Maize & Blue to Make 28th NCAA Appearance
3/26/2018 4:36:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
• Plocki Reflects on Winning Record 23 Big Ten Titles
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team will make its 28th NCAA appearance the NCAA announced on Monday (March 26). The Wolverines will head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the NCAA Regional on Saturday, April 7.
Michigan will compete against the host school No. 6 Alabama, No. 18 Georgia, No. 22 Missouri, No. 23 Illinois and No. 36 Central Michigan. The top two teams at each of the six NCAA Regional sites will advance to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, April 20-21, at Chaiffetz Arena.
This marks the 27th consecutive year that head coach Bev Plocki has led the Wolverines to a NCAA appearance. They have gone on to advance to the NCAA Championships in 22 of the previous 27 seasons. Prior to Plocki, the Wolverines only competed in the NCAA Championships one time, winning the NCAA Regional and placing 10th overall in 1982.
This marks the third time Michigan will travel to Tuscaloosa for a NCAA Regional. U-M finished second to Alabama in 1998 and took third in 1994. The Wolverines have competed in Tuscaloosa three other times with the last one coming in 2010.
The 2018 Michigan team won both the regular-season and Big Ten championship. The Wolverines claimed the 24th conference title in program history on Saturday (March 24). Two gymnasts won individual Big Ten titles en route to a score of 197.200.
The Wolverines enter the NCAA Regional with a RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) of 197.160 and are ranked in the top ten on all four events. The team had a season-high 197.550 vs. Ohio State on Jan. 13 and has beaten two teams ranked in the top five this year. They defeated No. 4 Alabama to open the season on Jan. 5 and then won against No. 4 Utah on senior day, March 10.
Alabama is coming off a second-place finish at the SEC Championships and has a RQS of 197.165. The Crimson Tide took second to the Wolverines at the 2017 NCAA Regional in Morgantown, West Virginia. Â Georgia finished in second place of the morning session of the SEC Championships and sixth overall. The Bulldogs have a RQS of 196.515. Missouri took seventh at the SEC Championships and had a RQS of 196.390. Illinois finished third in the Big Ten Championships and boasts a RQS score of 196.265. Central Michigan has a RQS score of 195.750 but won the MAC championship last weekend with a score of 197.025.
Also of note, Plocki will return to where she started her college gymnastics career as she began as a student-athlete at Alabama before transferring to West Virginia.
For tickets to the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional please visit www.rolltide.com.
