Weekly Release #11
3/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
This Week: No. 5 Michigan at Shanico Inn-vitational
Saturday, March 16 (7 p.m. PST)
Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.
Next Week: No. 5 Michigan at Big Ten Championships
Saturday, March 23 (6 p.m.)
St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Complete Release in PDF (6 pages, 96 KB)
Wolverines Close Regular Season at Oregon State Meet
The No. 5 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team (16-3, 4-0 Big Ten), coming off its second-highest team score in school history last Saturday (March 9) against then-No. 13 Denver and Washington, finishes the regular season at the Shanico Inn-vitational, hosted by No. 14 Oregon State, in Corvallis, Ore. The meet, slated for 7 p.m. PST at Gill Coliseum, also includes No. 22 Michigan State and Seattle Pacific. The meet is the final preparation before the Big Ten Conference Championships on Saturday, March 23, in Columbus, Ohio.
Shanico Inn-vitational on the Tube
Saturday's meet will be televised on FOX Sports Net Northwest on a tape-delayed basis. Judy Corwin and Todd McKim will call the action. The meet will be aired twice -- at noon on Sunday, March 17, and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 23.
Big Ten Tabs Ray for Third Gymnast of the Week Award
Sophomore Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS) has been named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week for women's gymnastics for the third time this season, sharing the most recent honor with Penn State's Katie Rowland. Ray tied the U-M all-around record with a career-high 39.825 and led the Wolverines to its second-highest team score in the program's history (197.775) and a first-place finish against then-No. 13 Denver and Washington on Saturday (March 9).
Ryals is the Nation's Top All-Around Gymnast for Third Week
Michigan's Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) is the No. 1 all-around gymnast in the nation for the third consecutive week. Her all-around Regional Qualifying Score of 39.590 is the best in the country and .055 ahead of Georgia's Cory Fritzinger, who is ranked second (39.535). Ryals' tied her career-high all-around score of 39.625 against Denver and Washington (March 9) to increase her lead over second place.
Michigan Drops in GymInfo Rankings Despite RQS Increase
Michigan's Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) increased to 196.690 but the team fell one spot to fifth in the latest GymInfo rankings (March 11) after Utah jumped from fifth to third (196.855) by dropping a low score. Georgia remains the top-ranked team (196.975) for the fourth consecutive week and Alabama (196.950) is second. The teams will be ranked based on their RQS for the next two weeks, the final rankings this season.
GymInfo National Rankings (3/11/02)
(by Regional Qualifying Score)
1. Georgia 196.975 2. Alabama 196.950 3. Utah 196.855 4. UCLA 196.810 5. MICHIGAN 196.690 6. Oklahoma 196.590 7. Nebraska 196.570 8. Stanford 196.210 9. Louisiana State 196.180 10. Iowa State 196.140 11. Minnesota 195.955 12. Arizona 195.635 13. Arizona State 195.435 14. Oregon State 195.430 15. Brigham Young 195.385 16. Florida 195.340 17. Denver 195.330 18. Iowa 195.110 19. Penn State 195.015 20. Kentucky 194.845 21. North Carolina 194.770 22. Michigan State 194.735 23. Maryland 194.695 24. George Washington 194.675 25. North Carolina State 194.580
Looking for a Big Jump
Michigan's RQS would jump to 196.855, the same RQS as No. 3 Utah in this week's rankings (March 11), with a score of 197.000 this weekend at the Shanico Inn-vitational (Saturday, March 16). The Wolverines are looking to move closer to the top of the rankings to increase the likelihood of being placed in a regional that would include two teams ranked much lower than U-M, increasing the team's odds of reaching the NCAA National Championships.
The Last Time at the Shanico Inn-vitational
Michigan tallied a 192.225 and finished third at the 1996 Shanico Inn-vitational in Corvallis, Ore. The Wolverines' Beth Amelkovich (1996-99) finished second in the all-around (38.925) while Wendy Marshall was the top U-M finisher in an event with a third-place 9.825 in the floor exercise. Oregon State won the meet (196.350), and Minnesota was second (192.450). The Wolverines finished ahead of Penn State (191.95), Ohio State (190.625) and Seattle Pacific (185.575).
Rollin' Down the Highway
Michigan and Michigan State will put aside their differences this weekend and share a bus for the one-and-a-half-hour trip from Portland, where they will fly to and from, to Corvallis, Ore., the site of the meet. In addition to building camaraderie, the move helps both school save on the expense of chartering a bus for the weekend.
