On Friday, a glimpse of hope shone through for the No. 7 Michigan men’s tennis team after it captured the doubles point. But all efforts were quickly dimmed by No. 2 TCU’s dominance on the singles courts. With three different courts going to tiebreaker rounds in the first set, and the Wolverines subsequently losing all of them, a comeback was an insurmountable task for Michigan to pull out the miraculous victory to continue in the NCAA Tournament. 

Not only does this loss mean the departure from the tournament, but, arguably worse for the Wolverines, the end of fifth-year Andrew Fenty, fifth-year Patrick Maloney and senior Ondrej Styler’s careers. All three were selected for the NCAA Individual Tournament, which gives a small insight into the production they gave to Michigan this year. With their departures comes the cost of irreplaceable skill and leadership.

“On paper we’re going to be lacking some talent,” sophomore Gavin Young said. “I think it’s really going to come down to how gritty of a team we are and how deep we dig down. This team next year is going to have the same amount of heart and the same amount of belief. And with that belief and grit we can really make a run.”

Transposing that belief and grit to the Wolverines is Young who is stepping into a leadership role in the youth-filled team — and for good reason. The 6-foot-4 Apple Valley, Minnesota, native has a very deep skill set that has developed over his last two years with Michigan. He’s the other half of the doubles duo with Fenty selected in the NCAA Individual Tournament and is an alternate for the singles. Boasting a 22-12 singles record and 27-8 doubles record this season, it’s clear that he is a great candidate to lead this program back to another NCAA tournament.

Along with established veterans of the program — junior Nino Ehrenschneider, sophomore Will Cooksey and junior Jacob Bickersteth — Young is ready to overcome the deficit left by the departing stars of the program. 

Even with the returning members of the team, there will be quite a challenge for the new generation of leaders. The combination of motivated youth along with leaders ready to take control is a great sign for the team, but isn’t going to come without hard work.

Young still has good reason to be excited about next year’s team. Freshman Bjorn Swenson, freshman Mert Oral and freshman Nicholas Steiglehner were all high school stars, and are ready to make a name for themselves on the big stage. With a couple more incoming recruits, Michigan is poised to make another deep run in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. 

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for some of the young guys to step up and show what they have,” Young said. “It’s going to be really cool to see what some of these younger guys can do. … We’ll be back for sure.”

With Young’s leadership and a willing and ready roster, the Wolverines have a very exciting future ahead of them. Whether it’s the older established leaders of the team or the newcomers with everything still to prove, Michigan has all the right tools to return to the high caliber of tennis it played this year. And, with the right combination of talent and hard work, the Wolverines could take another shot at it all.

The post ‘We’ll be back for sure’: How Gavin Young’s mindset is turning Michigan’s NCAA quarterfinal loss into motivation appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Early in the match, miscommunications and crucial errors plagued the No. 5 Michigan women’s tennis team. As junior Jaedan Brown and senior Andrea Cerdan fell, 6-1, to their opponents and freshman Lily Jones and sophomore Julia Fliegner also fell victim to their own mistakes, No. 12 Virginia came out with the doubles point. Brown, though, had no intention of allowing those struggles to continue into her singles game.

This season, the Wolverines relied heavily on the doubles point for their success. But on Saturday against the Cavaliers — Virginia took the doubles matches in an emphatic fashion. Following the disappointing doubles, Brown looked to step up for Michigan.

“I tried to put doubles to the side and focus on singles, because you can’t change the past,” Brown said. “I just told myself in the break ‘stay up on the court and be aggressive.’ ”

However, the past nearly repeated itself for Brown, finding herself down 4-1 against the Cavaliers’ Natasha Subhash. Whether it was pushing deep shots to punish Brown’s net presence or well placed line shots far out of reach, all of Brown’s weaknesses were put on full display. 

Even with a full home crowd behind her and supporting her every point, Brown struggled to maintain a rhythm and develop any offense against a very technically solid opponent. 

“Once I got down like that I was actually more relaxed,” Brown said. “There’s nothing to lose at that point. It’s easy to take a step back and re-evaluate when you’re in that spot.”

