With fierce competition and new conference talent, the No. 17 Michigan women’s gymnastics team was pushed out of contention at the Big Ten Championships.
Ahead of the championship, Wolverine coach Bev Plocki hoped the competition would be a “dogfight down to the last routine.”
And that it was. Reigning champions No. 8 Michigan State fell second in the final rotation as No. 5 UCLA whipped out two perfect 10s on the floor. Michigan was holding steady at third until No. 10 Minnesota’s multitude of stuck landings on the beam kicked the Wolverines off the podium within the final routines of the night.
Amidst a less than ideal meet placement, Michigan’s silver lining comes in the form of its freshman. They boosted spirits and built the confidence and experience to launch the team in the right direction.
Freshman Sophie Parenti brought immediate excitement for the Wolverines, earning a 9.85 career high on the uneven bars to lead off the meet. Parenti initiated a favorable rotation both for Michigan and her individual career. On the balance beam she followed suit with another 9.85 to welcome the Wolverines’ second rotation. Despite personal records, Michigan’s performance could not keep up with the competitive team scores in this event. Balance beam team scores were surely that of a Big Ten Championship caliber, and the Wolverines’ 49.325 came in last for their session.
The team’s freshmen continued to reset personal records as they took to the floor for the third rotation. With five out of Michigan’s six total gymnasts in the event being freshmen, pressure was at an all time high. However, the question was not if the freshmen could perform to the best of their ability, but rather if their ability would be enough. The team’s floor rotation preceded UCLA’s, and anticipation was high to see what highly seasoned Olympian, Jordan Chiles, would present.
Suspense aside, Parenti headed to the front, once again putting forth every ounce of effort and talent she’d developed through the season. Following Parenti was freshman Peyton Davis who earned her career best 9.9 on the floor.
“(Davis) started out as this shy, kind of conservative, reserved freshman,” Plocki said. “I wanted her to entertain every single person in this arena. She’s been working so hard on her landings, and she went out there and nailed it.”
With limited opportunities for improvement, Davis brought out the confidence Plocki had been searching for since she joined the team. Her skillful passes and entertaining dance movements exemplified the precision and intention the team needed to adopt to come out on top.
Anchoring their most decorated event, freshman Jahzara Ranger similarly reached for a newfound confidence to pull off another career high. Her 9.95 score led the Wolverines to a 49.550 season best in the event.
“In club, I was really wishy-washy with my confidence,” Ranger said. “But here, I’m seeing myself being able to do the same thing consistently every week. It really is a confidence boost that (I’m) able to take that and just keep progressing and growing with the team.”
Ranger refined her execution and propelled her artistry to give one of the most appealing routines of the night. Throughout the season, she established a name for herself as a Big Ten gymnast, constantly collecting career highs and frequently scoring above a 9.9.
The youth of this year’s team shows an exciting future for Michigan gymnastics. The Wolverines ended the night with three individual career highs by freshman and a team season high of 197.325. While the freshmen showed immense potential for Michigan’s future, the lack of upperclassmen with collegiate sport experience left it fighting to defend its conference ranking against highly experienced competitors at the Big Ten Championship.
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