Joanna Sampson talks about winning the national championship on floor exercise and what it will take for the team to reach the NCAA Super Six next season (April 24, 2013).
Coach Plocki and co-captains Katie Zurales and Joanna Sampson breakdown the No. 10-ranked 2013 squad that is set to return 10 letterwinners in hopes of its 19th Big Ten title in 22 seasons.
At Michigan ... NCAA champion (2013 - floor exercise) ... three-time NCAA All-American (2013 - all-around (first team), vault (first team), floor exercise (first team)) ... Big Ten Women's Gymnast of the Year (2013) ... NCAA Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year (2013) ... 2012-13 University of Michigan Female Athlete of the Year ... four-time NACGC/W Regular Season All-American (2013: first team - all-around, vault, floor exercise; second team - uneven bars) ... three-time NCAA Regional champion (2011-12 - vault; 2013 - uneven bars) ... three-time Big Ten Championships runner-up (2013 - floor, 2012 - vault, 2011 - floor) ... All-Big Ten (2013 - first team) ... two-time All-Big Ten Championships Team (2012-13) ... 2012 NCAA Championships Individual Qualifier (vault).
Junior (2013) ... University of Michigan Female Athlete of the Year ... NCAA champion (floor exercise) ... Three-time NCAA All-American (first team: all-around, vault, floor exercise) ... Big Ten Women's Gymnast of the Year ... NCAA Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year ... NCAA Morgantown Regional champion (uneven bars) ... All-Big Ten (first team) ... four-time NACGC/W Regular Season All-American (first team - all-around, vault, floor exercise; second team - uneven bars) ... five-time Big Ten Women's Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 14, Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4, March 11) ... Championships ... NCAA Individual Event Finals: Became the fourth gymnast in program history to win a national championship by winning the floor exercise title (9.9375); also the first gymnast in program history to win a national championship on floor exercise ... also tied for 14th on vault (9.8583) ... NCAA Semifinals: Tied for first in the session and third overall in the all-around (39.525); also tied for first in the session on vault (9.950), tied for fourth on floor exercise (9.925), tied for 11th on uneven bars (9.875) and also competed on balance beam (9.775) ... Regionals: Tied for third in the all-around (39.200) and also tied for first on bars (9.900) ... Big Tens: Finished third in the all-around (39.575), tying for second on floor (9.950), and also competing on vault (9.925), uneven bars (9.850) and balance beam (9.850) ...Regular Season ... Iowa State: Won the all-around (39.500), floor exercise (9.925) and tied for first on vault (9.925), tied for second on uneven bars (9.875) and also competed on balance beam (9.775) ... UCLA Quad: Took the all-around title (39.575), tied for first on floor (9.950), tied for second on bars (9.925), tied for third on vault (9.925), and also competed on beam ... Michigan State: Won the all-around (39.650), vault (9.950), and floor (9.950),while tyingfor first on uneven bars (9.900) and finishing third on beam (9.850) ... West Virginia Quad: Finished first on bars (9.875), tied for first on floor (9.950), and also competed on beam (9.850) ... Penn State: Won all around (39.600), also won floor while setting career high (9.975), finished second on bars (9.925) and tied for third on beam (9.850) ... Ohio State: Finished fourth in the all-around (38.725), tied for first on uneven bars (9.900), won floor exercise (9.925) and tied for fourth on vault (9.825) ... Iowa: Won all around (39.600), won vault (9.900), won uneven bars (9.00), won balance beam (9.875), and won floor exercise (9.925) ... Minnesota Quad: Finished third in the all-around (39.325) and won uneven bars (9.850); also competed on vault (9.825), balance beam (9.800) and floor exercise (9.850) ... Illinois: Second in the all-around (39.550), won vault (9.925) and floor exercise (9.950) titles and tied for second on uneven bars (9.875) ... Nebraska: Won the all-around (39.400) and tied for first onfloor exercise (9.925), tied for third on vault (9.800), and tied for fifth on balance beam (9.850) ... Cancun Classic: Won the all-around (39.425) and vault (9.875), tied for first on uneven bars (9.950) and tied for second on balance beam (9.875).
