Season Review: Team 45 Turns Up the Volume for First NCAA Title
7/28/2021 10:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics, Features
By Conor Stemme
Two months ago in Fort Worth, Texas, the 2021 University of Michigan women's gymnastics team won its first NCAA championship, the first national championship for U-M in any sport since 2014. Reaching this summit was a long, hard road. Like every year, there were struggles in practices and on meet days along with the inevitable injuries.
However, this season, COVID-19 created new challenges with the gymnasts not hugging their parents for five months, taking daily COVID tests, and unable to see friends from outside the team. Even with these sacrifices, and many more, this season proved worth it in the end.
For the members of Team 45, this journey started with Team 44. On March 12, 2020, Team 44's season ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after it had posted the best score in program history (197.95) at the Big Five meet and as it was entering the postseason ranked fifth in the nation. The season's premature end was initially tough for everyone, but it was toughest for the seniors of Team 44, who did not get to say a proper goodbye to competing as a Wolverine.
"We were starting to hit our stride last season, and who knows where it would have gone," said volunteer coach Lexi Funk, who was a 2020 senior. "It was an abrupt ending, and just to be told, 'You're done, pack up and go home,' was tough. I've had a lot of time to reflect and look back on things, and it wasn't all terrible."
Over this unplanned off-period, the team checked in on each other through Zoom, worked out together (virtually) and talked about what next season would entail. Sophomore Gabby Wilson said, "I was working for something but not really sure exactly what it was, but I was just keeping calm, keeping on the grind, keeping the team tightened."
"It would have been easy to just give up, and it would have been easy to say, 'You know what, we're just not going to do it this year,' senior Lauren Farley said. "But I really just saw everyone go, 'OK, I know the sacrifices I have to make, and it's worth it.'"
The team returned to Ann Arbor on Aug. 10 and resumed training, its first in-person activity since the season ended in March. These practices were in small groups of only 10 people, and the freshmen joined these training groups a few weeks later on Aug. 31. "The moment I stepped into the gym, I was a part of the team, and everyone was super welcoming and helpful," freshman Jenna Mulligan said.
Lauren Farley (left), Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn
The team practiced as a complete unit for the first time on Sept. 9, much earlier than other teams in the country. The Wolverines credits athletic trainer Lisa Hass and the chief health and welfare officer Darryl Conway for establishing and maintaining successful COVID protocols. As full team practices started, it was full speed ahead to the team's top goal: Win a national championship.
However, COVID restrictions required the Wolverines to find new ways to create the strong bond so crucial to a successful gymnastics team. In the gym, spirit weeks and "mystery partners" provided inspirational quotes and small gifts to each other.
Coach Funk said, "I think it really just forced the girls, in a good way, to come together and become one unit, and doing the best that they can not only for themselves but for the good of the team and for the good of each one of their teammates."
For four months, every day brought the same routine -- a COVID test, school and practice -- but the routine brought the relief of being back and the promise of competition. As the days passed, there was worry that a season might not happen as COVID continued to impact the world. Happily, December brought the first taste of competition: a friendly, judged intrasquad meet. This meet showed the great depth of the team, with full lineups for every event, and gave Michigan a sense of how its routines were shaping up before leaving for break.
Winter break would be the last time the girls would hug their parents until the end of the season. While the team was spending a safe, homebound New Year's Eve in Ann Arbor, head coach Bev Plocki texted the team: "This is our opportunity to write our own story for this new year. Let's make something really special together. We need to finish what we started last year and put the exclamation point on the ending in April! LET'S DO THIS!!!"
But not even Plocki saw what 2021 had in store, certainly not when 2021 began on such uncertain footing.
"We didn't even get our competition schedule until about two weeks before first meet, which was very strange because usually we get it in about October," said senior captain Anne Maxim. "So we were rolling with the punches."
Naomi Morrison
Gabby Wilson
That was a theme throughout the year. When the schedule was finally announced on Jan. 4, the Wolverines were set for their first meet at home in Crisler Center against Ohio State just 12 days later. This season's competitions would be only against fellow Big Ten Conference teams.
"I honestly enjoyed staying in the Big Ten this year," junior Abby Heiskell said, "and getting to go back and forth with these teams and build this Big Ten unity bond between everyone."
The first meet of the season was a success and was highlighted by vault (Sierra Brooks 9.925), uneven bars (Brooks 9.925, Natalie Wojcik 9.925) and floor exercise (Wilson 9.95). There were some struggles, including some low scores on balance beam, which included a fall from Heiskell.
Wilson competed in the all-around for the first time, while freshmen Reyna Guggino and Naomi Morrison made their collegiate debuts on floor and vault, respectively. The Wolverines broke their first record of the season with a 197.225, the highest season-opening score in program history. Only six days later, Michigan faced then-No. 4 Minnesota.
