The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NCAAS: WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS or feel sorry for ourselves. That was the situation we were dealt and we were going to deal with it and we were going to come out here and let our gymnastics speak for us." The Wolverines were represented by five gymnasts on the 12-member Big Ten All-Championship Team: Sampson; fifth-year senior Natalie Beilstein, who finished second on uneven bars (9.9), third on vault (9.925) and third on floor (9.95); sophomore Austin Sheppard, who finished second on vault (9.95); junior Sachi Sugiyama, who finished second on uneven bars (9.9); and freshman Nicole Artz, who competed in the all-around and posted a score of 39.375. Artz was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Michigan athlete to win the honor since Tatjana Thuener-Rego in 2006. "It really is an honor," Artz said. "It's not something that I would have thought was possible at the beginning of the year. I just try to go into every meet and do my best. To have that award and rec- ognition, I'm so honored. It's very cool." Sampson's perfect 10.0 on the floor ex- ercise was the 66th perfect routine in Michigan program history (27 on vault, 19 on uneven bars, 18 on floor and two on balance beam) and the first time a Wolverine has accomplished the feat in competition on the floor exercise since Calli Ryals did so in 2002. "I definitely let some tears go," Samp- son said. "It was very exciting. I was work- ing hard toward getting that and for it to come at the Big Ten Championships makes it that much sweeter. It's still a little hard to process." After winning the NCAA Athens Re- gional April 5, the Wolverines posted a 196.425 in the semifinals at the NCAA Championships April 18 in Birmingham, Ala., for their lowest team score since the Perfect 10 Challenge in Oklahoma City Feb. 21 (196.2). Needing a third-place finish or better to advance to the Super Six, Michigan came in fifth. Michigan has been to one Super Six since 2005 (finishing sixth in 2011). "It's been a pleasure to coach this team the entire year," Plocki said. "It's truly a special group of women. They've been incredibly selfless. They've played what- ever role they've been needed to play and have done it so well. They're a team. It's been a great season. "I do feel terrible that we weren't able to have these seniors finish their careers at the Super Six. You deal with disap- pointment, but in looking at the big pic- ture I seriously doubt there's a lot that our seniors would want to change about their college experience." Sampson earned first-team All-America honors for all-around (39.55), uneven bars (9.9) and floor exercise (9.95). Artz was a first-team All-America all-around per former (39.375), and Sugiyama earned first-team All-America honors on vault (9.9). At the NCAA Individual Event Finals, Sampson posted a 9.95 on floor to finish tied for second place. "She should go out having so much pride in what she's done and her accom- plishments," Plocki said of Sampson. "It was a great routine, and she had great performances all the way around this weekend. That floor routine was incred- ible. It was an exciting way to finish." — Andy Reid