#7 W Gymnastics wins 26th straight over MSU

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

#7 Michigan hosted MSU in their purple Flip for Chip meet earlier this afternoon.

MSU has obviously had a season in turmoil with all the investigations hovering over their program and athletic department. They're under a first year head coach who was named interim after their longtime coach Kathy Klages abruptly "retired" in the middle of last season. 

The Wolverines have dominated this series, entering today's meet with a 25 meet win streak over the Spartans.

Today was no different. Michigan took all 4 event team titles and individual event titles. Polina Shchennikova tied for first on bars along with teammate Brianna Brown with a score 9.875. Polina also tied with teammate Lauren Farley for the balance beam title with a mark of 9.925.

Emma McLean closed out the meet with a 9.950 on floor, which far and away gave her the event title on that event. Freshman Syd Townsend took the vault title with a score of 9.900.

Brianna Brown won the all-around with a stellar score of 39.400.

Michigan beats MSU, 197.250-194.950. An outstanding team score and the first 197 team score since January.

This is also very nice to see after junior Olivis Karas ruptured her achilles last weekend against Maryland, ending her 2018 season. That is a huge loss and coach Bev Plocki mentioned it during the week on WTKA, NEEDING the rest of the team step up and make up those lost points that she brought to this team.

This is Michigan's 26th straight win over MSU, moving the all-time record to 71-38. 

Michigan is now 5-1 and 4-1 in the B1G. The Wolverines will take a break from B1G play and head to Raleigh for the NC State Quad next Saturday against NC State, North Carolina and Brown. 

I would've had photos to share for this but I was unable to attend today (as well as the MLAX game) due to pneumonia. 

MGoBoard

Everyone Murders

February 11th, 2018 at 11:14 AM ^

Thanks for your write-ups on the non-rev sports.  It is gratifying to any fan or alum to see Michigan beat MSU in anything, and sustained success in a sport is even better.

It will be interesting to see if MSU can rebuild their gymnastics program after losing Klages.  (Klages was, in addition to being a bad person and Nassar-enabler, also a mediocre coach - based on what I've read.  But she was there forever, so this is a seismic shift from a coaching perspective.)  You have to wonder whether a talented gymnast (or a parent of one) would be comfortable either (i) trusting MSU to watch out for your interests or (ii) furthering MSU's brand.  

Also, get well WD.  Sorry to read about the pneumonia - and needless, to say, be doubly careful with the vicious flu that's going around!

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

Michigasling

February 11th, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^

First, thanks, WD for giving this full report on the women.  Losing Olivia Karas last week was a major blow, collapsing near the end of what seemed like a perfect floor routine with a ruptured Achilles tendon.  (She was 2017 Big Ten Champion on the event.) But this week she was seen rooting her teammates on from her wheelchair, heavily wrapped leg extended. Thought I'd use this opp. to catch up on the men's team, off this week in preparation for next week's national Winter Cup event, the watch-meet for naming the US senior & junior teams.

The men have had to deal with a slew of major injuries, but the injured are gradually working their way back and the highly ranked freshmen are stepping up, enough so that after starting the season #7, they've already upset Ohio State (last year's #2) and suprising (defending and current) #1 Oklahoma the week before by leading for the first few events before falling (literally) on both bar events, M is now #3 nationally and #1 in the Big Ten.  (Against OSU they stayed on both bars. Convincingly.)

The men have had to deal with a spate of major injuries to many of their top performers over the last couple years, but the injured are starting to make it back, and back into form, only to have 2-time NCAA vault champion Anthony McCallum go down last week in his first routine.  Fortunately, like the women, they have highly ranked freshmen who are getting a chance to step up. In only his second meet, freshman (and Michigan native) Jacob Moore won NCAA & B1G freshman of the week, setting the season's highest floor score in the NCAA so far this season. (Nice to read that fellow freshman, #1 recruit Cameron Bock, is known for his skill on bars.) 

Joined: 11/21/2009

MGoPoints: 7751