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Michigan Vaults Past Rival MSU 

 

In front of nearly 3,000 fans in the program's first-ever Autism Awareness Meet, the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team downed in-state rival Michigan State, 196.800-193.900, on Friday night (Jan. 31) inside Crisler Center. Senior Joanna Sampson (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland) set career highs on uneven bars (9.975) and balance beam (9.925) while tying a career best in the all-around (39.650).

The Wolverines started strong once again on vault, scoring 49.300. Sophomore Austin Sheppard (Murphy, Texas/Plano East) executed a dynamic Yurchenko full with a clean stick to score a career-high 9.975. Sampson tied for second, also sticking her Yurchenko full but was deducted slightly for coming in with a low chest on the landing. Junior Sachi Sugiyama (Keller, Texas/Keller) scored a 9.850 in the third spot, getting big distance on her Yurchenko 1.5 with a step on the landing. Freshman Talia Chiarelli (Boston, Mass./Lexington) and fifth-year senior Natalie Beilstein (Butler, Pa./Knoch) were the other counted scores in the rotation at 9.825 and 9.775, respectively.
Austin Sheppard
Austin Sheppard

Michigan's best rotation of the night came on uneven bars, as all six gymnasts hit routines with scores of 9.800-or-better to score 49.475. Like Sheppard on vault, Sampson scored a 9.975 on the apparatus thanks to a big Tkatchev release and even bigger double layout dismount, which she stuck clean. She was followed up in the anchor spot by Beilstein, who hit her Geinger release and stuck the dismount to score a 9.925. Senior Shelby Gies (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) and Sheppard each scored 9.875s, while the fifth counted score came from Sugiyama in the leadoff spot (9.825). At the halfway point, Michigan had a big lead over Michigan State, leading 98.775-96.825.

For the first time all season, Michigan ran into some adversity on balance team. After freshman Nicole Artz (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa) and Chiarelli started off the routine with matching 9.825s, a fall in the third spot by Gies put the pressure on the final three competitors. Senior Reema Zakharia (Miami, Fla./Coral Gables Senior High) got things back on track with a 9.775, taking a tiny step on the landing. Next up was Sampson, who executed a clean routine, complete with a gorgeous back handspring layout and a good dismount. The anchor this week was sophomore Briley Casanova (Dallas, Texas/Spring Creek Academy). She hit the punch front-beat jump connection, but had a balance check on the back handspring layout. The sophomore managed to stay on the beam, however, saving the rotation with a 9.775 and putting Michigan at 49.125 as a squad.

The Wolverines had some early miscues on floor exercise which led to a below-average score of 48.900 to close down the meet. The highest score over the first three routines was a 9.775 from Chiarelli, but the last three gymnasts up were able to recover nicely, as Artz and Sampson each scored 9.875s, while Zakharia received a 9.825.

 • Friday was Michigan's first-ever Autism Awareness Meet. Prior to the meet, several autistic and special-needs athletes performed an obstacle course on the floor, while U.S. Olympian and men's gymnast Sam Mikulak signed autographs on the concourse. During the meet, the U-M gymnasts appeared on the video boards discussing facts pertaining to autism awareness. Following the meet, a competitive gymnast performed a floor exercise routine.

• This was the 101st meeting between the two schools.

• The Wolverines' score of 49.475 on uneven bars was its highest since scoring 49.575 at UCLA on March 10, 2013 (49.575).

• Friday's score of 196.800 was slightly below the team's season average. The Wolverines came in averaging 196.883 through the first three meets of the season.

• Michigan is 63-38 all-time against Michigan State and have won 18 straight in the series dating back to 2007. Head coach Bev Plocki is now 62-9 all-time against the Spartans.

• The Wolverines have won eight consecutive regular-season home meets dating back to 2012.

• Through four meets, Michigan gymnasts have won or tied for 15 of 16 event titles. Joanna Sampson has won all four all-around titles.

• Since 2005, Michigan is 51-6-1 (.887) in January meets.

• Joanna Sampson tied her career high in the all-around (39.650), which was set on March 2, 2013, at Michigan State. She has surpassed 39.000 or greater in the all-around for the 24th time in her career. She now has 16 career all-around titles and 43 career individual event titles.

• Joanna Sampson's score of 39.650 in the all-around is tied for the sixth-highest score in program history. She is joined on that particular line by Elise Ray (three times) and Sarah Cain (three times).

• Austin Sheppard has won the vault in each of the team's first four competitions this season, scoring 9.900 or better every time. She now has the same number of 9.900-plus routines on vault this season (four) than she did all her freshman season. She also made her collegiate debut on floor exercise.

• Michigan hadn't gone below 49.000 on floor exercise since the 2012 Big Ten Championships, a span of 18 meets. Similarly, Joanna Sampson failed to receive a score of 9.900 on floor exercise for only the fourth time over the same span.

• Briley Casanova made her official season debut on Friday night, performing on balance beam. She had been an exhibition competitor in each of the last two meets.

• Brooke Parker exhibitioned vault, balance beam and floor exercise on Friday.


 

 

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