Weekly Release #12
3/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
This Week: Illinois Hosts Big Ten Conference Championships
Saturday, March 29 -- at Big Ten Championships (Champaign, Ill.), 6 p.m. CST
Coming Up: NCAA Regional Action at Crisler Arena
Saturday, April 12 -- NCAA Northeast Regional Championships (Crisler Arena), 6 p.m.
Wolverines Open Postseason with Big Ten Championships at Illinois
The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team (11-6, 3-1 Big Ten) opens the postseason with the Big Ten Conference Championships at 6 p.m. CST Saturday (March 29) at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. The Wolverines, who have won 11 conference titles, including 10 of the last 11, are the top-ranked team (by Regional Qualifying Score) in the conference and have the league's highest RQS in the vault and floor exercise, while junior Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) enters the conference meet as the No. 1 floor exercise competitor in the Big Ten. This is the final meet which is eligible for consideration in the computing of Regional Qualifying Scores. U-M needs to tally a 196.675 or higher to increase its Regional Qualifying Score and possibly improve its position for the NCAA Regional seeding process.
Tickets for the Big Ten Championships
Tickets are on sale now by calling 1-866-Illini-1 and will be available for purchase at the door beginning at 4:30 p.m. CST on Saturday (March 29). All tickets are general admission, but there will be a designated section for each team's fans. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students. Parking is available in the Huff Hall parking lot east of the building and is free of charge.
Television Coverage of the Big Ten Championships
The Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championships will be televised by Fox Sports Chicago. The broadcast will be tape-delayed, with air dates and times to be announced. Check mgoblue.com, bigten.org or your local listings for exact dates and times. Mike Leiderman will provide play-by-play, while former U-M gymnast Wendy Wilkinson (1991-94) will provide color analysis.
Get NCAA Regional Tickets Online Now!
Tickets for the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Northeast Region Championships, which Michigan hosts at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 12, are now on sale at MGoBlue.com. Either select "Tickets" from the choices on the front page or go to the women's gymnastics page and look for the graphic on the right side to purchase tickets online. U-M, which has won four regional titles in the last six years, has hosted three previous NCAA Regional Championships (1995, 1997 and 2001) and advanced to the NCAA National Championships each time.
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.
A Look at the Competition
Illinois (6-13) is the host of the Big Ten Conference championships for the first time since 1995. The Fighting Illini have won one title (1990). Illinois enters the meet with a Regional Qualifying Score of 193.970 and a season-high score of 195.750. The Illini are ranked last (seventh) in the conference and 44th in the nation in the latest GymInfo rankings (March 24). Their top all-arounder, freshman Kara Kapernekas, is ranked 12th in the Big Ten and 71st in the nation with an RQS of 38.990. Illinois head coach Bob Starkell is in his fourth year at the helm of the Fighting Illini.
Illinois on the Web... www.fightingillini.com
Iowa (5-5) enters the Big Ten Conference Championships with a Regional Qualifying Score of 196.210 and a season-high score of 196.800. The Hawkeyes are ranked third in the Big Ten and 17th in the nation. Their top all-arounder, junior Alexis Maday, is ranked sixth in the Big Ten and 33rd in the nation with an RQS of 39.320. Iowa head coach Mike Lorenzen is in his fourth year at the helm of the Hawkeyes.
Iowa on the Web... www.hawkeyesports.com
Michigan State (15-7) enters the Big Ten Conference Championships with a Regional Qualifying Score of 195.340 and a season-high score of 196.575, a new school record. The Spartans are ranked sixth in the Big Ten and 30th in the nation. Their top all-arounder, freshman Sarah Alexander, is ranked eighth in the Big Ten and tied for 43rd in the nation. MSU defeated Michigan 195.075-193.900 to end the Wolverines' streak of consecutive Big Ten victories at 40 at the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2). U-M returned the favor with a 196.700-196.575 victory over the Spartans in a three-way meet with Pittsburgh last Saturday (March 22) in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State head coach Kathie Klages is in her 13th year at the helm of the Spartans.
