Michigan
#7 Minnesota, #24 Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State
Michigan Seeks B1G Regular-Season Crown at Elevate the Stage Meet
2/18/2020 11:41:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
THIS WEEK
Saturday, Feb. 22 -- at Elevate the Stage (Toledo, Ohio), 7 p.m.
TV: FloGymnastics Live Scoring | Live Video
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The ninth-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team will battle for the Big Ten regular-season title at the Elevate the Stage meet on Saturday (Feb. 22) at 7 p.m. inside the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.
Michigan at Elevate the Stage
• No. 9 Michigan will travel to Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday (Feb. 22) to battle for the Big Ten regular-season title at the Elevate the Stage meet at Huntington Center.
• The Wolverines enter the meet with a 7-0 overall record and a 5-0 mark in the Big Ten to tie for first place with Minnesota.
• The Elevate the Stage meet is in its third year in Toledo and second year as the continuation of the Big Ten's Big Five Meet. Michigan won the meet last year with a season-high 197.750 to defeat Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State and Rutgers, and claim the Big Ten regular-season title. In 2018, U-M tied for first place with Denver, scoring a 196.575 to beat Utah State and Bowling Green.
• In the victory last season, U-M scored a 49.625 on uneven bars to tie for second best in program history. As a freshman, Natalie Wojcik scored a perfect 10 on vault, a 9.950 on bars and 9.925 on balance beam to win all three events as well as the all-around title with a career-high 39.750 score. Olivia Karas tied for the win on beam and Abby Brenner tied for the win on bars with her career high.
• Paige Zaziski put on a show for Michigan in 2018, winning the all-around with a 39.575 as well as vault (9.925) and bars (9.900) titles. Brianna Brown won beam with a 9.900.
• U-M is 17-1 all-time against Maryland with 17 straight wins since its lone loss in 1983. Michigan has won 29 straight against Michigan State and is 74-38 all-time against MSU. The Wolverines are 50-23 against Minnesota with a neutral-site loss last year at Missouri, but won at Elevate the Stage and the Big Ten Championships. U-M has nine consecutive wins over Penn State and is 51-10 all-time against the Nittany Lions.
Big Ten Standings
• Michigan and Minnesota are tied at the top of the Big Ten standings with a 5-0 record.
• Maryland, Michigan State and Nebraska are tied for third in the conference with a 3-2 record.
• U-M is the only team in the conference still undefeated on the season with a 7-0 overall record.
• The Wolverines will be looking for their sixth Big Ten regular-season title and fourth straight. Michigan shared titles in 2013 and 2017 and won outright in 2015, 2018 and 2019.
Competing on Podium
• Michigan has relished the opportunity to compete on podium the last three seasons ahead of the NCAA Championship with a 33-0-1 record in podium events.
• The Wolverines placed third in the NCAA Semifinal last year, just missing out on the Four on the Floor, and in 2017 placed fifth out of six teams in the semifinal.
• Individually, Wojcik has had the most success with an NCAA title on beam, Big Ten titles on floor exercise and the all-around and a perfect 10.0 on vault, all on podium. In three podium meets, she is averaging a 9.908 on vault, a 9.888 on bars, a 9.925 on beam and a 9.908 on floor.
• Brenner is averaging a 9.900 on bars in her three career podium meets. Senior Lexi Funk has competed on podium six times in her career.
Last Time Out
• Michigan went on the road and captured a 196.800-195.975 win at Iowa to remain undefeated on the season.
• The Wolverines posted a 49.300 on floor and a 49.275 on vault, while having five different individuals claim event titles.
• The team had a three-way tie for first place on vault. In her first vault since the season opener, sophomore Abby Heiskell stuck her Yurchenko Full for a career-best 9.875. Brenner and freshman Sierra Brooks tied Heiskell for the win
• Brooks also won bars with a 9.900 for her second straight win on the event and took home the all-around crown for the third time this season with a 39.475.
• The first career event title for sophomore Maddie Mariani came on beam. Her first career 9.900 on the event led to her first time as an event champion.
• Freshman Gabby Wilson picked up her second straight win on floor with a 9.900.
In the Rankings
• Michigan fell two spots to No. 9 in the Road to National rankings, marking the fifth straight week in the top 10.
• U-M remains one of the top teams nationally on vault at No. 2 overall.
• Two Wolverines are ranked in the all-around with Brooks tied for 18th and Wojcik at No. 29.
• Brooks is tied for 18th on vault and tied for 44th on beam, while Wojcik is tied for 33rd on floor.
• Brenner is tied for 34th on vault and tied for 31st on bars. Wilson is tied for 26th on vault and Mariani is 48th on bars.
• U-M was ranked No. 6 in the WCGA preseason poll and was picked to win the Big Ten Conference.
Home Slate
• The Wolverines have two more home meets remaining this season. Their next meet at Crisler Center wil be Friday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. when former U-M gymnast Lindsey Bruck Ayotte '08 brings New Hampshire to Ann Arbor.
• More information about meet promotions, visit the women's gymnastics promotions page
• Individual and group tickets are on sale with general admission tickets starting at $6 and groups of 10 or more eligible for $3 tickets. For more information visit the women's gymnastics tickets page.
Up Next
Friday, Feb. 28Â -- vs. New Hampshire (Crisler Center), 6:30 p.m.
Players Mentioned
