Published Apr 15, 2022
Women's gymnastics sees season come to an end in NCAA semifinal
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Brock Heilig  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
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The women's gymnastics team's quest for back-to-back national championships came up short at the NCAA semifinal on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Wolverines finished the semifinal in last place, totaling 196.2875 points. The team competed against some of the nation's best, including No. 2-ranked Florida, No. 6-ranked Auburn and No. 8-ranked Missouri.

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Michigan had an excellent start to the day on the floor. It recorded a 49.4975, marking the third-highest score in Michigan history at the NCAA championships. Unsurprisingly, the Wolverines led after the first full rotation.

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Michigan was also impressive in the second rotation. Sierra Brooks, Reyna Guggino, Gabby Wilson and Natalie Wojcik all scored at least a 9.8875 to give the Wolverines a second-rotation score of 49.4250 and a running score of 98.9125, good enough for second place behind Auburn.

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The third rotation wasn't as kind for Michigan. Despite the heroic efforts from Abby Heiskell, Brooks and Wojcik, the Wolverines were forced to count a fall on the uneven bars and went into the final rotation of the day in last place.

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Any hopes of mounting a comeback were diminished in the fourth rotation when Michigan had to count yet another fall. The Wolverines' season came to a screeching halt. After winning the national championship last season, this could be seen as a step back for the talented program. However, head coach Bev Plocki doesn't see it that way.

"Nothing is going to take away the pride I have for my team and what we accomplished this season," Plocki said.

It was still a successful season for the Michigan, which finished with a 28-5 record and won its 26th Big Ten championship. Heiskell, Wojcik and Brooks all received All-American honors.