Michigan
Iowa
Michigan Suffers Narrow Road Loss vs. No. 6 Hawkeyes
1/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 23 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team completed its season-opening road trip at No. 6 Iowa today (Saturday, Jan. 24). For the third straight week, senior Calli Ryals (Elyria, Ohio/Midview HS) and senior/junior Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) finished 2-3 in the all-around while the Wolverines suffered a narrow 196.750-196.325 road loss to their Big Ten conference rivals.
In the first rotation, freshman Carol McNamara (Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) led off for the Wolverines on the uneven bars with a solid 9.600. Junior Chelsea Kroll (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny HS) followed with a clean routine and near-stuck dismount, adding a 9.775. Freshman Lindsey Bruck (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus HS) added a 9.625, while Ryals turned in a strong 9.875 performance. Ray, last up, contributed a 9.675 to complete the five counting scores. After one rotation, the Wolverines trailed the Hawkeyes 48.900-48.550.
Sophomore Becca Clauson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham HS) started off the second rotation with a 9.725 vault. Freshman Clare Flannery (Ossining, N.Y./School of the Holy Child HS) competed the same vault, earning a nearly identical 9.775. Senior Christine Mantilia (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan HS) contributed a 9.55. McNamara stuck her Yurchenko-full vault for a 9.825, while Ryals (9.875) and Ray (9.925) closed the third rotation on high notes for the Wolverines.
After two rotations, Michigan slipped to almost a full point behind Iowa, 98.600-97.675, but the Wolverines did not give up. McNamara started things off on the floor exercise with a 9.800, while Mantilia turned in her second-ever career floor performance with a strong 9.750. Clauson nailed her tumbling passes well for a 9.875, a score matched by an equally well-performed routine from Bruck. Ray sold her elegant routine for a 9.900, setting up Ryals, who performed her best floor routine of the season, earning a 9.95. The Wolverines' floor total of 49.400 took a bite out of Iowa's lead, bringing Michigan within two-tenths of the Hawkeyes, 147.275-146.925.
In the final rotation, the Wolverines found themselves in familiar situation: an extremely close competition and facing the balance beam. Kroll continued her string of solid beam performances in the tough leadoff position with a 9.900. Junior Kara Rosella (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills HS) followed with a strong routine, earning 9.725. Bruck redeemed her previous week's mistakes, nailing her entire routine for a 9.900 and a share of the event title with teammate Kroll. Though a missed routine from the fourth competitor put the pressure on Ryals and Ray, the final two competitors, they delivered with scores of 9.85 and 9.875, respectively. Though Michigan's event total of 49.250 on balance beam brought U-M's team total to 196.325, it was a few tenths shy of Iowa's 196.750 score.
The Wolverines return to Ann Arbor next Saturday (Jan. 31) to face Michigan State in Crisler Arena at 7 p.m.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. Iowa | 48.900 | 49.225 | 49.150 | 49.475 | 196.750 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 49.125 | 48.550 | 49.250 | 49.400 | 196.375 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Calli Ryals 39.550 (2) Elise Ray 39.375 (3) VAULT Becca Clauson 9.725 Clare Flannery 9.775 Christine Mantilia 9.550 Carol McNamara 9.825 (5) Calli Ryals 9.875 (3) Elise Ray 9.925 (1t) UNEVEN BARS Carol McNamara 9.600 Chelsea Kroll 9.775 (5) Lindsey Bruck 9.625 Calli Ryals 9.875 (3) Elise Ray 9.675 Christine Mantilia 9.175 BALANCE BEAM Chelsea Kroll 9.900 (1t) Kara Rosella 9.725 Lindsey Bruck 9.900 (1t) Becca Clauson 8.800 Calli Ryals 9.850 (5) Elise Ray 9.875 (4) FLOOR EXERCISE Carol McNamara 9.800 Christine Mantilia 9.750 Becca Clauson 9.875 Lindsey Bruck 9.875 Elise Ray 9.900 (5) Calli Ryals 9.950 (2t) ( ) denotes place in the Top 5
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Bev Plocki
On the team's performance ... "I'm really happy with the meet. I'm happy with the improvement in our performances as we're going through. We have some kids who are mentally tough when they need to be. We did a great job of hanging in there and fighting. I'm very pleased with the performance. It's as great steppingstone."
Contact: Jessica Steyers (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