Michigan State on the Web... www.msuspartans.com
Minnesota (11-10) enters the Big Ten Conference Championships with a Regional Qualifying Score of 195.960 and a season-high score of 196.500. The Golden Gophers are ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 21st in the nation. Their top all-arounder, junior Laura Johnson, is ranked ninth in the Big Ten and 54th in the nation with an RQS of 39.095. Michigan defeated the then-No. 12 Golden Gophers 194.700-191.850 on Jan. 17 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Minnesota is under the direction of Jim and Meg Stephenson, who are in their sixth year as co-head coaches of the Gophers.
Minnesota on the Web... www.gophersports.com
Ohio State (10-4) enters the Big Ten Conference Championships with a Regional Qualifying Score of 196.335 and a season-high score of 196.925. The Buckeyes are ranked second in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation. Their top all-arounder, junior Jill Weber, is ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 32nd in the nation with an RQS of 39.330. Michigan defeated the Buckeyes 196.100-192.175 on Jan. 11 in Ann Arbor, Mich., the season opener for both teams. Ohio State head coach Larry Cox is in his 24th year at the helm of the Buckeyes.
Ohio State on the Web... http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/
Penn State (10-8) enters the Big Ten Conference Championships with a Regional Qualifying Score of 195.460 and a season-high score of 195.875. The Nittany Lions are ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 28th in the nation. Their top all-arounder, senior Katie Rowland, is ranked first in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation with an RQS of 39.570. Penn State head coach Steve Shephard is in his 11th year at the helm of the Nittany Lions.
Penn State on the Web... www.gopsusports.com
Last Weekend Against Michigan State and Pittsburgh
In the final meet of the regular season, Michigan created momentum for the postseason by posting a 196.700 to win a three-way competition against Michigan State (196.575) and Pittsburgh (194.450) Saturday (March 22) in East Lansing, Mich. U-M swept the top three spots in the all-around, as junior Calli Ryals tied her season best of 39.550 to win the all-around and senior co-captain Janessa Grieco (Mahopac, N.Y./Carmel HS) placed second with a personal best of 39.525, increasing her career high in the event for the third consecutive week. Freshman Jenny Deiley (Dayton, Minn./Elk River HS) took third place in the all-around with a 39.325. Ryals also tied her career high to win the uneven bars (9.950) and tied for first on the balance beam (9.925) to give her three of five possible titles. Grieco tied Ryals for first on the balance beam with a 9.925, tying her career high on the apparatus. Grieco also posted a career-high 9.900 on the uneven bars to tie for second place. Meanwhile, Deiley used a 9.900 to win her sixth vault title in the last seven meets.
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 49.150 | 48.950 | 49.350 | 49.250 | 196.700 |
| 2. Michigan State | 48.900 | 49.200 | 49.000 | 49.475 | 196.575 |
| 3. Pittsburgh | 48.100 | 48.250 | 48.975 | 49.125 | 194.450 |
In the Rankings
Michigan remained No. 10 for the second consecutive week in the latest GymInfo rankings (March 24) with a Regional Qualifying Score of 196.780. The Wolverines have spent five of the last six weeks at No. 10, moving up to No. 9 in the March 10 rankings. UCLA remained in the No. 1 spot for the seventh consecutive week with an RQS of 197.980.
What is a Regional Qualifying Score
The formula for computing a Regional Qualifying Score may seem hard to understand, but it is not terribly complicated. An RQS is computed by gathering the top six event, all-around or team scores -- three of which must be from away meets -- and tossing out the highest mark. The average of the five remaining scores is the RQS.
Michigan's Six Scores for the RQS...
197.225 vs. Nebraska (March 14)
197.025 at Denver (Feb. 22)
196.775 vs. UCLA (March 7)
196.750 at Utah (Feb. 28)
196.700 at Michigan St./vs. Pitt (March 22)
196.650 vs. Northern Illinois (Feb. 14)
Total Before Dividing by Five...
983.900
U-M's Regional Qualifying Score...