Michigan wanted to continue its hot start and improve on its national No. 3 ranking. For the first time this season, the Wolverines and Gophers dedicated the meet to social justice and racial equality. Team 45 defeated Minnesota thanks in part to a stellar performance from Wojcik (39.600 in the all-around). However, there were still areas to work on with two falls on floor. "When the going got tough, we were ready to put the hard work in," junior captain Abby Brenner said. "We never let it interfere with our goals."
The Wolverines wear warmups with messages of equality on the back prior to their meet against Minnesota
Lew Porchiazzo (center)
The team was ready to head back to the gym, but an emergency Zoom meeting one day later saw the entirety of Michigan Athletics go into a two-week quarantine on Jan. 23.
Like the first quarantine in March, the initial shock and emotions flooded everyone, but this pause became a turning point for Team 45. The team continued training at home, thanks to strength and conditioning coach Lew Porchiazzo. Treatments from Hass and student athletic trainer Andrew Kozerski continued as well.
"We could still do training room," said Maxim. "So, we're going to take advantage of that, and we did, and then we ended up being able to get out of the shutdown a couple of days early."
Lisa Hass
The Maize and Blue was motivated to get back and prove what it could do.
"We were watching everyone else go and said they're good, but we're also good,' Brooks said. 'Once we're back out there, you'll see it.'"
Wojcik said, "In hindsight, I would take that pause if it meant that we were going to have the rest of our season we did."
With the quarantine lifted, training quickly resumed in preparation for Nebraska and the Flip for Chip meet. The shutdown had flipped a switch. When the team returned to the gym.
"I feel like that's when everyone was really fired up, ready to go and prove what this team could do," Mulligan said.
Michigan entered Crisler Center on Feb. 15 on a mission, not taking anything for granted and trying to savor every moment in honor of Chip Hills, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer and was the father of former U-M gymnast Callie Hills. This meet is always emotional, and the Wolverines honored Chip's legacy not just through a focus on "three good things" but with their gymnastics as well.
Natalie Wojcik
"We had no idea what was going to happen," said assistant coach Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn. "It was literally two weeks of just staying at home. The girls worked really hard. They were determined, and they had an amazing meet."
Michigan beat Nebraska by more than two points, highlighted by Wojcik's perfect 10 on beam and Wilson's 9.925 on floor. These routines combined with three high-scoring bar routines and Carly Bauman's debut on beam led the Wolverines to victory.
"It was nice because we got back just in time for it," Wilson said. "After the meet I was like, 'OK, we're here to play. We can do this.'"
Next up was the first away meet, a long bus ride to Illinois. The Wolverines once again showed that they were a team to be reckoned with, earning a solid score of 197.375 after a rough warmup. The perseverance of this team showed as the meet was highlighted by a perfect Yurchenko full (Heiskell 9.95) and beam (Wojcik 9.975).
Abby Heiskell
The next competition was the Big Five Meet hosted at Crisler Center, with the Wolverines looking to sew up the Big Ten regular-season championship. The meet opened with Brenner suffering an injury on floor, followed by two more falls from a rattled team.
"It was really devastating to be injured so early in the season, but I knew this team was special," Brenner said. "I wasn't worried for our team one bit because I knew how strong of a team we had."
Her belief was not misplaced, as Michigan stormed back, battling Iowa after a great vault rotation (Brooks 9.975) and bars (Koulos 9.925, Wojcik 9.925).
"We had to bring it back after floor. Our vaults were great, and our bars and beam were killer," sophomore Nicoletta Koulos said. "We couldn't have done anything better. It didn't come in our favor, but we still fought like no other."
From left: seniors Anne Maxim, Lauren Farley, Anna Dayton
In a bit of foreshadowing, Big Fives came down to the final routine in the final event: Heiskell on beam. This time the comeback fell short, but the Wolverines realized that they could fight against all odds and could compete with any team.
After the setback of the Big Five meet, the Wolverines regrouped, with serious conversations about their capabilities and how now was the time for people to step up -- which they did the following week at Ohio State.
The Wolverines pose in front of the OSU scoreboard after their then program-record 198.025.
On March 7, the Wolverines broke the 198-point barrier for the first time in program history, demonstrating to themselves and the country that they were a force. This quad meet began with Michigan on beam (leadoff Bauman 9.925, anchor Heiskell 9.925), earning a 49.500 after the first rotation. Floor was next, and the Wolverines earned a 49.375 (Wojcik 9.900, Brooks 9.900, Wilson 9.925). In the third rotation, vault, Team 45 really locked in. The rotation ended with three straight 9.925s (Wilson, Morrison and Brooks) to post a 49.550 team score.
