Michigan
Kentucky
Wolverines Post Nation's Top Score, Dominate Kentucky
1/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #3 Michigan 197.500, #17 Kentucky 192.050
Records: Michigan (6-2, 2-0 Big Ten), UK (1-2, 1-1 SEC)
Attendance: 1,265
Next U-M Meet: Sunday, Feb. 6 -- at State of Michigan Classic (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The third-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team proved that its nation-best score of 196.750 last week against Michigan State was only temporary as it swept all four events to defeat No. 17 Kentucky 197.500-192.050 on Friday (Jan. 28) in Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines dominated the meet, taking both first and second place in each event on the way to posting the fourth-best team score in school history.
Senior Sarah Cain (Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island HS), the reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, led the Wolverines to victory as she took first or second place in all four events. Cain recorded season highs on the vault (9.950), uneven bars (9.925) and floor exercise (9.925) and matched her season-best balance beam score of 9.900 set last week against Michigan State. Cain's season-best all-around score of 39.700 produced her third consecutive all-around victory.
Cain was joined on the all-around stand by junior teammate Karina Senior (Markham, Ontario/Milliken Mills HS), who placed second in the all-around with a career-best 39.350.
Michigan stole the first rotation as it vaulted into a big lead over Kentucky with a season-best start of 49.300, with four Wolverines in the top five. Cain led the Wolverines with a score of 9.950 to place first. Junior Christine Michaud (Mill Valley, Calif./The Branson School) came in second with a season- and career-best mark of 9.925. Senior Sarah-Elizabeth Langford (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) (9.850) and freshman Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) (9.825) also recorded season highs to help Michigan take four of the top five spots on the event.
At the end of the second rotation, the Wolverines took a 2.500 point lead over the GymKats as they swept the uneven bars event with the six Michigan competitors owning the top six places. Cain and freshman Tara Tagliarino (Tampa, Fla./H.B Plant HS) tied for first place, both posting a season-best score of 9.925. Junior Bridget Knaeble (New Hope, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) and Senior also recorded season bests as they registered 9.900 and 9.875, respectively, to place third and fourth in the event.
Michigan then tied its third-best team balance beam score of all-time (49.300) for the second straight week. Sophomore Melissa Peterson (Shawnee, Kan./Shawnee Mission West HS) led the competition with her career-best score of 9.950. Cain matched her season best of 9.900 as she landed second place. Sophomore Shannon MacKenzie (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) took third place with her score of 9.875 and Grieco tied Kentucky's Mindy Smith for fourth place at 9.800. Michigan carried a 3.050 lead going into the floor exercise.
The Wolverines finished the final rotation with its second event sweep of the meet as it took the top six spots for the floor exercise. Senior placed first in the event with a score of 9.950 to make both her floor exercise and all-around score of 39.350 season bests. Cain and Grieco were right on their teammate's heels with second-place scores of 9.925, season bests for both. Knaeble recorded her season-best tumble as she and sophomore Jodie Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) tied for fourth place with scores of 9.850.
Michigan's next meet is next Sunday, Feb. 6 (2 p.m.) at the State of Michigan Classic in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Wolverines will face host Western Michigan in addition to Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Michigan State.
Final Results
TEAM SCORES Vault Bars Beam Floor Total 1. Michigan 49.300 49.400 49.300 49.500 197.500 2. Kentucky 48.725 47.475 47.100 47.100 192.050
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Sarah Cain 39.700 (1) Karina Senior 39.350 (2) VAULT Bridget Knaeble 9.725 Janessa Grieco 9.825 (5) Karina Senior 9.750 Sarah-Elizabeth Langford 9.850 (4) Christine Michaud 9.925 (2) Sarah Cain 9.950 (1) UNEVEN BARS Kate Nellans 9.775 (5) Amy Kuczera 9.725 Karina Senior 9.875 (4) Tara Tagliarino 9.925 (T1) Bridget Knaeble 9.900 (3) Sarah Cain 9.925 (T1) BALANCE BEAM Janessa Grieco 9.800 (T4) Cami Singer 9.275 Shannon MacKenzie 9.875 (3) Karina Senior 9.775 Melissa Peterson 9.950 (1) Sarah Cain 9.900 (2) FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.850 (T4) Melissa Peterson 9.800 Bridget Knaeble 9.850 (T4) Janessa Grieco 9.925 (T2) Karina Senior 9.950 (1) Sarah Cain 9.925 (T2) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
NOTES
• Michigan's final team score is of 197.500 is its highest this season. In fact, the Wolverines' 197.500 tops their own 196.750 vs. Michigan State (Jan. 20) that ranked as the nation's top score heading into this week's action.
• Michigan set team season highs in three events with a 49.300 on the vault, 49.400 on the bars and a 49.500 on the floor exercise. The Wolverines matched their team season best on the balance beam with a score of 49.300, tying last week's mark against Michigan State.
• Michigan's win over Kentucky was its sixth of the season, with all six coming over top-25 opponents.
• Melissa Peterson, competing on the balance beam for the first time this season, delivered a career-best 9.950, which is also the best balance beam score by any Wolverine this year.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Bev Plocki
On Michigan's performance ... "I am continually impressed each week by the performance these athletes come up with on a consistent basis. After losing five seniors a year ago, I did not know what to expect from this squad, but they have been very impressive."
On some of Michigan's individual performances ... "Melissa Peterson, who had not competed on beam yet this year for us, came out and just nailed her beam routine and that was great to see. In addition, Karina Senior had her best meet of the season and is someone who is getting better every week."
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