The mental re-evaluation proved to be the difference maker in the first set. After seeing Subhash slice shots in an attempt to slow down the pace of play, Brown started hammering shot after shot to her weaker forehand. After the adjustments, she didn’t drop another set on her way to an energetic 6-4 victory. Chants and cheers by the Michigan men’s tennis team led the crowd to rally behind her and continue to cheer her on in her second set. 

With the wind now in her sails, Brown was looking to carry her new momentum into the second set. She found herself down 3-0, yet again, to start the second set. 

“I just started the sets nervous,” Brown said. “I wasn’t feeling great physically.”

The nerves and physical discomfort she was experiencing didn’t show past her 3-0 deficit, though, as she again regained her composure and slowly put herself back in the driver’s seat. The Varsity Tennis Center crowd began to accumulate at her court as the idea of yet another comeback began to formulate. Sure enough, point after point, game after game, Brown clawed her way back to another win in a once seemingly unwinnable match. 

Her teammates ran to congratulate her as the crowd continued to roar their approval and enjoyment. The true celebration of the afternoon didn’t start until a few minutes later, when junior Gala Mesochoritou clinched the match for the Wolverines, sending them to the elite eight of the NCAA tournament. 

Resiliency has been the key to a lot of Michigan’s successes this season, with Brown leading the effort. She’s the highest ranked singles and doubles player on the team, and has given the Wolverines a solid foundation to build and grow around. 

“We have a lot of fighters,” Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein said. “It’s a good problem to have. Jaedan played great tennis after going down in both sets. She’s put us in great positions and is a huge reason why we are where we are.”

Now heading to Florida to take on No. 4 Georgia, the Wolverines will have to continue to play like their season depends on it – because it does. With Brown at the forefront, her resiliency will continue to propel Michigan forward. If the Wolverines continue to fight, they have the tools to bring home the hardware. 

The post Jaedan Brown’s comeback heroics help Michigan push past Virginia appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

On Friday, the Michigan men’s tennis team looked to continue its win streak in Big Ten play over Northwestern.

Through an emphatic 4-1 victory, the seventh ranked Wolverines (21-3 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) sailed past the twenty sixth ranked Wildcats (18-8, 6-2), handing them just their second Big Ten loss of the season. 

The doubles point, which has become a struggle as of late for Michigan, was highly contested by the Northwestern pairs. However, the Wolverines had no intention of allowing that point from slipping out of their hands again. 

Michigan’s pair of senior Ondrej Styler and junior Jacob Bickersteth battled back and forth with the Wildcats’ Natan Spear and Trice Pickens. Neither side took the edge as the match was locked at 5-5. But, due in part to Styler’s powerful serves and dominance at the net, Styler and Bickersteth secured the win. 7-5, over Spear and Pickens. 

“We played it much better today,” Michigan coach Adam Steinberg said, referring to the doubles point. “We’ve been practicing it more and more. There’s still some adjustments we need to make, but I really liked our intention out there today.”

And the practice paid off for the Wolverines, as fifth-year Patrick Maloney and junior Nino Ehrenschneider took down their opponents in a hard fought battle. The game grinded to 6-6, as neither side could take a lead. Through flawless communication and teamwork, Maloney and Ehrenschneider took complete control of the tiebreaker and won the doubles point for Michigan.

In singles, the Wolverines had no plan of letting their foot off the gas. 

Maloney started off the singles hot by beating his opponent in straight sets. But on the other side of the Varsity Tennis Center, fifth-year Andrew Fenty’s struggles cast a dark shadow over Maloney’s successes. Fenty’s mental mistakes and missteps gave Northwestern a breath of life as he was defeated by Steven Forman in straight sets, and made the score 2-1. 

“It’s our philosophy that no one will play with more energy than we will,” Steinberg said. “For us, we call it the Michigan difference, and it’s something that we expect every day.”

That energy was instrumental on the remaining four courts, as Bickersteth followed in Maloney’s footsteps, beating the Wildcats’ Gleb Blekher in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. Michigan’s final point was long awaited, as Gavin Young battled through a gritty fight with Presley Thieneman of Northwestern. 

Young made quick work of Thieneman in the first set, using his tall stature and powerful serve to stifle any opponent momentum, and looked to carry his energy and momentum into the next set.

