Weekly Release #3
1/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Jan. 24 -- at No. 2 Georgia (Athens, Ga.), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 -- at No. 4 Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 7 p.m. CST
Sunday, Feb. 2 -- at State of Michigan Classic (East Lansing, Mich.), 4:30 p.m.
Wolverines Take to the Road for Dual Meet at Georgia
The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team (2-0, 2-0 Big Ten) competes on the road for the first time this season when it visits No. 2 Georgia for a meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Jan. 24) at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga. Michigan, which is looking for its second consecutive dual meet victory over Georgia, extended its Big Ten Conference winning streak to 40 consecutive victories with a 194.700-191.850 victory over then-No. 12 Minnesota on Friday (Jan. 17). UGA enters the meet following a 197.075-197.050 victory over then-No. 9 Alabama on Saturday (Jan. 18).
Got Results
Visit mgoblue.com for the fastest and most reliable results from all of Michigan's competitions this season. In addition to results and event recaps, weekly releases, news releases, photos and other information can be found at mgoblue.com.
Get Results!
Fans can visit mgoblue.com for a link to Georgia's live stats, play-by-play commentary and more during Friday's meet (Jan. 24) against the No. 2 Bulldogs.
A Look at Georgia
After dropping their season opener 196.450-195.400 to then-No. 5 Nebraska (Jan. 4), the No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldogs have posted seven consecutive victories. Georgia, the 2002 NCAA runner-up, is averaging over 49.000 on three events -- vault, balance beam and floor exercise -- and has posted an average score of 196.700 in its four meets this season. A pair of juniors are leading the way for the Bulldogs, as Chelsa Byrd leads the team with an all-around average of 39.475 and Cory Fritzinger is averaging 38.942 in the all-around. Fritzinger posted Georgia's first perfect score on the balance beam since 1998 with a 10.0 last weekend against then-No. 9 Alabama. Georgia is under the direction of Suzanne Yoculan, who is in her 20th year as head coach of the Bulldogs.
Georgia on the Web... www.georgiadogs.com
Last Year Against the Bulldogs
Michigan faced Georgia in head-to-head competition twice in 2002. U-M won its first dual meet against the Bulldogs in 14 attempts with a 197.175-197.025 victory on Feb. 10 at Crisler Arena. The teams met again in the first preliminary session at the NCAA Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Georgia finished second in the session (196.650) to advance to the NCAA Super Six team finals where they finished as the NCAA runner-up. Michigan was fourth in the preliminary session (196.175) for a seventh-place finish at the championships.
Mark Your Calendars Now for NCAA Regional Action
Michigan, which has won four regional championship titles in the last six years, has been selected to host the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Northeast Region Championships at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 12. Michigan has hosted three previous NCAA Regional Championships (1995, 1997 and 2001) and advanced to the NCAA National Championships each time.
Last Weekend Against No. 12 Minnesota
Led by all-around winner Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS), then-No. 7 Michigan extended to 40 its winning streak over Big Ten schools with a 194.700-191.850 win over then-No. 12 Minnesota on Friday (Jan. 17) in Cliff Keen Arena. Grieco won the balance beam (9.825) on the way to her first career all-around crown and a career-best 39.275 total. First-time event champions Lauren Mirkovich (Burlingame, Calif./Notre Dame HS) and Becca Clauson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) won the uneven bars (9.850) and floor exercise (9.900), respectively, while Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) placed first on the vault (9.850).
| Place, School | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 48.975 | 48.925 | 48.150 | 48.650 | 194.700 |
| 2. Minnesota | 47.775 | 47.350 | 48.250 | 48.475 | 191.850 |
In the Rankings
Michigan's season-high score of 196.100 against Ohio State on Saturday (Jan. 11) dropped the squad into ninth place in the latest GymInfo rankings (Jan. 20). UCLA remains the top-ranked team with a season-high score of 198.275. For this week's ranking, the teams are listed according to their highest score of the season. Teams will be ranked based on their average team score for four weeks starting next week before being ranked by their Regional Qualifying Score for the remainder of the rankings.
Extending the Conference Streak
With 11 wins over conference opponents last season and two consecutive victories over conference opponents this season (Ohio State, Jan. 11; Minnesota, Jan. 17), Michigan increased its Big Ten winning streak to 40 consecutive victories. 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.
History Not on Our Side
Michigan owns a 2-27 all-time record against Georgia. The Wolverines' first victory over the Bulldogs was at the 1995 NCAA Super Six team finals. Michigan tied for second in the nation (196.425), while Georgia was fifth (196.075). The Wolverines' only victory over Georgia in 14 dual meets was last year's 197.175-197.025 win on Feb. 10 at Crisler Arena.
Remember the Stegeman
The last time Michigan visited Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2001), it suffered a heartbreaking 196.675-196.625 loss to the fourth-ranked Bulldogs. The Wolverines entered the final rotation with a 1.225 lead over Georgia but suffered falls in the final three routines on the balance beam and lost by one-half a tenth.