196.780
A Word About the Postseason
Michigan's first stop in the 2003 postseason is the Big Ten Conference Championships on Saturday (March 29), in Champaign, Ill. The Wolverines will face six other Big Ten programs -- Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State -- for a shot at the league title. The conference championships, like wins and losses in the regular season, do not affect participation in the NCAA Championships. The Regional Qualifying Score is the only thing which determines which teams will compete at a regional site for a chance to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. The top 18 teams in the nation, based on RQS, will be seeded and assigned to the six regional sites (three per site), while the three remaining team slots will be filled by the highest-ranking teams within the region which are not part of the top 18. From each regional site, the top two teams and the top two all-arounders who are not part of an advancing team will receive an automatic berth to the national championships.
Big Ten Dominance
Michigan has dominated the Big Ten Conference over the past 11 years. Since 1992, the Wolverines have captured 10 league crowns, missing the title just once. U-M had won six consecutive Big Ten titles before finishing second to Minnesota at the 1998 championships and has won four consecutive since that second-place finish.
Looking to Rebound from 2002
Michigan's results from last year's Big Ten Championships were not what the Wolverines were used to achieving. U-M had just one event winner -- Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS), balance beam -- for the first time since 1991. The Wolverines placed seven gymnasts on the all-conference team, the fewest since six gymnasts earned the honor in 1999, and Ray's 9.950 on the beam was the team's only individual score to place among the top five event scores in U-M conference championships history.
How 'Bout That
With Elise Ray out for the season due to injury, Michigan enters the Big Ten Conference Championships without any former Big Ten champions in its lineup. Ray is the only current student-athlete who has won a Big Ten event title. She won the balance beam title, her only career conference title, with a 9.950 at last year's championships in Columbus, Ohio.
New Format for the All-Big Ten Team
The All-Big Ten team will be determined using a new format this season. Instead of gymnasts earning spots on the team based on their performance at the conference championships, the members of this year's team will be voted onto the squad by the head coaches. Each of the seven head coaches will rank 20 conference gymnasts who will receive points based on their position on the coaches' list. The 10 gymnasts with the most points will be named to the All-Big Ten first team, while the next 10 gymnasts will be named to the All-Big Ten second team. The all-conference teams and the Coach, Gymnast and Freshman of the Year will all be announced at the conclusion of the championships on Saturday (March 29).
Rotation for Big Ten Championships is Set
Michigan will have the advantage of competing in Olympic order at the Big Ten Championships on Saturday (March 29). The Wolverines will open with a bye before moving to the vault in the second rotation. U-M finishes the competition on the floor exercise in the seventh rotation.
Competition Order
| Rotation | Bye 1 | V | UB | Bye 2 | BB | Bye 3 | FX |
| 1 | UM | MSU | Iowa | Minn. | OSU | PSU | ILL |
| 2 | ILL | UM | MSU | Iowa | Minn. | OSU | PSU |
| 3 | PSU | ILL | UM | MSU | Iowa | Minn. | OSU |
| 4 | OSU | PSU | ILL | UM | MSU | Iowa | Minn. |
| 5 | Minn. | OSU | PSU | ILL | UM | MSU | Iowa |
| 6 | Iowa | Minn. | OSU | PSU | ILL | UM | MSU |
| 7 | MSU | Iowa | Minn. | OSU | PSU | ILL | UM |
Grieco Named AAI American Award Finalist
Senior co-captain Janessa Grieco has been named one of six finalists for the AAI American Award. The award, sponsored by American Athletic Incorporated, is given annually to the nation's top senior gymnast as voted on by the coaches. She is one of six seniors vying for the award, joining Utah's Theresa Kulikowski, Nebraska's A.J. Lamb, Penn State's Katie Rowland, Alabama's Kristin Sterner and UCLA's Onnie Willis. The winner will be announced at the 2003 NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships award banquet on Saturday, April 26, in Lincoln, Neb.
Grieco Nabs Second Big Ten Weekly Honor
Big Ten Gymnast of the Year candidate Janessa Grieco has been named the conference Gymnast of the Week for the second time this season. She tied her career high to earn a share of first place on the balance beam (9.925) and finished second on the uneven bars with a career-high 9.900 to place second in the all-around with a career-high 39.525 against Michigan State and Pittsburgh (March 22). Grieco earned her first Gymnast of the Week award on Jan. 22.
