University of Minnesota Athletics
MINNESOTA WILL HOST MICHIGAN IN WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS THIS WEEKEND
1/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team hosts Michigan on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Sports Pavilion. Michigan is ranked ninth in the nation, while the Gophers are ranked fifth.
Gophers Leap in the National Poll
According to the GymInfo national ranking released Jan. 14, the Golden Gophers have climbed to the fifth spot in the national rankings. The rankings are based upon team high scores for each school. Currently, Minnesota's team high is 195.800. The Gophers average 194.775 as a team. This is a leap for the Maroon and Gold who last week were ranked 15th in the preseason poll. The Gophers are ranked ahead of four other Big Ten schools-Michigan (9th), Michigan State (10th), Ohio State (16th) and Penn State (18th).
About the Gophers
The Gophers are now 2-0 after defeating the Stanford Cardinal, 195.800- 194.675, Saturday in the Sports Pavilion. The Gophers outscored the Cardinal in three of four events.
Senior MaryAnne Kelley (Barrington, Ill./Fremd) led Minnesota in earning top honors in every event except the vault apparatus. On bars Minnesota took the top three scores. Kelley and Mary Skokut (Carmel, Indiana/Carmel) tied for first by each scoring a 9.875. Kelley and Skokut were followed by Annie Laatsch (Lakeville, Minn./Burnsville) who scored a 9.850 and Megan Beuckens (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) who recorded a 9.825. The Gophers also earned the top three scores on floor exercise led by Kelley's impressive 9.925 mark, the highest score of the night. Beuckens earned a 9.875, while Laatsch recorded a 9.850.
On balance beam, Kelley earned first place with a 9.850, while three Cardinal tied for second place. Kelley also won the all around with a 39.375.
Sidelined
Senior Catie Christensen's (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) condition is still listed as day-to-day after suffering a concussion before the beginning of the season. Sophomore Tara Schroeder (Rogers, Minn./Maple Grove) who was missed from the first two meets due to a back spasm, is expected to return to the Gopher lineup on Saturday against Michigan.
Kelley Ties Second-Highest Floor Mark
MaryAnne Kelley's floor exercise score of 9.925 against Stanford is the second-highest in team history. Kelley ties the score with current teammate Megan Beuckens and former Gopher Mindy Knaeble. Kelly holds the all-time highest score of 9.950, set in 2000.
Gophers Stand Out in Rankings
In this week's national rankings, Minnesota is in the top 20 in all four events. On bars, Minnesota ranks third nationally with a 48.800 average score. The Gophers tie for sixth on floor exercise with an average score of 48.837. Minnesota is seventh on balance beam averaging 48.637. The squad is 16th on vault with a 48.500 average.
Three Gopher gymnasts are also nationally ranked in the top 20. Mary Skokut and MaryAnne Kelley both tie for 12th on bars, while Annie Laatsch ties for 20th. On beam, Kelley ties for 16th place. She is ranked seventh on floor exercise and ninth in all around competition.
About Michigan
The Wolverines go into Saturday's meet with a 2-2 record after defeating Northern Illinois, 194.900-186.600 last weekend. Prior to defeating NIU, the Wolverines were 1-2 after opening the season in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. Sophomore Elise Ray leads the Wolverines on bars, beam, vault and floor.
Leading the charge for Michigan is head coach Beverly Plocki. Plocki is in her 13th season with the Wolverines. The six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, four-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and 1994 National Coach of the Year has led the Wolverines to nine consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships and has guided the team to two second-place finishes. She has helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten title, NCAA Regional title and make an NCAA Super Six appearance in the same season on four occasions, including each of the last three seasons.
Last Time Against Michigan
The last time Minnesota faced Michigan during the regular season was on Jan. 19, 2001, in a Triangular meet at Michigan. In the meet, the Gophers placed third behind the Wolverines and the Iowa Hawkeyes, respectively. The Golden Gophers scored a season-high 48.55 on vault, led by Leigh Dixon's 9.825 score. However, Minnesota had to count two falls on the balance beam and recorded a team score of 47.475 on that event, the lowest of the meet. Dixon was Minnesota's highest finisher of the meet, placing second on the vault.
MaryAnne Kelley tied for third place on floor exercise with a score of 9.90. She finished fourth in the all around with a total of 39.025. Michigan's Elise Ray made her collegiate debut in that meet. She placed second in the all around with a total of 39.175, including a second-place score of 9.875 on the uneven bars.
Up Next
Minnesota will hit the road for the first of two consecutive away meets beginning against No. 4 Utah on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m.
