a memorable NCAA Regional Final. Competing in its home arena, Michigan did not win but watched the scoreboard as Alabama's final score was posted. When is was revealed, the Wolverines were flooded with emotions as they realized they would advance to the NCAA Semifinals. With a score of 197.275, Michigan edged the Crimson Tide by .050 points to join UCLA in advancing from Ann Arbor.
• U-M continued its dominance at the Big Ten Championships, winning a sixth straight title. Four individual titles helped the Wolverines post a 197.400 to gain an overwhelming victory over the field as second-place Illinois scored only a 196.650, nearly a full point behind U-M. It is the third time in program history that Michigan has won six or more straight championships.
• Michigan also won its third straight Big Ten regular-season crown and fifth in seven years. The Wolverines went undefeated at 9-0 in their conference schedule, winning by at least .800 points in every regular-season matchup. U-M hoisted the regular-season champions trophy after posting a season-high score of 197.750 at the Elevate the Stage meet in Toledo, Ohio, on Feb. 23. During the meet, all six competitors on uneven bars scored at least a 9.900 and freshman Natalie Wojcik earned a perfect 10 on vault.
• The Wolverines finished the year ranked No. 5, its highest of the season. U-M ended the regular season ranked No. 7 and was ranked in the top 10 on vault (6th), bars (10th), beam (6th) and floor exercise (8th).
• Michigan finished the year with a scoring average of 196.902, the fourth best in program history. Each of the last seven seasons are now ranked as the top seven scoring averages at U-M. The Wolverines averaged a 49.243 on beam for the second-best average behind the 2015 team's 49.280. All four event averages rank in the top-10 at Michigan.
Individual Highlights
• Wojcik had a freshman year to remember, capping it off with the school's ninth individual national championship. She scored a 9.950 on beam to join Elise Ray as the only Michigan freshmen to win a national title. She was a two-time All-American, two-time Big Ten champion, NCAA Regional floor champion, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, WCGA Northeast Regional Gymnast of the Year and the U-M Freshman of the Year for her work in the classroom as well.   Â
• Four individuals combined for eight All-American honors at the NCAA Championship. Wojcik was first team on beam and second team in the all-around. Senior Olivia Karas was first team on uneven bars and floor exercise and second team on beam and the all-around. Juniors Lexi Funk and Maddy Osman each were second team All-Americans on beam.
• U-M had three individuals combine for four Big Ten event champions. Wojcik won floor (9.950) and tied Karas for the all-around title with a 39.600. In a rare feat, Wojcik and Karas would tie in the all-around at Big Ten's, the NCAA Regional final and the NCAA semifinal. Senior Emma McLean won her second career Big Ten vault title with a 9.900.  Â
• Head coach Bev Plocki won her 24th Big Ten title, giving her the record for the most Big Ten Championships by any coach, in any sport, in Big Ten history. She broke her tie with former Indiana swimming head coach James "Doc" Counsilman. Â
• Wojcik scored a perfect 10 on vault during the regular season at the Elevate the Stage meet (Feb. 23). It was the 28th 10 vault in program history and first since 2011 when Kylee Botterman accomplished the score. Wojcik was the first freshman in nearly 20 years to score a perfect 10 at Michigan as Ray was the last to do it in 2001 on floor. Sarah Cain was the last freshman to do so on vault in 1997 when she had three 10 vaults.
Honors and Awards
Abby
Brenner
Lauren
Farley
Lexi
Funk
Olivia
Karas
Emma
McLean
Maddy
Osman
Natalie
Wojcik
National
AAI Award Finalist: Olivia Karas
NCAA Champion: Natalie Wojcik (9.950, balance beam)
WCGA All-America: Lexi Funk (second team -Â balance beam), Olivia Karas (first team -Â uneven bars and floor exercise; second team -Â balance beam and all-around), Maddy Osman (second team -Â balance beam), Natalie Wojcik (first team -Â balance beam; second team -Â all-around)
WCGA Northeast Region Coach of the Year: Bev Plocki
WCGA Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year: Natalie Wojcik
NCAA Regional Champion: Natalie Wojcik (9.925, floor exercise)
WCGA Regular Season All-America: Olivia Karas (second team -Â floor exercise and all-around), Natalie Wojcik (first team -Â vault, beam and all-around)
Big Ten Conference
Freshman of the Year: Natalie Wojcik
Big Ten Champion: Olivia Karas (all-around), Emma McLean (vault), Natalie Wojcik (floor exercise, all-around)
All-Big Ten Championships Team: Olivia Karas, Emma McLean, Natalie Wojcik
Sportsmanship Award: Emma McLean
All-Big Ten (First Team): Abby Brenner, Lauren Farley, Olivia Karas, Emma McLean, Natalie Wojcik
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Lexi Funk
Academic All-Big Ten: Anna Dayton, Lauren Farley, Lexi Funk, Sam Javanbakht, Olivia Karas, Anne Maxim, Maddy Osman
Big Ten Weekly Honors
Gymnast: Olivia Karas (March 5), Natalie Wojcik (Jan. 8, Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 26, March 12)
Event Specialist: Lexi Funk (Feb. 12), Emma McLean (Jan. 8)
Freshman: Natalie Wojcik (Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 5, March 12)
Players Mentioned
