Michigan
Kentucky
Senior Wins All-Around as Wolverines Trounce Kentucky
1/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Senior Karina Senior (Markham, Ontario/Milliken Mills HS) won the all-around and Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS) earned two event titles to lead the No. 5-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team to a 196.325-193.850 victory over Kentucky tonight (Friday, Jan. 26) in front of 712 fans at Memorial Coliseum.
Ray won the uneven bars with a 9.875 and floor exercise with a 9.925, her first collegiate score over 9.900, while Christine Michaud (Mill Valley, Calif./The Branson School) took top honors on the vault with a 9.875. Senior captured her second all-around title in three weeks with a mark of 39.200, with sophomore Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) right behind her in second (39.000).
Strong performances by Amy Kuczera (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS) and Ray on the uneven bars gave Michigan a 49.100-48.725 lead after the first rotation. Ray posted the top score on the event with a 9.875, while Kuczera recorded a 9.850, tying her career high set at the 2000 NCAA Regional Championship. Also scoring well for the Wolverines was senior tri-captain Bridget Knaeble (New Hope, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) with a 9.825.
Michigan (6-3) competed on the vault in its second rotation and posted a 48.775 to extend its lead to 97.875-96.750. Vaulting specialist Michaud led the Wolverines with a 9.875, a season high. Knaeble followed her strong performance in the bars with a 9.750 on the vault to tie Senior for fourth on the apparatus.
In the floor exercise, Grieco and Senior each had a 9.850 and Knaeble and Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) had scores of 9.875. Ray performed last in the event and earned her highest collegiate score to date with a 9.925 to win the event, giving the Wolverines a sweep of the top five spots and sending them into the final rotation with a 147.250-144.950 lead.
In the final rotation, the Wolverines recorded a 49.075 in the balance beam to secure the win. Melissa Peterson (Shawnee, Kan./Shawnee Mission West HS) scored a season-high 9.850 to pace Michigan, while beam specialist Shannon MacKenzie (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) also posted a 9.850, and Senior and Ryals each scored 9.825.
Michigan heads to Gainesville, Fla., next week for a three-way meet with host Florida and Auburn at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 2).
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 48.775 | 49.100 | 49.075 | 49.375 | 196.325 |
| 2. Kentucky | 48.725 | 48.025 | 48.200 | 48.850 | 193.800 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Karina Senior 39.200 (1) Janessa Grieco 39.000 (2) Elise Ray 38.825 (4) VAULT Elise Ray 9.675 Bridget Knaeble 9.750 (T4) Calli Ryals 9.050 Karina Senior 9.750 (T4) Janessa Grieco 9.725 Christine Michaud 9.875 (1) UNEVEN BARS Christine Mantilia 9.775 Janessa Grieco 9.700 Amy Kuczera 9.850 (2) Karina Senior 9.775 Bridget Knaeble 9.825 (T3) Elise Ray 9.875 (1) BALANCE BEAM Calli Ryals 9.825 (T4) Melissa Peterson 9.850 (T2) Janessa Grieco 9.725 Karina Senior 9.825 (T4) Shannon MacKenzie 9.850 (T2) Elise Ray 9.350 FLOOR EXERCISE Jodie Rosenberg 9.775 Janessa Grieco 9.850 (T4) Bridget Knaeble 9.875 (T2) Karina Senior 9.850 (T4) Calli Ryals 9.875 (T2) Elise Ray 9.925 (1) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
N O T E S
Elise Ray's wins in the floor exercise and uneven bars are the first event titles of her college career. Her 9.925 floor mark is her first collegiate score above 9.900.
Janessa Grieco tied her career high and set a new season high on the uneven bars with a 9.850, while Melissa Peterson scored a season-high 9.850 on the balance beam.
Christine Michaud set a season high with an 9.875 on the vault. Her previous high was a 9.825 against Oregon State (Jan. 12).
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