“Big serves – especially for an indoor team – are crucial,” Steinberg said. “Having big guys that serve hard, it’s obviously very helpful.”

Thieneman, though, had a much different vision. He shot out to a 3-1 lead in the second set, and forced Young clawed his way back with long shots that painted both corners of Thieneman’s side of the court. A different script was nearly written, as Young found himself down 40-0. Young muscled his way back with well placed and powerful shots and, after a long rally, finally broke against Thieneman to tie the set at 4-4.

“I think early in the second set my mind was maybe wandering a little bit,” Young said. “We talk as a team about not giving our opponents any free points, so I had to walk back and maintain focus.”

After that, Young locked in. 

The two continued to go back and forth until they found themselves at 6-6, where fast and precise hits from Young accompanied by his blistering serve completely overwhelmed Thieneman in the tiebreaker. With his match complete, and the Wolverines walking away with the win, Young feels confident in their newfound momentum. 

“I feel like tennis is such a momentum sport,” Young said. “So once we get going, it’s going to be super hard to stop us.”

With the Big Ten tournament now exactly a week away, Michigan sits second in the conference with a lot of momentum behind their backs and all the tools to make a deep run. If Young’s words ring true, the Wolverines may just make a run for it all.

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For the Michigan men’s tennis team, senior Ondrej Styler, fifth-year Andrew Fenty and fifth-year Patrick Maloney were all celebrated on Sunday for senior night, and rightfully so. The three graduates combine for an onslaught of the Wolverines’ successes this season, and are the namesake of the program.

However, Styler’s story is just a little different from the other two. 

An international student hailing from the Czech Republic, Styler didn’t always just play tennis. After picking up his first racket at six years old, he found other outlets for his plentiful energy.

“He played football (soccer) at the beginning,” Ondrej Styler’s mother, Ive Styler said. “He did track and field, too. Tennis was his choice.”

Those other sports fell quickly by the wayside, as Ondrej fell in love with tennis. He stormed through the youth circuits, dominated tournaments and ranking as high as the No. 13 youth player in the world. Not to mention being crowned the doubles winner of the Junior French Open in 2018, competing as a doubles finalist in the Junior Wimbledon and placing fourth at the 2018 Youth Olympics.

“It was a really amazing time with a lot of stress,” Ive said. “We’re just so happy he made it (to Michigan).”

At 6-foot-5, he had no issues adapting to the collegiate level. His freshman year he excelled with an 18-8 record, and has only improved since. His lightning-fast serve and hard-hit forehand are the focal points of his game and command the attention of every spectator. 

“He’s given everything to us,” Michigan coach Adam Steinberg said emotionally. “He’s improved so much in so many areas, I could just talk all day.”

Now a senior, Ondrej is a highlight of the Michigan program on a personal record, 11-0 run, and the highest rated singles player on the team. He commands his singles play with sound technique and precision, and uses the chemistry he and his teammates have built to an impressive 13-6 doubles record on the season. His hard work, dedication and perseverance over the years were put on full display in his final regular season meet against No. 25 Illinois. 

Ondrej started out hot with his partner junior Jacob Bickersteth, slamming volleys and weakly returned shots en route to a decisive 6-4 victory. His teammates fifth-year Patrick Maloney and junior Nino Ehrenschneider also had no problem with their opponents, as the two duos captured the doubles point for the Wolverines. 

In singles, Ondrej shined even brighter.

In his first set against the Fighting Illini’s Hunter Heck, Styler’s serve was the difference maker as he again cruised to a 6-4 first set win. Playing solid, technical tennis, Ondrej capitalized on Heck’s weak spots and take advantage of mishit and under-powered returns. 

“I had to just go for my shots and be patient,” Ondrej said. “ … take it point by point and believe you’re gonna come out as the champion and that’s literally what I did. I was nervous. There’s no shame in that.”

However, the nerves didn’t show as he entered his second set. He shot out to a 2-0 lead, but Heck did not let him run away with it. A close back and forth battle saw the matchup enter a tiebreaker. Every rally brought the Varsity Tennis Center to a dead quiet as all eyes were fixated on his court. An unfortunate redirect off of the net cord sent the ball out of bounds and gave Heck the opportunity to send the match into a third set. However, Ondrej had no intention of letting the match go on any longer, and hammered four straight points to Heck’s weak spots, taking the second set.

