Curtis Wins All-Around, Wolverines Beat No. 19 Spartans

Wednesday, January 20

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

194.200

193.750

Michigan State

Curtis Wins All-Around, Wolverines Beat No. 19 Spartans

1/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics

Jan. 20, 2010

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Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Arena)
Score: #15 Michigan 194.200, #19 Michigan State 193.750
Records: U-M (3-0, 2-0 Big Ten), Michigan State (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 1,465
Next U-M Meet: Sunday, Jan. 24 -- at Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.), 2 p.m. CST

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With three falls on the balance beam and a 29-victory Big Ten win streak on the line, the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team regrouped in the final rotation (floor) to knock off previously undefeated and No. 19-ranked Michigan State 194.200-193.750 on Wednesday night (Jan. 20) at Crisler Arena. Tonight's meet will be shown on the Big Ten Network on Saturday (Jan. 23) at 1 p.m.

The Wolverines led by just 0.050 with one event to go after enjoying an edge of 0.800 at the midpoint of the meet. Three falls on beam let the Spartans charge back into the meet, making floor exercise the decider. Michigan's first floor exercise performer fell, forcing the remaining five performers to execute their routines flawlessly. The Wolverines rose to the occasion, with freshman Natalie Beilstein (Butler, Pa./Knoch) and junior Kylee Botterman (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) capping the rotation with back-to-back scores of 9.825 to share the floor title.

The dramatic ending gave the Wolverines a record 30 straight Big Ten Conference victories. When Michigan faces Minnesota in U-M's next Big Ten meet in February, it will be three days short of three years since the Wolverines last lost to a Big Ten opponent.

Beilstein and Botterman finished 1-2 on vault, with the freshman scoring a 9.875 followed by the junior's 9.850. Senior Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno) took the uneven bars (9.825) and beam (9.875) titles while also finishing tops in the all-around with a 39.275.

Michigan controlled the pace of the meet on vault and floor, but the meet turned when U-M stepped up to beam. What makes beam so difficult?

"It's four inches wide," head coach Bev Plocki told the Michigan Daily following the meet. "There's no room for error. In every other event, you can be a little off. On beam, if you're the slightest bit off, you're on the floor."

Three Wolverines did touch the floor on beam, but the three that finished their routines without a slip scored big, finishing 1-2-3 on the podium. Curtis led the way with her 9.875, followed by senior Kelsey Knutson's (Ames, Iowa/Ames) 9.850 and Botterman's 9.825. Despite the Wolverine miscues, the team led by 0.050 points heading into the final event on floor, where U-M shone.

Michigan travels to No. 9 Nebraska to face the Huskers on Sunday (Jan. 24) at 2 p.m. CST. Links to live video and live results from Lincoln, Neb., will be available on MGoBlue.com.

Team Standings

Team	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
Michigan	49.075	48.675	47.650	48.800	194.200
Michigan State	48.850	48.100	48.400	48.400	193.750

Event-by-Event U-M Individual Scores

VaultKatie Zurales        9.725Brittnee Martinez    9.800Sarah Curtis         9.825 (t4)Kylee Botterman      9.850 (t2)Natalie Beilstein    9.875 (1)Maureen Moody        9.475
Uneven BarsKelsey Knutson       9.625Maureen Moody        9.775 (2)Brittnee Martinez    9.725 (t3)Jordan Sexton        9.725 (t3)Sarah Curtis         9.825 (1)Kylee Botterman      9.225
Balance BeamKylee Botterman      9.825 (t3)Brittnee Martinez    9.050Jordan Sexton        9.050Kelsey Knutson       9.850 (2)Sarah Curtis         9.875 (1)Jaclyn Kramer        8.900
Floor ExerciseJaclyn Kramer        9.050Brittnee Martinez    9.675Sarah Curtis         9.750 (t3)Jordan Sexton        9.725 (t5)Natalie Beilstein    9.825 (t1)Kylee Botterman      9.825 (t1)
All-AroundSarah Curtis        39.275 (1)Kylee Botterman     38.725 (4)Brittnee Martinez   38.250 (5)

N O T E S

• Michigan extended its Big Ten win streak to 30 with the win over Michigan State. The Wolverines have not lost to a Big Ten school since 2007 when U-M fell to Penn State in a dual meet at Crisler Arena -- 1,053 days ago and counting.

• Michigan has defeated MSU in each of the last eight meetings.

• Freshman Natalie Beilstein won both of the events she competed in, taking vault (9.875) and floor (9.825). Beilstein has never lost in a collegiate event she has competed in. She has competed vault twice and floor twice, placing first each time.

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423