When the lights are shining brightest, it’s important to have gymnasts who have been there before. But this past Thursday, the Wolverines didn’t.
At the NCAA Penn State Regional, the No. 17 Michigan women’s gymnastics team (19-11 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) saw its season end. The Wolverines placed third in the second session with a score of 197.050, behind seeded teams No. 1 LSU (24-2) and No. 14 Arkansas (9-10) and ahead of fellow unseeded team No. 22 Maryland (16-12, 4-5). The teams with the two highest scores, the Tigers and Razorbacks, moved on to Saturday’s regional finals, and Michigan did not.
“We wish we had come up with five more tenths,” Wolverines coach Bev Plocki said bluntly.
An additional half point would have tied Michigan with Arkansas at 197.550, but mistakes from the Wolverines’ young team prevented it from pulling off the upset.
Like so many of the NCAA’s postseason tournaments this year, there were no surprises in State College on Thursday. Throughout the meet, Michigan struggled to keep up with an experienced, talent-laden LSU team looking to repeat as national champions, and a hungry Razorbacks team with a chip on their shoulder after they were the sole team left out of the SEC championships. Though the talent of the Wolverines’ underclassmen flashed occasionally, Michigan simply lacked the consistency showcased by the older teams.
The Wolverines began the meet on the uneven bars, where their rotation was highlighted by senior Carly Bauman’s routine. Bauman stuck her dismount for a score of 9.95, and ultimately a share of the uneven bars regional title.
Despite Bauman’s excellent routine, Michigan finished the first rotation in third place with a team score of 49.275, two-tenths of a point out of second.
There was no catching the Tigers, however, as LSU lived up to its No. 1 billing with a 49.550 score on floor in its first rotation, and stayed in pole position for the duration of the meet. But in order to push the Razorbacks for the second qualifying spot, the Wolverines needed more from their gymnasts.
On balance beam, a stuck double layout from freshman Sophie Parenti in the leadoff spot earned a score of 9.8, the start of a solid rotation for Michigan. Sophomore Kayli Boozer stuck her dismount as well for a score of 9.85, and Bauman matched that score in the anchor spot, while senior Jacey Vore’s 9.8 and graduate Jenna Mulligan’s 9.775 rounded out the Wolverines’ beam scores.
“I was pretty happy overall (with our beam rotation), especially our first two routines and (Bauman)’s,” Plocki said. “I thought that (the judges) were a little tough. But I’m very proud of our team.”
But Michigan’s solid beam work was eclipsed by a stellar rotation on bars for Arkansas. The Razorbacks stuck several routines en route to a rotation score of 49.525 and sat only 0.05 behind the Tigers after two rotations. Meanwhile, the Terrapins did enough on floor exercise to move past the Wolverines, who fell to fourth place midway through the meet with a score of 98.350.
In the third rotation, Arkansas opened the door for Michigan or Maryland to make a push when it faltered on balance beam. Mati Waligora fell off the beam in the second spot, putting pressure on the rest of Arkansas’ lineup, and the Razorbacks ended up with a 49.125 on beam.
The Wolverines looked to capitalize on these miscues — freshman Sophia Diaz scored 9.9 in the third spot, and fellow freshman Jahzara Ranger matched the score in the anchor spot. Scores of 9.875 from Bauman and freshman Peyton Davis, along with a 9.825 from Parenti, gave Michigan a 49.375 on the rotation. But in order to overtake Arkansas for second place, the Wolverines needed scores just a hair higher than what they received — so despite the Razorbacks’ wobbles, Michigan sat four-tenths below the qualifying score after three rotations.
Closing out the meet on vault, Michigan hoped for a rash of stuck landings to run through the team to close that gap. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they couldn’t find their landing. Only Diaz, in the anchor spot, stuck her Yurchenko 1.5 for a session-best score of 9.95.
Diaz was the only Michigan gymnast to score above 9.9, and the team score of 49.325 on vault wasn’t enough to pass Arkansas for second place. In fact, the Razorbacks widened the gap with a team score of 49.475 on the floor exercise in the final rotation.
Ultimately, the Wolverines’ season ended at the hands of two more solid, experienced teams — teams that found more confidence under the spotlight of the NCAA Regionals. That end comes as no surprise given Michigan started freshmen in half of its starting spots, and sophomores in five of the remaining 12 spots.
“Hopefully it will be something that will motivate them through the summer and in the next year to go to the next level in terms of preparation and expectation,” Plocki said.
In LSU and Arkansas, the younger Wolverines saw what could be in the coming years with the preparation and expectation Plocki preaches. But for now, Michigan is headed home, lamenting its missed opportunity for postseason success.
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