Last Weekend Against Denver and Washington
A special night for the seniors turned into a special night for the entire team as the then-fourth-ranked Wolverines set a school record on the floor exercise (49.625) on the way to posting a 197.775, the second-highest team score in U-M history. The score gave Michigan first place over then-No. 13 Denver (194.300) and Washington (194.250) on Saturday (March 9) in front of 1,926 fans at Crisler Arena.
U-M's five seniors -- Amy Kuczera (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park HS), Shannon MacKenzie (Midland, Mich./Midland HS), Erin McWatt (Livonia, Mich./Adlai E. Stevenson HS), Melissa Peterson (Shawnee, Kan./Shawnee Mission West HS) and co-captain Jodie Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) -- were honored prior to the meet, the final home competition of the season. In addition to the focus on the senior class, two sophomores drew the attention of the crowd, as Elise Ray won three events and tied the Michigan all-around record with a 39.825 and Calli Ryals earned her third 10.0 with a perfect floor routine.
| Place, School | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 49.475 | 49.225 | 49.450 | 49.625 | 197.775 |
| 2. Denver | 48.775 | 48.400 | 48.125 | 49.000 | 194.300 |
| 3. Washington | 48.075 | 49.275 | 48.025 | 48.875 | 194.250 |
U-M Dances and Tumbles to School Record in Floor Exercise
Michigan totaled a school-record 49.625 in the floor exercise against Denver and Washington on Saturday (March 9). Calli Ryals led the way with a perfect 10.0. She was set up by Janessa Grieco's (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) score of 9.975 for second place and a third-place 9.950 by Elise Ray. Cami Singer (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) opened the rotation and tied her career high with a 9.800. Jodie Rosenberg set a career high with a 9.900 and tied for fourth place, and Shannon MacKenzie scored a 9.100 that did not count in the total.
Beam Right There as Well
Michigan scored its second-highest team total this season and the third-highest total in school history on the balance beam with a 49.450 against Denver and Washington. The Wolverines tallied a 49.475 against Utah; the school record is 49.525 at the 2000 Big Ten Championships.
U-M Posts Perfect Dual Meet Record
With no remaining dual meets, Michigan will finish the season with a perfect 7-0 dual meet record. The team rattled off the seven wins over the course of eight meets.
Across the Board
Michigan is ranked as the third-best team in the nation on the vault, fifth-best on the uneven bars, fourth-best on the balance beam and the sixth-best in the floor exercise. U-M is one of the most consistent teams at the top of the rankings. Georgia is the only team in the country ranked ahead of the Wolverines in each of the four events, as the Bulldogs are No. 1 on the vault, No. 2 in the floor exercise, No. 3 on the balance beam and No. 4 on the uneven bars.
What a Difference a Year Makes
At this time last season, Michigan was ranked 14th in the nation on the balance beam. The apparatus had cost the team in several meets, including a 196.675-196.625 loss at Georgia (Feb. 10, 2001) in the final rotation. Now, just a year later, Michigan is ranked fourth in the country with a RQS of 49.205 on the beam.
Bring in the Moving Trucks ...
Michigan has collected quite a load of individual event titles this season. The Wolverines have won 40 of a possible 55 event titles (73 percent) in 11 meets this season. Three times -- at Ohio State (Jan. 26), against Florida (Feb. 1) and against Denver and Washington (March 9) -- U-M won all four events and the all-around. Only at the Maui Invitational (Jan. 4) and the UCLA Invitational (March 3) has the team failed to win at least three of the five titles.
... And Send Two Trucks for Ray and Ryals
Elise Ray and Calli Ryals have earned the majority of the team's event titles, combining to win 36 of the 40 event titles. Ray has won three titles on three occasions and won four titles against Denver and Washington (March 9), while Ryals won four event titles at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 3).
Always the Bridesmaid, (Almost) Never the Bride
Junior co-captain Janessa Grieco posted a floor exercise score of 9.950 at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 3) and a career-high 9.975 against Denver and Washington (March 9) only to finish second to perfect 10.0 scores by Calli Ryals at each meet. Grieco does have one floor exercise title this season, a 9.900 against Northern Illinois (Jan. 13). Overall, she has been a model of consistency in the floor this season, placing among the top five in the event in eight of 10 meets and earning a 9.900 or higher seven times.
Ray in the Record Books
Elise Ray moved into a tie for fourth with Beth Amelkovich (1996-99) on the U-M career list for most all-around scores of 39.000 or higher with 16 in her one-plus seasons. Ray's 16th came in just the 18th meet in which she has competed in the all-around.