Sophomore (2012) ... NCAA Championships qualifier (vault) ... All-Big Ten Championships Team ... Big Ten Championships runner-up (vault) ... named team's Most Valuable Performer ... Championships ...NCAA Championships: Tied for 30th on vault (9.800) ... NCAA Auburn Regional: Won vault title for second year in a row, scoring a 9.925; also scored 9.850 on floor, 9.800 on bars, and 9.750 on beam ...Big Ten Championships: Tied for second on vault (9.925), and was named to All-Big Ten Championships Team; scored 38.600 as an all-arounder, scoring 9.725 on floor, 9.700 on beam, and 9.250 on bars ... Regular Season ...Michigan State: Tied for first in the all-around (39.350); won bars (9.850), third on floor (9.850), tied for third on beam (9.825), and fourth on vault (9.825) ... Georgia: Tied for second in the all-around (39.350); won floor exercise (9.925) and vault (9.925), and also tied for fourth on bars (9.850); also competed on beam (9.650) ... Penn State/UNC: Scored 38.325 in the all-around; tied for fourth on vault (9.875), scored 9.300 on bars, 9.800 on beam and 9.350 on floor ... Oklahoma/TWU: Won the all-around (39.375); tied for first on vault (9.950), tied for fourth on floor (9.850), and scored 9.775 on beam and 9.800 on bars ... Utah: Won the all-around (39.250); placed first on floor (9.925), tied for third on uneven bars (9.775), placed fifth on vault (9.825), and also competed on balance beam (9.725) ... Masters Classic: Finished fourth in the all-around (39.275), tying for fourth on vault (9.875) and floor (9.850), and also competing on bars (9.775) and beam (9.775) ... West Virginia: Won her first career all-around title (39.300); tied for first on bars (9.900) and floor (9.825), second on beam (9.750) and tied for third on vault (9.825) ... Illinois: Finished third in the all-around (39.225); third on vault (9.825), fourth on balance beam (9.800), tied for fifth on bars (9.800) and also competed on floor (9.800) ... Minnesota: Finished fourth in the all-around (38.650); tied for first on vault (9.850), and tied for second on beam (9.800) and floor (9.800) ... Ohio State: Competed as an all-arounder for the first time in her collegiate career, finishing third (38.650), winning vault title (9.900), tying for second on bars (career-high 9.800) and tying for third on floor (9.825); also scored 9.125 on beam.
Freshman (2011) ...Championships ...Super Six: Scored 9.825 on vault, 9.800 on floor and 9.725 on beam ... NCAA Semis: Went 9.850 on vault, 9.825 on floor and competed on beam ... Regionals: Won her first collegiate title - vault - with a 9.900 and competed on bars and beam ... Big Tens: Scored a career-best 9.925 on floor to take runner-up honors while also competing on vault (9.825) and beam ... Regular Season ...Georgia: Tied a career high on vault (9.900) while competing on beam and tallying a career-best on floor (9.825) ... Alabama: Scored 9.825 on vault and 9.800 on beam ... Oklahoma: Shared fifth on vault (9.825) and scored 9.800 on beam ... Utah: Tied for fifth on vault (9.825) while competing on beam and floor ... Michigan Tri: Nailed a career-best 9.900 vault for third place while competing on beam and floor ... New Hampshire: Scored season highs on vault (9.825) and beam (9.825) ... Michigan Quad: Scored a collegiate-best 9.750 on beam ... Iowa: Competed vault, beam and floor, taking fourth with a personal-best 9.800 on vault ... Michigan Big Ten Tri: Scored a career best on vault (9.775) and competed on floor for the first time ... MSU Quad: Opened her career with a vault performance.
Prep ... Upper Moreland High School ... Distinguished Honors ... three years on Honor Roll.
Club/Junior Team ... Ricochets Gymnastics Club ... two-time national champion (all-around in 2010 and bars in 2008) and five-0time regional and state champion ... national all-around champion and runner-up on bars, taking third on beam and floor (2010) ... regional all-around and bars champion, runner-up on vault and third place on beam (2010) ... state all-around, vault and bars champion (2010) ... national bars champion and runner-up in the all-around (2008) ... regional all-around, vault and balance beam champion (2008) ... state vault and floor champion (2008) ... two-time Junior Olympic National Team member ... two-time Region 7 All-Star Team member.
Personal ... Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts ... birthday: December 4, 1992 ... daughter of Robert and Donna Sampson.