In the last event, bars, the Wolverines were the top team in the country at the time. They stuck four dismounts (Heiskell 9.925, Wilson 9.900, Koulos 9.875, Brooks 9.925). Wojcik needed a 9.950 to not only score a program record, the team's first score over 198, but also earn Plocki a puppy, which her husband had promised her if her team broke the 198 barrier. The team watched, digging into shoulders and holding hands as Wojcik hit every handstand, caught her high-flying Deltchev, and stuck her double layout.
Finally, the judges revealed the score of a 9.975 for a team-record 198.025. Chants of "Puppy" and "It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine" filled Ohio State's gym.
"That bar rotation was so special with just every dismount," said Heiskell, "and then seeing that 198.025 pop up, I will never forget that."
"With how well we did on vault and bars, that was such a turning point for us in our season," Plocki added. "Breaking the 198 for the first time is for sure my favorite moment not from nationals."
"I think that's the first time everyone really bought in and believed that we could win a national championship," Brenner said. "I think from that weekend on, our mentality for every meet was something special."
After only two days of practice, Team 45 traveled to Maryland determined to do even better than the previous week's record. This meet started out in what had become fairly normal fashion, with Wojcik leading the Wolverines to a 49.350 on bars after the first rotation. But on vault, the team found another gear. Heiskell unveiled her Yurchenko 1.5 (originally planned for one year earlier as an exhibition before the season was cut short) which scored a near-perfect 9.975.
"It was one of those situations where I didn't necessarily know the outcome, so it took the pressure off because I don't have an expectation," Heiskell said. "After my vault, the rest of the team did great, and I was like, 'Holy crap. We are a force.'"
The next four Wolverine vaults all earned 9.900 or better, with Guggino last up debuting her Yurchenko 1.5. "I just learned it basically that week," Guggino said. "So, I was freaking out and I was extra nervous because I sat down my vault in the warmup. Then I guess I kicked it into high gear and stuck."
Guggino earned a 9.950, and the Wolverines posted a 49.800 on vault, the highest of the season in all of women's gymnastics. After a strong floor rotation (Brooks 9.900, Wilson 9.925), the Wolverines headed to beam needing to equal their season high on the event to earn another 198.
The rotation started off strong with Bauman (9.925) and Wilson (9.975). The back half of the rotation showed what it could do (Brooks 9.900, Wojcik 9.900). In what was becoming a recurring theme, Heiskell was the anchor on beam and needed a 9.825 to tie the record. She scored a 9.900 to set another overall record with a 198.100 as well as a team beam record th a 49.600. Clearly, the previous weekend had not been a fluke; this team was ready for the postseason.
The postseason began with the Big Ten Championships in Minnesota. After a good week of practice, Michigan was confident heading into the Maturi Pavilion. Team 45 had a good first two rotations on bars and beam, including 9.900s from Heiskell on both events and a 9.925 from Wojcik on bars. Floor was next up, the event in which the team had struggled in some past meets. Today was one of those days, with the team counting a score of 9.600.
The Wolverines bounced back, posting a 49.650 on vault as they tried to a make a comeback. After struggling on floor, Wojcik posted a perfect 10 and Heiskell put up a near-perfect 9.975. However, the Wolverines were unable to come back, and the team was crushed.
"I think Big Tens definitely was a huge hit for us," senior captain Anna Dayton said. "We had to take a step back and just figure out what was going on and how we could get to nationals and win it."
On the bus ride back to the hotel, Plcoki declared that she would be OK if losing Big Tens meant winning a national championship.
"We just needed to put all four events together," Plocki said. "I just had a strange feeling that the disappointment of not winning Big Tens was going to be a major factor for us going forward to NCAAs."
From left: Abby Heiskell, Natalie Wojcik, Reyna Guggino
Regrouping with NCAA Regionals only two weeks away, there was a different, positive energy in the gym that was helped by having Rocky, Coach Plocki's new dog, in the gym. Practices were focused on small individual pieces and continued improvement for the stiff competition waiting at regionals in West Virginia.
On day one of regionals, Michigan started with a shaky rotation on beam but managed to stay in striking distance of the other teams. Once again, putting a rough rotation behind them, the Wolverines scored a season high on floor that included the season debut of Heiskell on the event.
Rocky Plocki
U-M continued the momentum on floor into vault (Brooks 9.975, Heiskell 9.925, Guggino 9.925) in the its third meet featuring six 10.0 start-value vaults. The final rotation, bars, had a fall, but day one ended with a Wolverines victory, and they were ready for even tougher competition on day two.
Heiskell opened day two with a fall on vault, generating some nerves, but those were quickly squashed by the rest of the vault rotation, and U-M never looked back. Guggino was in the anchor spot and was asked if she wanted to just compete a full given the fall.
"No, I don't want to do a full," she said. "I'm not in the lineup to do a full. The coaches were like, 'OK, you got it.'"