Slim Pickin'
Michigan went through most of the fall practice season in great health. However, all that changed in December. Michigan was without five of its 12 scholarship athletes for the season opener against Ohio State (Jan. 11). Michigan returned Kallie Steffes (Naperville, Ill./Central HS) on vault but still competed without four of the 12 against Minnesota (Jan. 17). Christine Mantilia (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan HS), torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS), shoulder, are out with injuries, with only Ray scheduled to return this season.
Some Go Up While Others Go Down
Despite a lower team score (194.700) than the previous week (196.100 vs. Ohio State, Jan. 11) Michigan posted two season-high event totals against then-No. 12 Minnesota (Jan. 17). The Wolverines posted season-high totals on the vault (48.975) and the uneven bars (48.925).
Another All-Around Mark
In the season opener against Minnesota (Jan. 11), Jenny Deiley (Dayton, Minn./Elk River HS) became the first Michigan freshman to win the all-around in a season-opening meet since Heather Kabnick (1995-98) in 1995. Last weekend against then-No. 12 Minnesota, Janessa Grieco won her first career all-around title with a career-high 39.275. It was her first title in six career all-around competitions, having placed second once and fifth on three occasions.
All-Arounders Rock Steady
Michigan's four all-around competitors this season -- senior Janessa Grieco, freshman Jenny Deiley, sophomore Chelsea Kroll (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny HS) and junior Calli Ryals -- have been steady competitors so far this season. Each of the four has finished among the top five in eight of 10 events this season.
First-Timers Club
Freshman Becca Clauson and sophomore Lauren Mirkovich each captured her first career event title against then-No. 12 Minnesota (Jan. 17). Clauson set a career high and won the floor exercise with a 9.900, while Mirkovich won the uneven bars with a 9.850. The pair has also contributed in their other events this season, as Clauson has placed among the top five in four of five routines and Mirkovich has been among the top five in three of four events.
One at a Time
Sophomore Kallie Steffes returned to competition for the first time this year in the vault lineup against then-No. 12 Minnesota (Jan. 17). After missing the season-opening meet against Ohio State (Jan. 11), Steffes posted a 9.700 in her first routine of the season.
Upon Her Return From Injury
Elise Ray enters the 2003 season having won 45 of 128 events (35 percent) and placed among the top three 78 times (61 percent) during her career. She is also fourth all-time at Michigan for the most all-around scores of 39.000 or higher in a career with 20 in her first two seasons. She needs two more all-around scores of 39.000 or higher to tie Lisa Simes (1996-99) for third (22) and 16 more to tied Sarah Cain's (1997-2000) record of 36 career all-around scores of 39.000 or higher.
Bring Them On
Michigan, which opened the season ranked sixth in the GymInfo preseason coaches poll, once again has one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Out of the Wolverines' 12 regular-season meets, eight include at least one team ranked among the top 25 in the GymInfo preseason poll. Seven of the eight contests with opponents ranked in the preseason are dual meets. Including the Big Ten Conference Championships, U-M will face 10 of the other 24 teams in the preseason top 25 at least once during the season.
Community Service Award
The women's gymnastics team repeated as winner of the U-M Community Service Award in 2002. The award is given to the U-M athletic team which performed the most community-related activities during the school year. In addition to signing autographs for up to two hours following each home meet, the team hit the road in 2002 as several members of the squad visited an elementary school in Detroit to demonstrate basic gymnastic skills and talk to the students about using athletics to gain opportunities in life. The team also captured the inaugural award for the 2000C01 school year.
Wolverines Honored Nationally for Classroom Work
Five members of the women's gymnastics team earned National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women (NACGC/W) Scholastic All-American honors for their work in the classroom during the 2001-02 school year. Shannon MacKenzie (1999-2002) led the Wolverines with her fourth selection, becoming just the third U-M gymnast to receive the honor each year of her career. Janessa Grieco, Amy Kuczera (1999-2002) and Tara Tagliarino (2000-01) each received her third NACGC/W Scholastic All-American honor, while Erin McWatt (1999-2002) earned the second national scholastic honor of her career.
Grieco and Ray Selected as Captains
Senior Janessa Grieco and junior Elise Ray will serve as co-captains for the 2003 Wolverine squad. Grieco was a co-captain in 2002 as a junior.
GYMINFO Top 25 (January 20)
Team High Score 1. UCLA 198.275 2. Georgia 197.325 3. Arizona State 197.300 4. Alabama 197.050 5. Utah 196.800 6. Nebraska 196.700 7. Florida 196.575 8. Denver 196.475 9. MICHIGAN 196.100 10. Stanford 196.050 11. Iowa State 196.000 12. Oklahoma 195.950 13. Oregon State 195.825 Louisiana State 195.825 15. Auburn 195.775 Arizona 195.775 17. Minnesota 195.525 18. Pittsburgh 195.400 19. Iowa 195.075 20. Illinois 194.925 21. Kent State 194.850 22. Penn State 194.375 23. Kentucky 194.125 24. Missouri 194.100 25. Towson 194.075
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
