Michigan Captures NCAA Women’s Gymnastics National Championship
Wolverines earn first women’s gymnastics title in school and Big Ten history
FORT WORTH, Texas – The University of Michigan sprang into uncharted territory on Saturday, winning the first NCAA women’s gymnastics national championship in both school and Big Ten Conference history before an enthusiastic crowd at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and a national television audience on ABC (the first time the network had ever broadcast a women’s college gymnastics meet).
The Wolverines led throughout every rotation and posted a school-record score of 198.2500 to edge past defending national champion Oklahoma (198.1625). Yet, it took a trio of clutch balance beam performances by Sierra Brooks (9.9625), Natalie Wojcik (9.9875) and Abby Heiskell (9.925) during the final rotation to secure the victory and make Michigan just the seventh school to win an NCAA women’s gymnastics title since the meet debuted in 1982.
Michigan was making its 25th NCAA Championships appearance and its 12th trip to the NCAA team finals, all but one of those coming under the leadership of 32nd-year head coach Bev Plocki. The Wolverines had previously finished second at the meet in both 1995 and 1999.
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