Guggino was right, and her 1.5 scored a 9.875. Michigan improved on this start, setting a program record 49.725 on bars (Heiskell 9.95, Brooks 9.95, Wilson 9.95, Wojcik 9.975). Next up was the always stressful beam, but the issues from day one were mitigated as Team 45 scored 49.300 thanks to great routines from Brooks and Heiskell. Finishing on floor, Team 45 was determined and tied the program record, earning another 198.100.
"When we qualified to nationals was one of my favorite moments because we had been working hard at regionals, and that was our goal all season," Bauman said.
The team arrived in Texas after a successful week of practice. After a day for COVID testing and a good practice day, Michigan was ready to compete on day one. The Wolverines came out on beam and started off hot with a 49.4750, highlighted by a session-leading score of 9.95 from Brooks.
U-M continued its hot start and set a season high on floor with a 49.6500 (Heiskell 9.9375, Brooks 9.95, Wilson 9.9375). Their season-best event, vault, was next, but it ended up being the lowest score of the day (49.350). Bars was last, and Michigan earned a 49.3875 (Wilson 9.900, Brooks 9.9250), which was good enough for the Wolverines to win the meet.
"I felt like we had a great meet, but also there were some things that we could improve on from that day now that we knew we were going into day two," Funk said.
The team woke up ready to go, and there was just a feeling that something special was going to happen. Michigan walked into the arena, and Brooks said, "If we hit, then it's our meet to lose. I definitely had that mentality going into finals on Saturday."
The Wolverines did exactly what was discussed in the previous night's team meeting and went out and enjoyed every moment. U-M started out on floor and scored a 49.6250 (Wilson 9.9375, Wojcik 9.95), then rotated to vault and stuck three of six vaults (Heiskell 9.9750, Wojcik 9.9375, Brooks 9.9750) after sticking none the day before. On the third rotation, Michigan scored a 99.2750 on bars, holding a lead of just over one-tenth of a point on Oklahoma.
Abby Brenner, Scott Sherman
Bars was highlighted by the return of Brenner in her first competition routine since being hurt seven weeks prior. She took the chance given and made the most of it, tying Brooks for the highest score on the team with a 9.925. The bars squad scored a 49.4875, with only beam left and both Oklahoma and Utah a fraction of a point behind.
Beam started out with a solid routine from Bauman (9.850), with Wilson and Farley following with some wobbles. Brooks set the tone for the dramatic finale, earning the second-highest beam score (9.9625) of the night. Wojcik was determined to have a great performance akin to the one se had two years prior to win the individual beam title. With the highest beam score of the day (9.9875), Wojcik put the Wolverines in position to win their first national championship.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking," Wojcik said, "but I just got up and hit the best routine of the season for me."
Abby Heiskell
Michigan was tied with Oklahoma when Heiskell stepped up to compete. She calmly mounted the beam, knowing her teammates had put her in a position to succeed. During her routine, Oklahoma's final score came in and Michigan trailed for the first time on the night, behind by 0.0875. Heiskell would need a 9.850 for U-M to win the national championship. She stuck her dismount, and there was a feeling that Team 45 was national champion, but the team waited for the score.
The Wolverines were used to waiting, from the long pause over the summer, to the two-week depeartment pause, to waiting for their COVID test results. Less than two minutes after Heiskell dismounted, the score flashed on the big screen. A 9.9250. Michigan had done it. The Wolverines leapfrogged Oklahoma to win the national championship and set a new program-record score in the process, posting a 198.250.
"We had a battle it out to win," Koulos said. "We didn't just have it handed to us because other teams made mistakes."
There were hugs, happy tears and screams all around. The support that this team had was immense, not just from the parents, alumni and fans, but from other teams like California and Minnesota, whose sense of sportsmanship created a larger cheering section. After receiving the trophy, countless photos and cheers, the team headed back to the hotel for a victory dinner and the world's biggest hug fest.
The season-ending banquet followed, with season awards and tears shed at the seniors' speeches.
"I couldn't be prouder or happier to be on a team, especially this one," Bauman said.
The team headed to the airport early Sunday morning with its newest member, the NCAA championship trophy. When the Wolverines arrived in Ann Arbor, they were greeted with a victory celebration.
The Wolverines and the NCAA Championship trophy prepare to board their flight back to Ann Arbor.
"When we were driving up the hill and we heard everyone screaming, that's the stuff that makes me cry," Wilson said. "The impact that we're able to have on the community is insane."
"Each and every person has a role in this team, whether you're the all-arounder, the individual or the person sitting on the floor cheering your head off," Brenner said. "Everyone had equal importance that weekend and throughout the entire season."
Team 45 will go down in the history books as seven-time record-setters and national champions.
Now the preparation for next season begins.
"This team is really something special," Mulligan said, "and I'm so excited to see what we do next year and the next three years that I'm here because I think it's going to be great."
Players Mentioned