Ondrej, triumphant in his final regular season meet with the Wolverines, turned to the crowd with both fists in the air, racket clenched tightly in his right hand. 

“It was great,” Ondrej said. “I had my family here, and my girlfriend came as well. It was a special match for me to finish on a high note in front of the closest people that I have in my life.”

Now graduating in a week with a data analytics degree from the School of Information, Ondrej has options both on and off the court. With some more work and time, he could make a run at pro tennis and continue competing in the sport he loves. On the other hand, he has a bright future in the realm of data analytics and management. On senior night, he would be remiss to not reflect on his time in Ann Arbor.

“I just hoped to leave the program better than I found it,” Ondrej said. “That was the whole mission these past four years. I’m always going to be a Michigan fan and support the guys.”

Now, his mission is complete, and he has the rest of his life in front of him. Between his degree and his tennis prowess, Ondrej Styler has the world in the palm of his hand. 

The post On senior night, Ondrej Styler’s legacy is cemented appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

When the No. 6 Michigan women’s tennis team went up against its rival, No. 7 Ohio State, for the Big Ten regular season title on Sunday, anticipation filled the air. With the Wolverines and Buckeyes both undefeated in conference play, it all came down to this, and both teams were locked in. 

Although Michigan ended up taking the doubles point, shaky play due to adverse weather conditions and unforced errors made it very clear that this was still anyone’s match. However, on court three, sophomore Julia Fliegner came to play. 

Fliegner was not exempt from the team’s doubles struggles as she and her partner freshman Lily Jones lost their matchup. Fliegner knew mental adjustments had to be made if she wanted any chance of competing in singles against Ohio State’s Lucia Marzal, who was also hungry to redeem herself after a doubles loss. But when singles started, Fliegner came to play.

“I just told myself go play to win,” Fliegner said. “I had to keep my foot on the gas.”

And play she did. 

In a deadlocked first set with Marzal, the matchup looked like it may go on forever. Neither player could maintain any form of a lead, and it went to a tiebreaker.

“I tried to leave it all on the court,” Fliegner said about her first set. 

With the tiebreaker at 8-8, the energy of the crowd was at a peak. Fans clad in maize and blue and scarlet and gray alike were on their feet, and with each point, the volume of the cheers became louder. Fliegner’s double fault set up Marzal to take the set, but another double fault back from Marzal had them all tied up again at 9-9.

After capitalizing on a poorly hit return, Fliegner finally had her opportunity to capture the first set. With a powerful across-court forehand comfortably out of reach of her opponent, she did just that to take the first set 7-6 (9). When the bright green ball pinged off the back fence after a bounce deep in her opponent’s corner, the crowd erupted with applause and cheers in approval. 

“I try not to think about the crowd too much and just stay in my own head,” Fliegner said. “But, it really helps on the big moments or a big point when you hear the crowd screaming.” 

After a short break to move the match inside due to inclement weather, play resumed on the second set. A familiar storyline quickly established itself, as the pair found themselves tied at 3-3. However, Fliegner had other ideas for the remainder of the set, and had no plans to let the second set go nearly as long as the first.

“I was just watching the scoreboard,” Fliegner said. “I was really tired, but I knew I just had to keep going and finish it.”

The fatigue didn’t show as she hammered forehand after forehand to her opponent’s weaker backhand side, and found herself up 4-3. By this time, all eyes inside the Varsity Tennis Center were glued to her court, and rightfully so. The Wolverines had captured two more points from Jones and junior Kari Miller. Fliegner had the opportunity to put the match on ice — and clinch the regular season title for the Wolverines.

After holding on to the fifth set, Fliegner continued to stay consistent as she battled up to a 40-15 lead. You could’ve heard a pin drop as Marzal served for the final point, and after a short rally, Marzal sent her backhand long, and the crowd roared in delight. 

Fliegner threw her racket in celebration and turned to meet her charging teammates with open arms.

“She’s gotten really good in that situation,” Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein said. “Last year she struggled with that a little bit, so that shows how far she’s come.”

With the trophy presented to the Wolverines, their pre-season goal of taking the regular season championship back from the Buckeyes had finally materialized, thanks in part to Fliegner’s performance.

