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Perfect Home Opener
Senior
Nicole Artz scored a perfect 10.0 on floor as the No. 12-ranked
University of Michigan women's gymnastics team (197.050) defeated No.
19 Illinois (195.300) in its home opener on Sunday (Jan. 22) at Crisler
Center.
Michigan topped 197.000 for the first time in 2017 as it
put on a show for the fans from start to finish. The 197.050 showed
what the Wolverines are capable of. However, as good as the team was
overall, it was Artz who stole the show with her 10.0 on floor.
"Overwhelmed
and excited," said Artz. "There were so many emotions. I didn't know if
I'd get it, but I was so excited to get over to my teammates. This
feels so good!"
It marks the first 10.0 in three years for
Michigan; the last was in 2014 when Joanna Sampson did it on floor at
the Big Ten Championships. It is the 19th 10.0 on floor in Michigan
history as Artz joins eight other gymnasts to do so.
Artz's
teammates showered her with hugs when her perfect score was announced.
She had come so close to a perfect score before, four times scoring a
9.975 on the event. It came on the day she competed all-around for the
first time this year, and she finished the day with a 39.425.
From
the get go, the home opener was filled with a spirited energy. It was
Princess and Pirates day, creating a whimsical, family-friendly
atmosphere. The crowd belted out Disney tunes, including "Let it Go"
and "Under the Sea" while also having a chance to get their face
painted, grab multiple free giveaways and take pictures with cardboard
cutouts of Disney characters and U-M gymnasts.
The high energy
led to a 49.000 on vault. Senior Talia Chiarelli led the way, earning a
9.900 for her Yurchenko 1 1/2 and the event title. Michigan's vault
performances earned them the top five scores of the afternoon.
For
the second rotation, three athletes scored 9.900 or better on the
uneven parallel bars. Recent junior transfer Paige Zaziski paced the
Wolverines with a career-high 9.975, while freshman Polina Shchennikova
and junior Lauren Marinez each earned 9.900s for the first time in
their careers.
"It felt really good to be in Crisler for the
first time," said Zaziski. "The energy that was built up. I was really
happy to put my routine out there for the team."
It was a team effort on balance beam, with Marinez contributing a season-best 9.875 to claim the event title.
U-M
closed out the meet with a strong slate of floor routines leading up to
Artz's magnificent exclamation mark. The top five scores were all by
Michigan. The two Wolverine sophomores, Olivia Karas and Emma McLean
each scored a 9.900. It marks a career high for McLean and her first
9.900 in her college career.
"It was so much fun tonight," said
head coach Bev Plocki. "We improved on our mistakes we made in our
first two meets. It was a great step in the right direction. We're
really happy with the progress we made tonight."
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