Wolverines Post Season High in Loss at No. 1 Alabama

Friday, March 19

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

7:30 PM CT

Michigan

196.875

197.575

Alabama

3/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics

March 19, 2010

Complete Results

Site: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Coleman Coliseum)
Score: #1 Alabama 197.575, #10 Michigan 196.875
Records: U-M (13-3), Alabama (9-2-0)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 27 -- at Big Ten Championships (Columbus, Ohio), 2 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team wrapped the regular season with a team-high score in a 197.575-196.875 at No. 1 Alabama on Friday night (March 19) at Coleman Coliseum.

Despite the loss, Michigan outdid its previous high score by 0.100 (set at Illinois on Feb. 27) and set itself up for a possible bump in the polls by improving its RQS to 196.424. Senior Kelsey Knutson (Ames, Iowa/Ames) shone in her final regular-season meet, scoring a career-best 9.950 on balance beam to share the event title -- the ninth of her career. Junior Kylee Botterman (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) added a vault title to Michigan's haul, picking up her third of the season and 11th of her career with a 9.950. Botterman took third on uneven bars (9.875) and beam (9.900) and added the all-around crown to her tally, totaling 39.550 to beat out Alabama's all-stars.

The top-ranked Tide led from start to finish on their Senior Night, but Michigan scored 49.000 or better on each event for just the second time this season. Michigan has posted three of its top scores this season in the last four weeks of competition, peaking as the postseason begins. U-M put up its highest beam score of the campaign (49.325) and second-highest vault score (49.350) while tallying the season's fourth-best floor exercise total (49.125).

Freshman Natalie Beilstein (Butler, Pa./Knoch) continued her stellar season with 9.875 scores on vault and floor. A trio of seniors also had great road meets with Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno) taking fourth in the all-around with a 39.300, Jordan Sexton (Weddington, N.C./Weddington) tying a season high on beam with a 9.850 and Jaclyn Kramer (West Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills) putting up her second-best floor score of the season with a 9.750.

Michigan looks to make it four straight Big Ten titles at next week's Big Ten Championships, taking on the rest of the six-team field on Saturday (March 27) at 2 p.m. at St. John's Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The meet will be carried live on the Big Ten Network.

Team Standings	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
Alabama	49.350	49.350	49.425	49.450	197.575
Michigan	49.350	49.075	49.325	49.125	196.875

Event-by-Event U-M Individual Scores

Vault
Katie Zurales        9.800
Kari Pearce          9.750
Brittnee Martinez    9.875 (t4)
Sarah Curtis         9.850
Kylee Botterman      9.950 (t1)
Natalie Beilstein    9.875 (t4)


Uneven Bars
Kelsey Knutson       9.800
Maureen Moody        9.800
Brittnee Martinez    9.775
Jordan Sexton        9.800
Sarah Curtis         9.800
Kylee Botterman      9.875 (t3)

Balance Beam
Sarah Curtis         9.775
Katie Zurales        9.850
Jordan Sexton        9.850
Brittnee Martinez    9.775
Kylee Botterman      9.900 (t3)
Kelsey Knutson       9.950 (t1)

Floor Exercise
Jaclyn Kramer        9.750
Brittnee Martinez    9.675
Jordan Sexton        9.800
Sarah Curtis         9.875 (t4)
Natalie Beilstein    9.875 (t4)
Kylee Botterman      9.825

All-Around
Kylee Botterman     39.550 (1)
Sarah Curtis        39.300 (4)
Brittnee Martinez   39.100 (5)