Ryals Getting Close to 39.000 Record Book
Calli Ryals is on track to reach the U-M single-season record for most meets with an all-around score of 39.000 or more. Beth Wymer (1992-95) holds the record of 12, which she set in 1994 as a junior. Through 11 meets, Ryals has earned eight scores of 39.000 or more. She has five more chances to compete in the all-around if the Wolverines travel all the way to the NCAA Super Six team finals at the national championships.
Three Perfect 10s For Ryals
Sophomore Calli Ryals is just the sixth gymnast in U-M history to record three perfect 10.0 scores in a single season. Her perfect score on the floor exercise at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 3) was the 17th perfect score on the floor in Michigan history and the second in three meets for Ryals. She earned her latest perfect score last Saturday (March 9) against Denver and Washington. Her three 10.0s put her sixth on the U-M list for most career 10.0 scores.
Ryals Nearing Two 10.0 Records
Calli Ryals earned her third perfect score of the season with a 10.0 on the floor exercise against Denver and Washington (March 9). With one more 10.0 this year, she will tie the school records for most perfect 10s on the floor exercise in a single season and the most perfect 10s on any single event in a single season. Beth Wymer (1992-95) had four 10.0 scores on the floor exercise, while Heather Kabnick (1995-98) had four 10s on the vault and Nikki Peters (1996-99) and Wymer each had four 10s on the uneven bars.
Not Just the All-Around for Ryals
Calli Ryals is ranked No. 1 in the all-around for the third consecutive week, but she is also ranked No. 2 in the floor exercise. Her RQS of 9.970 is boosted considerably by the fact that she has three perfect scores of 10.0 and two of them came in away meets. UCLA's Jamie Dantzscher is No. 1 in the floor exercise with a RQS of 10.000.
Being Cal Ripken
Calli Ryals has competed in every event in all 11 meets this season. Not only has she been in the events, but she has been very good in the events. Over the course of the season, Ryals has been in the all-around in each of the 11 meets and placed among the top five 38 times in 44 events, including a stretch of 22 consecutive top-five finishes.
Back in Business
Elise Ray has scored a 9.900 or higher in 16 of the last 20 events at the five meets in which she has competed since returning to the all-around following a foot injury. She has won 10 of the 20 events (50 percent), a number that jumps to 14 of 25 (56 percent) when her four all-around titles are added to the mix.
Never Really Out of Business
While her numbers since returning to the all-around have been impressive, Elise Ray posted some equally impressive marks while injured. In the five meets in which she did not compete in the all-around, Ray won five of the 12 events she did compete (42 percent) and placed first or second 10 times (83 percent).
Ray Continues to Dominate Bars
Elise Ray, who set a U-M record with a 9.921 season average on the uneven bars in 2001, continues to dominate the event in 2002. She opened the year with a near-perfect, career-high score of 9.975 to win the event at the Maui Invitational (Jan. 4). She won the bars title with a 9.875 at Ohio State (Jan. 26) and again with a 9.975 against Florida (Feb. 1). She has placed among the top five, with six first-place finishes, in each of Michigan's 11 meets this season, and her RQS of 9.950 is second-best in the nation.
Plocki on Track to Earn 250th Win
Michigan head coach Bev Plocki has a chance to earn her 250th career victory before this season is over. Plocki, who has 243 career wins, can reach the mark at the Big Ten Conference Championships on March 23. Because of the opportunity to earn more than one win at the conference championships, the Wolverines do not need to win the two meets prior to the championships for her to reach the mark.
Bring Them On
Michigan, which opened the season ranked third with three first-place votes in the GymInfo preseason coaches poll, has one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Out of the Wolverines' 12 regular-season meets, 10 of them include at least one team ranked among the top 25 in the GymInfo preseason poll. Including the Big Ten Conference Championships, U-M will face 14 of the other 24 teams in the preseason top 25 at least once during the season.
The Conference Streak
Michigan increased its Big Ten winning streak to 31 consecutive victories over conference opponents by finishing ahead of Minnesota at the UCLA Invitational (March 3). The last time a Big Ten school defeated the Wolverines was Jan. 15, 1999, when Minnesota won 193.550-193.050 at Cliff Keen Arena.
Co-Captains
The 2002 Michigan women's gymnastics team has co-captains leading the squad. Senior Jodie Rosenberg is joined by junior Janessa Grieco as the captains. Rosenberg was a tri-captain in 2001 as a junior.
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
