4B -- January 14, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4
'M' takes third in Chicago
Sophomore Sarah Curtis won the all-around title in Michigan's first meet Friday at Crisler Arena.
Curtis an Bruck
shine in tn-meet
Duo leads the way
in impressive outing
for tumblers
By NICOLE AUERBACH
Daily Sports Writer
Even in a team-oriented sport
like women's gymnastics, indi-
vidual performances can steal the
show.
Sophomore Sarah Curtis and
fifth-year senior Lindsey Bruck
finished one-two in the all-around
competition in Michigan's season-
opening win over West Virginia
and Arkansas.
Both athletes suffered season-
ending Achilles heel injuries early
last year. Their returns bring the
Wolverines to full form.
The two gymnasts certainly
looked dominant Friday night in
Crisler Arena during No. 9 Mich-
igan's (196.075) victory over No.
14 Arkansas (195.250) and No. 22
West Virginia (190.300).
Bruck won the beam individual
title (9.875), while Curtis captured
top marks in vault (9.850) and floor
(9.90). Curtis's all-around score of
39.425 was a career high.
All the Wolverines showed off
strong routines and posted solid
scores, but Curtis and Bruck's per-
formances stood out.
"To see them both come back
off of very serious injuries last year
and come out in the very first meet
and go one-two in the all-around,
it's pretty darn impressive," Michi-
gan coach Bev Plocki said.
Curtis, focusing instead on the
team, refused to talk about her
individual scores.
"It's great to win the all-around,
but I wasn't thinking about it,"
Curtis said. "I was focusing on how
many routines can we put up there
and how high can we get our score
to start the season off."
The entire team performed at a
high level from the start, taking the
lead after the first event (vault) and
never relenting.
Michigan's strongest event was
the uneven bars. With a near-per-
fect team score of 49.375, higher
than any bars score from last sea-
son, the team showcased what will
probably be its strongest event for
the remainder of the year. Includ-
ing exhibition scores, the Wolver-
ines stuck seven of eight landings.
"I was so impressed with our
stuck landings and dismounts,"
Plocki said. "Bars could not have
gone any better - it was outstand-
ing."
The home crowd went wild after
each landing. Wearing glow-stick
necklaces and singing "The Vic-
tors," the fans were visible and
loud. For the athletes returning
from injury and the three fresh-
men on the team, the enthusiasm
of a home crowd proved invaluable.
Michigan hasn't lost at home since
1993.
"In gymnastics, there's never
too much cheering and clapping,"
Plocki said. "The athletes thrive off
of it."
If the entire team stays healthy,
this could be the deepest squad
in recent years. Plocki said she
expects many changes in the line-
up throughout the season.
The team goal of reaching the
Super Six at Nationals is within
reach for this group. With Cur-
tis and Bruck leading the scoring,
the Wolverines hope to advance
farther than last season's injury-
plagued finish.
"This year, we're all healthy and
motivated," Curtis said. "We feel
like we have something we can
accomplish so we work a lot harder
together to get to that goal."
Unlike last year's fast
start, Michigan paces
itself for NCAAs
By COLT ROSENSWEIG
Daily Sports Writer
CHICAGO - With a crowd of
1,400 watching, freshman Thomas
Kelley saluted the high bar judges
at Illinois-Chicago's Physical Edu-
cation Building. With his routine
preceded by a fall, Kelley's job was
not only to anchor the lineup but
also to spark a rally for the Michi-
gan men's gymnastics team.
And Kelley had more than his
team and a crowd of strangers to
impress. Among those in the stands
were his parents, much of his
extended family and even two of
his grade-school teachers.
The Libertyville, Ill., native
came through in fine fashion, nail-
ing his demanding three-release
set to post a 14.40, the Wolverines'
best high-bar score and third-best
overall on the event.
But Kelley's brilliance, like
Michigan's, came in flashes. After
finishing third of seven teams in the
Windy City Invitational, Michigan
knows it has a promising future,
but plenty of things to work on.
In the opening meet of the sea-
son, the sixth-ranked Wolverines
finished behind No. 1 Stanford
(354.45) and No. 8 Illinois (347.50),
with a team total of 344.45. Despite
a slightly subpar performance they
managed to edge No. 4 Ohio State
(341.20) to fourth place.
Though they couldn't defend
last year's Windy City title, the
Wolverines remained upbeat after
the meet, viewing it as a learning
experience.
"I think that it's a good start-
ing point," junior Ralph Rosso
said. "I'm glad we made mistakes,
because the only way to learn is to
learn from your mistakes."
While the team never wants to
lose a meet, Saturday night's finish
fits in with the season plan to build
steadily towards NCAA Champion-
ships in April. Last season, the Wol-
verines blasted out of the gates and
fizzled down the stretch.
In 2008, Michigan hopes to peak
just when the scores matter most.
"Finishing third is OK here as
long as we get a lot of incentive from
e
a
a
ALLISONOGHAMAN/Dai
Freshman Chris Cameron tonk fifth on the pommel horse with a 14.35.
it," Michigan coach Kurt Golder
said. "I'd rather win, but Stanford
beat us by 10 points tonight. We've
got to make that up."