Fliegner’s endurance and consistency have been a key for the Wolverines all year long. Losing only 10 doubles and eight singles over 52 matches played — a 76% win rate — Fliegner’s play has been integral to this year’s success. 

With the Big Ten tournament quickly approaching, Michigan has its eyes set on the trophy, which likely commands another win over Ohio State. The Wolverines will continue to rely on Fliegner’s clutch gene and poise under pressure to keep their championship hopes alive.

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When the No. 5 Michigan women’s tennis team arrived at Northwestern, it had one goal in mind: stay undefeated in the Big Ten.

Behind a commanding doubles performance and successful adaptations during singles play, the Wolverines (14-3 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) did just that, cruising past the Wildcats (5-11, 1-3), 4-0, on Saturday. 

Michigan got off to a hot start on the doubles point with freshman Lily Jones and sophomore Julia Fliegner making quick work of their opponents to win their match 6-1. Senior Andrea Cerdan and junior Merri Kelly did not share in the same smooth path that their teammates traveled on, finding themselves down 3-2, with neither side being able to hold the serve throughout the first five sets. The pair eventually figured it out, though, and came back to win 6-3, putting the Wolverines up 1-0.

“I’m happy with the way we competed today,” Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein said. “But I think at times, especially early on in the singles, we struggled. We’re going to have to be even better tomorrow (against Illinois).”

Struggle is a good word to describe how the Wolverines’ singles play started. Northwestern came out strong, displaying an offensive game plan that was initially too much to handle. Michigan could not adapt to the Wildcats’ aggressive style, and found itself down a set on four courts. But the Wolverines had no plans to be upset, and made mid-match adjustments to start turning things around. 

“I was hoping we’d come out a little better to start the singles,” Bernstein said. “I think at times, especially early on in the singles, we struggled a little, but we were tough, and I’m proud of how tough we were.”

That toughness eventually broke through. All four courts adapted to the net-heavy presence of Northwestern, and came back to win their second sets. 

While a majority of Wolverines dropped the first set, Cerdan commanded it. She took complete control of the second to win her match 6-3, 6-0. Finishing first, she had the opportunity to stand by and cheer on all of her teammates.

This is a familiar situation for Cerdan, who has been a leader for the team. Her dominant performances in both singles and doubles usually leave her with some time to watch her teammates, and strengthen the bond they all share. 

“She’s been great for us,” Bernstein said. “She’s super vocal on the court, and she’s been having a great year. Her teammates have a lot of confidence in her, and she’s a big part of why we’ve had such a successful start to the season.” 

With Cerdan watching on, Jones clinched the Wolverines’ third point of the afternoon with a come-from-behind win on a tiebreaker during the second set. Junior Gala Mesochoritou successfully adapted to her opponent’s play and won two straight sets to claim the fourth point, and the meet, for Michigan.

Riding a Big Ten hot streak, it’s still all gas and no brakes for the Wolverines as they enter the back half of their eight straight conference meets. While enjoying current successes, this year’s team knows there is a legacy to uphold.

“I think everyone on the team has the same goal,” Cerdan said. “Win the Big Ten undefeated, win the Big Ten Championships, and use that momentum to fight for a national championship.” 

If the Wolverines continue to adapt to their opponents while holding their own, another dominant win shows their potential for ending up on top of it all.

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After an upset loss on Wednesday against No. 19 Florida, the No. 3 Michigan women’s tennis team looked to bounce back.

Under a strong showing from senior Andrea Cerdan and a dominant singles performance from freshman Lily Jones, the Wolverines (12-3 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) did exactly that against No. 17 Wisconsin (13-3, 4-2), winning 5-2 on Saturday. Michigan fixed its inconsistencies exposed against Florida, while capitalizing on the Badgers’ mistakes. 

The Wolverines, however started off slow as doubles play lasted close to an hour. While Cerdan and junior Merri Kelly made quick work of their opponents, winning 6-1, Jones and sophomore Julia Fliegner struggled early. The pair fell behind Wisconsin’s Xinyu Cai and Alina Mukhortova. Finding themselves down 5-2, a valiant comeback effort was made, but ultimately Cai and Mukhortova were too much for the pair, winning 6-4.

