'M' tumblers finish fourth at
CAAs; Wymer wins on bars
Wednesday, May 4, 1994 - The Michigan Daily - 17
By Melanie Schuman
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
It's been said before that modesty
breeds champions. Apparently the
Michigan women's gymnastics team
Oas turned this spoken cliche into hard
fact, finishing fourth at the NCAA
Championships in Salt Lake City in
late April.
At the beginning of the 1994cam-
paign, the Wolverines aimed for a
position in the Super Six finale at the
National Championships. After
breaking numerous school records,
including composite score (195.35)
and national ranking (3), Michigan
*ealized that its goal of a sparkling
finish was quite reachable.
At the National Championship
meet Thursday, April21, in Utah, the
Wolverines advanced to the Super
Six competition and a shot at regain-
ing one of this season's final top-five
rankings.
Challenging Utah, Alabama (the
No. I seed) and Georgia was a task
WIichigan was glad to do as the under-
dog, and the squad negated anyone's
doubt that it could overcome the pe-
rennial top three.
"I heard some people saying that
Michigan should not be in the top six
and we wanted to prove them wrong,.
said junior Beth Wymer, w hose 9.95
earned her a second consecutive un-
even bars national title. "We showed
that we belong here and are as taL-
ented as anyone in the country."
Michigan coach Bev Plocki, who
was named NCAA Co-National
Coach of the Year, was a pivotal link
to the first-ever Super Six berth and
fourth-place finish. Her accomplish-
ments, as much as the gymnasts', are
what helped the Wolverines achieve
this success.
"I have a great feeling of pride for
our girls and our program," Plocki said.
"When I came herefive years ago,I felt
we had the possibility to achieve, but it
was going to take a lot of hard work by
everyoneinvolved. I wouldlove totake
all the credit for everything that has
happened, but it has been a combina-
tion effort from our coaching staif,
athletes and administration."
During Friday's final, the Wol-
verines notched a solid composite
score of 195.150, peaking on the bal-
ance beam. Led by junior Kelly
Carfora's 39.050 all-around score,
Michigan's support for one another
supplementeditsperfonnance in front
of a pro-Utah crowd.
"We may have finished fourth in
gymnastics but we aredefinitely first as
a team, 'junior Debbie Hermtn said.
"In a crowd of 12,0x0Ipeople cheering
for Utah,Iatways heard my teammates
cheering me during a routine."
In Saturday's final. Wymer tied
Utah's Sandy Woosley and Georgia's
Lori Strong for the bars title, after
scoring a disappointing 9.325 in the
team competition the previous night.
"Beth always competes with a high
level of intensity," Plocki said. "She
was very nervous this weekend which
isn't really characteristic of her. I was
hoping she would be able to leas e here
with a title and she came through."
Wymer came in second on the
apparatus Plocki accredits as her best
- the balance beam. Her 9.90 was
.075 shy of Kentucky's Jenny
Hanson's winning mark. Along with
sophomore Wendy Marshall, whose
weekend was highlighted by a team-
high 9.9 on the vault, Wymer was
named season MVP.
Wymer also earned spots on the
first-team All-American for bars and
beam and on the second-team for
vault and all-around. Marshall was
named to the second-team for vault
and all-around.
Michigan's Beth Wymer won a national championship on the uneven bars.
1
Softball drops to fourth after
*losing three of four vs. Iowa
By Melanie Schuman pitches. Jackson allowed the second run the season in relief of winner Kelly
DAILY SOFTBALL WRITER to score when she threw a wild pitch past Holmes (11-10).
After finally breaking into the top Harrison. After a shaky start to the confer-
25, the Michigan softball team lost In the bottom of the same inning, ence duel, Jackson demonstrated why
three of last weekend's four games the Iowa offense attempted to negate she maintains a .758 winning per-
against Big Ten rival Iowa. the defense's errors, but posted only centage in Sunday's makeup games.
As a result of Friday's split and one run. The Wolverines later with- The day off (rainout on Saturday)
*Sunday's losses, the defending con- stood a Hawkeye rally in the seventh allowed her time to recuperate and
ference champion Wolverines' (10-6 when their opponent put two runners stabilize her game plan. Over the
Big Ten, 24-22 overall) now stand in scoring position with two outs. courseofthetwolowavictories,Jack-
just two games above .500. Mean- Kovach earned her second save on See SOFrBALL, Page 19
while, the Hawkeyes move into sec-
ond place in the conference, and
Michigan drops to 4th.
JuniorKelly Kovach (11-12) took
the mound for Michigan in game one
of Friday's doubleheader. Not only
was her pitching good enough to pos-
*sibly win the game, she was the hot-
test Wolverine at the plate, going 2-
for-3 with one double and the sole avg 7.5 pt increase avg 6 pt increase
Michigan RBI. Yet with a 1-1 tie
going into the top of the seventh in-
ning, shortstop Jessica Lang recorded
two of her three errors, allowing the
Hawkeyes to notch two runs and post aVg 72 pt increase avg 214 pt Increase
a 3-1 victory. Test prep s a ig investment.
InthesecondgameofFriday'stwinbill, We have the only THE
Michigan found more success both at the INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED PRINCETON
plate andinthe field,nottomentionalittle national grad test score REVIEW
help from Iowa. In the top of the fourth, Improvements. w w nm;
Michiganscoredback-to-backmnswhen No other company can back up their
Stacee Harrison couldn't block one of
Hawkeye ace Karen Jason's (25-8) scores like we can. 63,. 6
Hwyeaea Th. Prkwaoton aR.wiewis atlillated with noith The Eduwaidiwa
i
L LI
Student Position:
Oversee the Student Academic Multicultural Initiatives (SAMI)
database. Process proposals, approval/rejection letters, and
expense report letters. Assist with reconciling statement of
accounts. Assist with the preparation of financial reports.
Assist the budget analyst with special projects and year-end
activities. Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge of some business ard financial management. At-
tentive to details. Good interpersonal skills. Excellent oral
and written communication skills. Some experience with
the use of Macintosh computers, preferably with Excel
and Filemaker Pro. Business school student with one to two
years business, accounting or budgeting background.
The application may be picked up at the Office of Academic
Multicultural Initiatives front desk between the hours of
8:00am - 5:00pm. If you have any specific questions, please
refer them to Alida Walker at 936-1055.
May 16 - August 31, 1994 (renewal possible)
Part-time: IS hours per week; $7.05/hour
The Office of Academic Multicultural initiatives
1042 Fleming Administration Building
Deadline to apply is May 13, 1994
rr r i i w r r a w i i