The Wolverines' night began
with trouble on the parallel bars,
where two of the team's first four
gymnasts came off during their
sets. But senior co-captains Paul
Woodward and Arren Yoshimura
delivered strong sets in the clutch,
and freshman Chris Cameron fin-
ished the event with his trademark
steadiness.
The team seemed to right itself
further on the high bar, giving
a momentum boost as the Wol-
verines rolled into floor exercise,
always one of Michigan's strong
events. The team didn't post any
floor scores lower than 14.00.
Pommel horse was both a low
and high point for the team. While
three gymnasts came off the his-
torically troublesome apparatus,
sophomores Mel Santander and
David Chan, as well as lineup
anchor Cameron, came through
with solid routines. Both Santander
and Chan have been inconsistent at
times in competition, making their
hit routines even more gratifying.
But the entire pommels squad
is capable of the same high-quality
sets.
"Pommels was a little upset-
ting, because everyone that does
horse can hit a routine," junior
Joe Catrambone said. "When we
get in the meet, people start tens-
ing up. They don't swing like they
normally do. ... Once we hit horse
together as a team, no one will be
able to touch us."
After a shaky showing on rings,
Michigan finished the night with
a run of six straight scores over
15 on the vault, pushing the team
into third place. Michigan was for-
tunate, Golder said, to get credit
for many of the strength skills on
rings. He said the gymnasts will
need to focus on holding their skills
for the mandatory two seconds and
keeping themselves in the proper
positions.
After testing their mettle
against Stanford, Michigan now
faces another important challenge
- taking on No. 2 Penn State, the
defending national champion, next
Saturday in Ann Arbor.
New football coach visits Yost
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Despite dazzling several cheers at him, including, pus onrecruitingtrips the next few
"Beat the Buckeyes" and "We want weeks.
play on the ice, all Pryor," referring to star recruit 'SHUTOUT' SAUER: After tal-
Terrelle Pryor from Jeanette, Pa. lying just one shutout last season,
eyes on Rodriguez "I wanted to sit in the student Sauer has pulled a complete 180
section," Rodriguez said. "I wanted - and then some.
By MICHAEL EISENSTEIN to be where all the action is. If you No, not the "complete turn- 9
Daily Sports Writer want to get a true experience, I was around" type of 180 - he's already
told, then you had to be right where done that. Just look at last month
The focus of the Yost faithful the students were at." when, the junior won CCHA Player
in Friday's 6-1 win over Western For his first hockey game at of the Month with his .983 Decem-
Michigan probably should have Michigan, Rodriguez wore a per- ber save percentage.
been on the four- sonalized maize sweater with the Sauer went a full 180 minutes
point output from NOTEBOOK number 23 and dropped the puck without giving up a goal, eventu-
the defensemen - for a ceremonial faceoff. ally extending that streak to 206:14
or freshman Kevin Quick's first During the first intermission, he Friday night against Western
career goal. also played Score-O, a game where Michigan.
Maybe the highlight could have contestants try to score a goal from The Walworth, N.Y., native
been the top line's seven-point per- the blue line with just a small rect- continued his run of surrendering
formance, or goalie Billy Sauer's angular arealeftunguarded atnet's fewer than two goals in a game.
shutout streak passing 200 minutes bottom. Rodriguez hit the left post He's allowed more than one goal
before it was snapped early in the on his second shot, but missed wide just once in his last 13 games. Sau-
third period. right on his other two attempts. er's lone mistake of the night ended
But with new Michigan football "I've got to practice," Rodriguez his shutout streak seven seconds
coach Rich Rodriguez in atten- said. "That was embarrassing." into the third period, crushing his
dance, the other objects of attention Rodriguez also attended Tues- previous career high, set earlier
didn't have a chance. All eyes were day's men's basketball game against this season.
on Rodriguez, who shunned his Indiana and left the hockey game While the team may have been
luxury-box seats for a place in the early for the women's gymnastics. playing sloppy, leading by several
student section. The crowd aimed The coach will be away from cam- goals, Sauer stymied any potential
Western Michigan comebacks in
the third period.
"In the third period, he had to
play the sharpest," Michigan coach 9
Red Berenson said. "They could've
scored three or four goals in the
third."
Although Sauer's markedly
improved play has been evident
throughout the season, he's shown
even more improvement over the
last few games. The junior is han-
dling the puck more around the net
# and facing opponents further out
of the crease to limit the shooters'
angles. Twice Friday, Sauer chal-
lenged attackers as far out as the
middle of the circles - both times
eliciting "Billy Sauer" chants for
the bold efforts.
"I like the fact that he was
aggressive," Berenson said. "You
either goutr stay, and if he would've
stayed, they would have had a 9
breakaway."
NOTES: Freshman first-liner
Max Pacioretty sat out Saturday
* StudentUniverse.com after leaving Friday's game early
with an injury. He's not expected to
be out long-term and the left-wing-
er could be back in time for next
weekend's series against Notre
Dame.... After not allowing a goal
in 22 consecutive shorthanded
situations, thepenalty-kill unit
finally let one through Saturday.