Conqu'ring Heroes: Plocki on Women's Gymnastics National Championship
4/20/2021 9:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics, Features
In this week's edition of the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast with Jon Jansen, we are recapping a couple of championship performances. We begin with women's gymnastics' national championship, as head coach Bev Plocki discusses her reaction to the clinching moment, some of the incredible performances throughout the weekend, and the role that those who came before this group had on this team's championship run. Then, Jon catches up with women's tennis head coach Ronni Bernstein about the culture she and her staff have built, the journey to this season's Big Ten championship, and the team's preparations for the postseason.
By Brian Boesch
In the final moments of last weekend's NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, Wolverines fans were likely feeling the same way as Bev Plocki.
"Obviously, my stomach was in knots," the 32nd-year University of Michigan head coach said on this week's "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast with Jon Jansen.
This was not the only way that Plocki and Michigan fans were similar in the moments leading up to Abby Heiskell's championship-clinching 9.9250 balance beam. There was little Plocki, or anyone, could say to help. All the work had been done. All the talking was finished. It was a matter of execution.
"You can't start giving a bunch of corrections," Plocki said. "They know what they have to do, so the only thing that you say to an athlete when they're prepared to go up into a situation like that is, 'You got this. Just go up there and do it the way you do it every day in the gym. You got this.'"
Heiskell did that, and then some, as she delivered an incredible performance. The emotion was real for her and the rest of the team immediately after she finished the routine.
"I think her reaction kind of spelled out how I think everybody felt," Plocki said. "She landed that dismount, saluted the judges, picked up her mask, and as she was walking off the podium, her legs just almost collapsed out from underneath her. I think it was just that feeling of relief."
Relief quickly turned into anticipation, as the Wolverines awaited the final score to appear. Either Michigan would become the seventh women's gymnastics program to earn a national championship or Oklahoma would celebrate.
"We're just sitting there waiting and waiting and waiting for the beam score to get tallied in," Plocki recalled. "Then, just the tears started flowing, the elation, the kids were jumping up and down. It was an incredible moment."
Plocki has become a Michigan institution, as she has led the women's gymnastics program to a myriad of team and individual accomplishments. As she reiterated before the NCAA Championships, each former gymnast helped the program get to this point.
"This started 32 years ago, and every single one of them have played a role in helping create the path to where we are today," Plocki said. "This championship is not just for this current team. It's for every one of our student-athletes that have been a part of this program since I stepped into the door."
