Michigan
UCLA
Wolverines Upended on Road by No. 1-Ranked UCLA
3/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team dropped a 198.325-195.725 decision to No. 1 UCLA on Sunday (March 6) in Pauley Pavilion. Senior/junior Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS) earned three top-five finishes, including a share of the balance beam title, en route to a fourth-place all-around finish (39.450). Though the Wolverines posted a balance beam event total of 49.275 in the final rotation, it was not enough to overtake the No. 1-ranked Bruins, who scored 49.475 or higher on each event.
The Wolverines began the competition on the uneven bars, compiling a 49.100 event total. Junior Chelsea Kroll (Wexford, Pa./North Allgheny HS) led off with a solid 9.600. Freshman Lindsey Bruck (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus HS) contributed a 9.800, while sophomore Jenny Deiley (Dayton, Minn./Elk River HS) added a 9.850. Junior Lauren Mirkovich (Burlingame, Calif./Notre Dame HS) turned in a season-high performance, scoring 9.900. Senior/junior Elise Ray (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake HS) tied her season high with a 9.950. After one rotation, the Bruins led 49.500-49.100.
In the second rotation on vault, sophomore Becca Clauson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham HS) scored a 9.775 on a harder variation of her typical vault. Senior Christine Mantilia (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan HS) continued her string of solid vaults with a 9.800. Though Ray and Deiley each added 9.850, U-M was forced to count a fall in its 48.475 vault event total. At the halfway point, UCLA led 99.150-97.625.
In the third rotation, Michigan moved to floor exercise. Mantilia led off with a 9.800, followed by a 9.675 from Deiley in her first performance on floor this season. Clauson tied her season high with a 9.900 performance, followed by a 9.875 from Bruck. An out-of-bounds landing on her second tumbling pass held Ray's score to 9.700.
Going into the fourth rotation, U-M trailed UCLA 148.625-196.450. Still, the Wolverines posted their highest event total of the afternoon, a 49.275 on the balance beam. Led by Ray's 9.950, four U-M athletes posted scores of 9.800 or better, including Kroll's 9.875, Clauson's 9.800 and Ryals' 9.875.
The Wolverines return to Crisler Arena on Friday (March 12) to face No. 3 Alabama at 7 p.m. to close out the regular season.
Final Results
| Team Scores | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| 1. UCLA | 49.500 | 49.650 | 49.475 | 49.700 | 198.325 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 48.475 | 49.150 | 49.275 | 48.825 | 195.725 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
ALL-AROUND Elise Ray 39.450 (4) Lindsey Bruck 38.600 Jenny Deiley 39.125 (5) VAULT Clare Flannery 9.200 Becca Clauson 9.775 Christine Mantilia 9.800 Lindsey Bruck 9.175 Elise Ray 9.850 (t5) Jenny Deiley 9.850 (t5) UNEVEN BARS Chelsea Kroll 9.650 Lindsey Bruck 9.800 Jenny Deiley 9.850 Lauren Mirkovich 9.900 (t5) Calli Ryals 8.450 Elise Ray 9.950 (t2) BALANCE BEAM Chelsea Kroll 9.875 (t5) Lindsey Bruck 9.775 Becca Clauson 9.800 Jenny Deiley 9.775 Calli Ryals 9.875 (t5) Elise Ray 9.950 (t1) FLOOR EXERCISE Christine Mantilia 9.850 Jenny Deiley 9.650 Becca Clauson 9.900 (t5) Lindsey Bruck 9.850 Elise Ray 9.700 Calli Ryals 9.475
Contact: Jessica Steyers (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
