Following a bruising loss to Michigan State two weeks ago, the Wolverines were eager to perform in front of their home crowd again and for an opportunity to show off the improvements they’ve made.
While the No. 19 Michigan women’s gymnastics team began the meet tentatively, a season-high performance on the floor pushed the team’s overall score past the 16th-ranked Buckeyes, as the Wolverines (4-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) bested Ohio State (2-3, 1-1), 196.600 to 196.025.
Freshman Peyton Davis and sophomore Ava Jordan started off the vault event for Michigan scoring 9.800 and 9.700, respectively. Then, freshman Jahzara Ranger stepped up. Typically Ranger is a powerful gymnast, yet on her vault routine, she underrotated on her dismount. Though she managed to catch herself, the shaky dismount produced an unusually low 9.550 for the all-around freshman.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes were producing solid results on the uneven bars. The Wolverines only released the tension when Ohio State sophomore Courtney McCann skimmed the floor with her knee, reducing her score to 9.425. By the end of the first round, the Wolverines were trailing by a small margin of 0.125.
Michigan freshman Sophie Parenti kicked it off on the uneven bars, setting her team up nicely with a score of 9.825. But an uncharacteristic fall from sophomore Ava Jordan dropped the Wolverines further behind their rival. Jordan is a consistent competitor on Michigan’s uneven bars lineup, but she couldn’t quite grasp the bar as she approached another turn, scoring an 8.975.
Just like at the end of the first round, Ohio State led, this time by a margin of 0.025. The Wolverines, excited to be home, were determined to give their crowd a show. Michigan may have been feeling the pressure in the first two rounds, but in the third and fourth it remained calm and reinforced what it knew it was capable of.
“I thought that this meet was like the tale of two halves,” Wolverines coach Bev Plocki said. “Little bit disappointed with how we performed in the first two events. … I think sometimes (the gymnasts) put more expectation on themselves when they’re at home, in front of all of their people and their friends.”
After Parenti had yet another stable performance for Michigan on the beam, sophomore Kayli Boozer outdid herself with the highest-scoring routine of the night. Boozer, executing the stand-out routine, scored a 9.950 pushing her team further ahead of Ohio State.
“(Boozer) truly is incredible,” graduate Carly Bauman said of her teammate. “Her gymnastics is stunning and I love watching her.”
The Buckeyes weren’t allowing the Wolverines to gain much of a lead — that is, until Ohio State’s last routine from sophomore Maisyn Rader. Her routine consisted of a double pike and a front fold and, finally, a double tuck. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, Rader was off-centered on her last pass, stepping out of bounds and receiving a 9.625 which wasn’t enough for Ohio State to bypass its opponent.
At the conclusion of the third round, the Buckeyes dropped behind Michigan, 147.250 to 146.975. Event by event, routine by routine, the Wolverines were fortifying the skills they rehearse every day in practice.
Freshmen Davis and Sophia Diaz both received scores higher than 9.800, and Boozer stunned the crowd again with a one and a half to a punch front and received yet another high score: 9.900. Bauman was up next on the floor, and her attention to detail paid off and she received a 9.925 for her team. This was Michigan’s highest-scoring floor round of the season and Ranger hadn’t even tumbled yet.
Ohio State had an underwhelming round on the balance beam, while its two highest scores coming from freshman Guevara and redshirt junior Tory Vetter with 9.825.
When the final scores were submitted, the Wolverines came out on top despite their slow start. Plocki attributes the lag in success to the gymnasts’ pressured mindset.
“We’ve been doing so much better on vault in practice that I think their mindset went to like, ‘stick it, stick it,’ ” Plocki said. “And then they forget about all the things that make it a big, good vault that allow them the opportunity to stick.”
Michigan may have experienced a delay in clean, reliable gymnastics, but its ability to overcome pressure and reinforce the skills the team practices every day show promise for the season. To carry out this success, the Wolverines will have to continue to reinforce those skills and remain confident in their capabilities.
The post No. 19 Michigan gymnastics reinforcing its capability with win over No. 16 Ohio State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.