Pretty Impressive
For the second consecutive week, three Michigan all-arounders -- Jenny Deiley, Calli Ryals and Janessa Grieco -- are all ranked among the top 25 all-around gymnasts in the nation in the latest GymInfo rankings (March 24). Deiley is tied with Arizona State's Kelly Ashley for 14th position with an RQS of 39.475, while Ryals is tied with Georgia's Kinsey Rowe for 19th (39.435) and Grieco is tied with Denver's Emily Bankhead for 24th (39.390). Alabama's Jenna Rice is ranked No. 1 with an RQS of 39.695.
Michigan's Senior is Peaking at the Right Time
Big Ten Gymnast of the Year candidate Janessa Grieco, Michigan's lone senior, had a successful regular season and is heading into the postseason with a ton of momentum. She increased her career high in the all-around for the third consecutive week with a personal-best 39.525 against Michigan State and Pittsburgh (March 22). On the way to setting the mark, she tied her career high with a 9.925 to earn a share of first place on the balance beam and posted a career high on the uneven bars (9.900).
Ryals on Track to Top Her School-Record Floor Average
Calli Ryals is averaging 9.921 in 12 floor exercise routines this season. She set the school record for season average on the floor exercise (minimum seven performances) last year with an average of 9.913 (16 performances). Ryals is the only performer in school history to average over 9.900 on the floor.
More About Ryals and the Floor Exercise
Calli Ryals is tied with Alabama's Ashley Miles for fourth in the nation on the floor exercise with an RQS of 9.955 in the latest GymInfo rankings (March 24). UCLA's Jamie Dantzscher is No. 1 with an RQS of 9.985. Ryals has been extremely consistent on the floor this season. She has recorded seven of U-M's top eight scores with two marks of 9.975 and five marks of 9.950. She also has two scores of 9.925 and has only scored less than that three times, a 9.875 against Michigan State and Pittsburgh (March 22), a 9.825 against No. 1 UCLA (March 7) and a 9.800 against then-No. 12 Minnesota (Jan. 17). Ryals has won or shared the floor exercise title in seven of 12 meets.
Right There Every Time
Senior Janessa Grieco has developed a reputation as one of the most consistent performers for the Wolverines. However, it is not the top of the award stand where she has made her mark, it is simply being on the award stand. Grieco has performed in 199 events, including the all-around, in her career. While she has won just 13 event titles (seven percent), she has finished among the top five 119 times (60 percent).
Deiley on Fire
Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate Jenny Deiley has competed in 60 events this season, winning 16 event titles (27 percent) and finishing among the top five 45 times (75 percent) in her first 12 collegiate meets. Her 16 event titles and 45 top-five finishes are both team highs. In her most consistent event, the all-around, Deiley has won four titles and finished no worse than fourth in the 12 meets this season.
It's Official... Ray Will Not Compete in 2003
Junior Elise Ray underwent season-ending surgery on her shoulder in mid-March. Ray injured her shoulder in December and suffered a repeat of the injury in late January.
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). U-M returned Kallie Steffes (Naperville, Ill./Central HS) on vault against Minnesota (Jan. 17), but she has not competed since. Christine Mantilia (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan HS), torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Elise Ray, shoulder, are out with injuries.
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 (3/24/03)
(by Regional Qualifying Score)
RANK, TEAM RQS 1. UCLA 197.980 2. Nebraska 197.510 3. Arizona State 197.455 4. Georgia 197.300 5. Alabama 197.265 6. Oklahoma 197.165 7. Stanford 197.110 8. Florida 197.010 9. Utah 196.980 10. MICHIGAN 196.780 11. Oregon State 196.500 12. Louisiana State 196.485 13. Iowa State 196.460 14. Ohio State 196.355 15. Washington 196.355 16. Auburn 196.350 17. Iowa 196.210 18. California 196.055 19. Denver 196.035 20. Arizona 195.965 21. Minnesota 195.960 22. Kent State 195.795 23. North Carolina State 195.780 24. Brigham Young 195.740 25. Missouri 195.590
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
