Michigan
Big Five Meet
Michigan Claims Fourth Big Ten Regular-Season Title
3/17/2018 9:39:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
» Michigan clinched its fourth Big Ten regular-season championship.
» U-M secured a spot in the Big Ten Championship evening session.
» Wolverines posted a season-high road score of 197.225.
Site: Piscataway, N.J. (Rutgers Athletics Center)
Score: No. 7 Michigan 197.225 (1st of 5)
Records: Michigan (15-2-1, 8-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 24 -- Big Ten Championship (Champaign, Ill.), 7 p.m. CDT
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Another trophy and banner will make their home in the Donald R. Shepherd Women's Gymnastics Center in Ann Arbor as the seventh-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team captured its fourth Big Ten regular-season title in the last six years on Saturday (March 17) at the Big Five Meet at Rutgers.
"I'm extremely pleased that as we get into the championship part of our season, we came in here and did as well as we did," said head coach Bev Plocki. "I am thrilled with the outcome and for the weeks to come."
Michigan clinched the regular-season title by winning the Big Five Meet with a score of 197.225. The Wolverines were in a position to possibly take the crown after No. 11 Nebraska faltered at the East Lansing Big Five Meet earlier in the day to finish fourth. Plocki told her team before the meet started.
"I wanted to address it before the meet because a lot of people were paying attention to it," said Plocki. "I told them that it doesn't mean anything unless we go out and do our job. We have to earn it."
Not only does the Big Five Meet win mean more hardware to add to the Maize and Blue's legacy, but it also guarantees them one of six slots in the evening session of the Big Ten Championship next Saturday (March 24) at Illinois.
"We came in treating this as a practice meet for Big Ten Championships, so we wanted to come here and have a good meet," said sophomore Lexi Funk. "Coming out with a big score, we are going to be in good shape for Big Tens."
The Wolverines had an outstanding meet. Balance beam was a highlight as U-M matched its third-highest beam score in school history with a 49.475. Senior Brianna Brown won the event with a career-high 9.950. Right behind here were Funk and senior Lauren Marinez with a 9.925. The score matched a career best for Funk.
"It is always great to start beam with a hit routine and the momentum just kept going from there," said Funk. "It was so much fun."
U-M had a chance to finish the meet on floor with a comfortable lead following a bye after they posted the beam score. Funk and junior Emma McLean tied for the win on floor with a 9.900 as all six scored 9.825 or better for a team score of 49.325.
The uneven bars also featured some high scores for the Wolverines as they combined for a 49.350 on the event. Senior Paige Zaziski finished second on the event with a 9.925, while freshman Syd Townsend tied her season best with a 9.900.
Michigan got off to a good start on vault with back-to-back 9.825 scores from Polina Shchennikova and Funk. The top score on the event was a 9.850 from Zaziski as the team went 49.075.
For Funk it was a career day. She earned her first career all-around win and scored a career high in the process with a 39.450. She also earned her first career win on floor with the 9.900, which matched a career high on that event, vault and beam. All three of Michigan's all-arounders scored 39.400 or better.
Michigan will look to win its fifth straight Big Ten Championship next weekend when they travel to Champaign, Illinois. The Wolverines will be in the evening session at 7 p.m. CT in the State Farm Center with the meet being televised by Big Ten Network.
Players Mentioned
