Feb. 5, 2010

Complete Results | Notes & Quotes

Site: Morgantown, W.Va. (WVU Coliseum)
U-M Team Result: 1st of 3 teams (196.400)
Records: U-M (7-1, 2-0 Big Ten), West Virginia (10-3, 5-0 EAGL), William & Mary (1-8, 1-3 ECAC)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 13 -- vs. Minnesota (Crisler Arena), 6 p.m.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- In the middle of a nasty winter storm, the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team was the hottest thing in town, posting a season-best 196.400 score to defeat West Virginia (194.475) and William & Mary (187.725) on Friday night at the WVU Coliseum.

Wolverine gymnasts captured each event title and the all-around crown, posting the top five scores of the night on vault and uneven bars and the top four scores on balance beam. Junior Kylee Botterman (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) won three individual event titles and took the all-around, setting a career high on balance beam (9.900) and in the all-around (39.550) and equaling her career high on uneven bars (9.900). She also matched a season best on the floor exercise (9.900).

Three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week Natalie Beilstein (Butler, Pa./Knoch) won her third vault title of the year, setting a pair of career highs of her own. Beilstein scored 9.900 on vault and 9.850 on beam, tying for runner-up honors on beam.

Seven of the 10 Wolverines competing in the meet set or tied career or season highs, including Beilstein, Botterman, senior Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno), senior Kelsey Knutson (Ames, Iowa/Ames), freshman Brittnee Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty), senior Jordan Sexton (Weddington, N.C./Weddington) and freshman Katie Zurales (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South).

Michigan kicked the meet off with a season-high 49.200 on bars with five of the six competitors posting career or season highs. The Wolverines followed up with two career highs and a season high on balance beam, but a fall and a big wobble tempered the team total. Botterman posted a season high on floor and four Wolverines set or matched career or season highs on vault to post a season-best 49.250 to end the meet.

Michigan returns home for its first meet of the month when it hosts Minnesota on Saturday (Feb. 13) at 6 p.m. at Crisler Arena.

Team Standings

Event-by-Event U-M Individual Scores

Vault
Katie Zurales        9.825 (t3)
Brittnee Martinez    9.825 (t3)
Sarah Curtis         9.875 (2)
Kylee Botterman      9.825 (t3)
Natalie Beilstein    9.900 (1)
Kari Pearce          9.450

Uneven Bars
Kelsey Knutson       9.800 (t4)
Maureen Moody        9.750
Brittnee Martinez    9.850 (t2)
Jordan Sexton        9.800 (t4)
Sarah Curtis         9.850 (t2)
Kylee Botterman      9.900 (1)
Balance Beam
Katie Zurales        9.475
Jordan Sexton        9.825 (4)
Kelsey Knutson       9.850 (t2)
Kylee Botterman      9.925 (1)
Sarah Curtis         9.250
Natalie Beilstein    9.850 (t2)
Floor Exercise
Jaclyn Kramer        9.675
Brittnee Martinez    9.725
Jordan Sexton        9.800 (4)
Sarah Curtis         9.775 (t5)
Natalie Beilstein    9.825 (t2)
Kylee Botterman      9.900 (1)
All-Around
Kylee Botterman     39.550 (1)
Sarah Curtis        38.750 (3)

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Bev Plocki
On the meet ... "We had a very good meet tonight. We started the night well on bars with everyone hitting and we stuck our dismounts. Beam was pretty good -- we had one fall and one near miss but the rest were outstanding. Floor was good but judging was tight and we did well on vault and got back a few tenths we lost on floor. It was a great meet, a great road score and we're still healthy."

On career performances by Kylee Botterman and Natalie Beilstein ... "Kylee was really on and had a fantastic meet. She did a rock solid beam routine for a 9.925 and looked spectacular out there. Natalie had a great meet as well. A lot of her family was here and her club coach was in the stands. In just her second beam routine she set a new high and got her first 9.900 on vault."

On the team looking forward to competing at home next week ... "We're looking forward to being off the road and at home. Three weeks on the road is more than enough. We want to get back to Crisler and post a strong home score."


N O T E S

• Michigan put up a season-high score of 49.200 on bars and a season-best 49.250 on vault to finish with a season-best 196.400 team final.

• Junior Kylee Botterman set a new career high on beam (9.925) and in the all-around (39.500) while tying her career high on bars (9.900). She also matched her season high on floor (9.900). Botterman won bars, beam and floor as well as taking the all-around crown. That gives her four bars titles, four all-around titles, two floor titles and one beam title this season.

• Freshman Natalie Beilstein bettered her career balance beam high, scoring 9.850 in her second collegiate performance and pushed her career-high vault score up, going 9.900. She won the vault title for the third time this season.

• Freshmen Brittnee Martinez and Katie Zurales set new career highs on vault with matching scores of 9.825.

• Senior Sarah Curtis set a season high on vault (9.875) and matched a season high on bars (9.850).

• Senior Kelsy Knutson tied season highs on bars (9.800) and beam (9.850).

• Senior Jordan Sexton tied a season high on bars (9.800)

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423