Michigan Marked Preseason Favorites
12/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Dec. 15, 2016
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Big Ten Conference announced its preseason women's gymnastics coaches' poll and gymnasts to watch, and Michigan, the team that has the most Big Ten championships, was once again picked as the favorite.
The Wolverines have a history of dominance in the Big Ten, winning 22 championships. To put the 22 titles in perspective, the two schools with the most after Michigan are Minnesota and Ohio State with five each. Minnesota, picked third in the preseason poll, has finished first in the regular season three of the last four years but last one a championship in 2006. Ohio State hasn't won since taking five straight crowns from 1983-87.
Since Bev Plocki took over as the head coach at Michigan the Wolverines have vaulted to a position of leaders and best. She has 21 titles at U-M while the rest of the all-time head coaches in the conference have combined for just 14.
Michigan is on a streak of three straight Big Ten championships after coming from behind in the final rotation to top Nebraska in its home gym last season. The Huskers are picked second this season behind Michigan and have provided the toughest test for the Wolverines in recent history, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, twice finishing second and once third in their five years since joining the conference.
The Wolverines will face off with Nebraska at home on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m. They will not see Minnesota until the Big Five Meet on March 11 at Iowa.
The history of excellence has garnered respect around the conference for the Wolverines but it is what they have returning that places them atop the preseason poll. From last year's lineup at the NCAA Regional, U-M returns 17 of its 24 routines. That is hard to imagine when you look at the roster and six of the 12 student-athletes are newcomers.
However, each of the last three Big Ten Freshman of the Year recipients reside on Team 41. Senior Nicole Artz won both beam and floor titles at last year's Big Ten Championships to give her five career titles. Junior Brianna Brown captured the bars crown in 2016 and sophomore Olivia Karas was ranked in the top 10 nationally on vault and floor a year ago.
Those three stars can put any team in the spotlight, but it was two other returners who garnered preseason recognition from the conference. Senior Talia Chiarelli and sophomore Emma McLean were named to the Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch list.
Chiarelli, who doesn't compete on bars, was still named Big Ten Event Specialists of the Week four times last season, is a two-time All-American and a team captain for the second straight year.
McLean has made a big jump from her freshman to sophomore year. Earning praises from the coaching staff, she added bars and beam during the team's exhibition vs. Eastern Michigan to compete in the all-around. Last season, she competed on vault and floor only.
Add a junior transfer, Paige Zaziski, who was the 2015 SEC Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-SEC team honoree at Arkansas, and five talented freshmen and it is easy to see why the Big Ten coaches tabbed Michigan as the preseason favorite to win another title in 2017.
