Michigan
NCAA Super Six Team Finals
Wolverines Place Sixth at NCAA Championships
4/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Site: Boise, Idaho (The Pavilion)
Event: #1 Michigan at NCAA Championships (Super Six Team Finals)
U-M Team Finish: 6th Place of 6 Teams (195.725)
Attendance: 5,223
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, April 15 -- at NCAA Championships Individual Event Finals (Boise, Idaho), 7 p.m. MDT
BOISE, Idaho -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team had its hopes for a national title dashed at the NCAA Championships Super Six Team Finals as the top-ranked Wolverines placed sixth with a team score of 195.725. The Wolverines got the meet off to a rocky start on the balance beam and were not able to recover. Despite the sixth-place finish, senior Sarah Cain (Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island HS) went out in style with an all-around mark of 39.500 as she nailed all eight events in the preliminary and Super Six rounds.
The Wolverines opened up the meet on the balance beam, which proved to be a nemesis for the second straight night as Michigan counted one fall en route to a mark of 48.100. Cain continued to be a rock for the Wolverines and nailed her fifth straight routine of the NCAA Championships with a 9.850. Junior tri-captain Bridget Knaeble (New Hope, Minn./Totino-Grace HS), in just her second appearance of the season on the balance beam, provided a steadying influence for the Wolverines with a 9.675. Michigan's mark of 48.100 left it in fourth place following the first rotation. UCLA led after one with a 49.375 on the floor exercise.
Michigan bounced back in its second rotation, on the floor exercise, with six scores of 9.825 or better to earn a mark of 49.275. Cain continued to be a rock for the Wolverines as she led the way with a 9.900, with Knaeble on her heels (9.875). Sophomore Melissa Peterson (Shawnee, Kan./Shawnee Mission West HS) matched the second-best floor routine of her career with a 9.850 to boost the Wolverine cause. Despite its improvement on the floor, Michigan sat in sixth place (97.375) after three rotations.
The Wolverines moved on to vault in its third rotation and promptly delivered the second-best team mark of the meet (49.375) on the vault. The Wolverines dropped three 9.900s, including one from freshman Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS), which matched a career best. Junior Karina Senior (Markham, Ontario/Milliken Mills HS) chipped in with a career-best mark 9.875 to help Michigan into fourth place (146.750) heading into its fourth and final rotation. The Wolverines trailed UCLA (148.175), Utah (147.475) and Nebraska (147.375).
Michigan closed out its 2000 season on the uneven bars and landed a 48.975 to finish in sixth place with a final mark of 195.725. Cain ended one of the finest collegiate careers in Michigan athletic history with a 9.850 to pace the Wolverines. Fellow senior Kate Nellans (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein HS) also stuck the final bar set of her career to earn a 9.800.
Four Wolverines will compete in the NCAA Individual Event Finals tomorrow night (Saturday, April 15) at 7 p.m. MDT. Cain will be competing on the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. Cain will be joined on the vault by Grieco and Christine Michaud (Mill Valley, Calif./The Branson School), while Shannon MacKenzie (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) will compete on the balance beam.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. UCLA | 49.450 | 49.350 | 49.125 | 49.375 | 197.300 |
| 2. Utah | 49.400 | 49.000 | 49.075 | 49.350 | 196.875 |
| 3. Georgia | 49.475 | 49.025 | 48.800 | 49.500 | 196.800 |
| 4. Nebraska | 49.150 | 49.250 | 48.975 | 49.350 | 196.725 |
| 5. Alabama | 49.275 | 49.150 | 48.925 | 49.150 | 196.500 |
| 6. MICHIGAN | 49.375 | 48.975 | 48.100 | 49.275 | 195.725 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Sarah Cain 39.500 (T5) Bridget Knaeble 39.175 VAULT Bridget Knaeble 9.800 Janessa Grieco 9.900 (T5) Karina Senior 9.875 Sarah-Elizabeth Langford 9.800 Christine Michaud 9.900 (T5) Sarah Cain 9.900 (T5) UNEVEN BARS Kate Nellans 9.800 Amy Kuczera 9.725 Cami Singer 7.650 Tara Tagliarino 9.775 Bridget Knaeble 9.825 Sarah Cain 9.850 BALANCE BEAM Janessa Grieco 9.700 Cami Singer 9.625 Shannon MacKenzie 9.250 Karina Senior 9.200 Bridget Knaeble 9.675 Sarah Cain 9.850 (T2) FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.825 Melissa Peterson 9.850 Bridget Knaeble 9.875 Janessa Grieco 9.825 Karina Senior 9.825 Sarah Cain 9.900 (T2) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
NOTES
• Michigan's sixth-place showing marks the ninth time that the Wolverines have placed in the top 10 in their nine NCAA Championships appearances.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Beverly Plocki
On her team's performance ... "Obviously, we had higher expectations for this meet, but the balance beam hurt us again. However, these kids have accomplished an awful lot this season and one night will not take away how great they have been all season."
Players Mentioned