Then, all eyes turned to court one. The junior duo of Jaeden Brown and Kari Miller found themselves locked in a 6-6 tie against the Badgers’ Ava Markham and Maria Sholokhova. Michigan’s pair went up 3-0 on tiebreaker points before Wisconsin charged back to take a 4-3 lead. After defending against a match point at 6-5, Brown and Miller won the next three points to win the tiebreaker point 8-6, taking the doubles point for the Wolverines. 

“We didn’t play well on Wednesday (against the Gators),” Michigan coach Ronnie Bernstein said. “We just didn’t compete like we can. It was good to see that we can come back after Wednesday and play a much cleaner match today.”

The Wolverines started to assert their strength in singles, as Cerdan again dominated her opponent, winning handily 6-2, 6-2 against Charmaine Seah on court six. No. 30 Brown also found success, beating No. 44 Markham in straight sets. Down 4-1 in the first set, Brown completed the impressive comeback win, then took control to win the second set and claim the point for Michigan. 

Jones and Fliegner have found success in doubles and singles throughout the season, so Saturday’s doubles loss was uncharacteristic for the duo — and the struggle in singles on Wednesday wasn’t normal for them either. However, not allowing their recent defeats to effect their singles play, Fliegner won the match for the Wolverines in straight sets 7-5, 6-4. But, Michigan wasn’t done. After losing in her doubles match, Jones found herself in unfamiliar territory.

“Julia and I have had a great season, so it was just kind of weird to lose,” Jones said. “Before my single I just told myself I need to step it up and have a lot of energy.”

No. 63 Jones showed that energy and skill set against the Badgers’ Taylor Cataldi. Jones took the driver’s seat in the first set, winning in dominant fashion, 6-2. The fans in attendance were right there behind her, applauding and cheering every point she won. Even after dropping the second set to Cataldi 6-3, she knew the energy behind her was the push she needed to finish it off.

“I mean, I loved it,” Jones said. “I know they have my back. It got to the point where they’re screaming, and it’s just really helpful. ”

Whether it was the energy or her powerful forehand, Jones made quick work of Cataldi, winning the third set 6-1, and capturing another point for the Wolverines. Wisconsin did grab two points in the singles, with one coming from junior Gala Mesochoritou retiring during the third set, and the other from Sholokhova defeating Miller in a hard fought battle 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Michigan showcased its resilience from Wednesday’s loss, and displayed that despite those woes. With only Big Ten meets remaining, optimism is high for the remainder of the season.

“Every year is kind of different,” Bernstein said. “This year’s group has just battled. We’ve played a really tough schedule, and they’ve come through. They’re just good, good kids who care a lot.”

The Wolverines are hunting for their fifth Big Ten title in six years, and if Saturday was any implication — starting an eight-meet stretch in conference play with a win — the tools are certainly there to do so.

The post Michigan defeats Wisconsin behind dominant singles play appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

National champions and Olympians lined the bleachers of Cliff Keen arena on Saturday to celebrate 75 years of Michigan men’s gymnastics. But by the end of the meet, they had something else to celebrate as the Wolverines clinched the Big Ten regular season title.

Led by seniors Adam Wooten and Casey Cummings and juniors Javier Alfonso and Evgeny Siminiuc, Michigan (11-6 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) completed a comeback win against Illinois (10-4, 2-2), winning the meet 411.250-405.550. With such an esteemed crowd in attendance, Michigan coach Yuan Xiao understood the importance of the moment.

“I’m so fortunate for an opportunity like this,” Xiao said. “My job is to make our alumni happy and proud, and to make Michigan proud.”

Even though the night ended in celebration, small mistakes added up early for the Wolverines, as they found themselves down 3.7 points after the first two rotations. Pommel horse is a familiar struggle for Michigan, and the Fighting Illini took full advantage. The small-yet-loud Illinois crowd was right behind them with cheers and chants of their own, along with Illini gymnasts shouting, “I-L-L” and the away fans promptly yelled back “I-N-I.”

But the Wolverines gained momentum on still rings, with Wooten and Alfonso both scoring above a 14.000. However, the Illini had no intention of allowing Michigan back in the fight. Down 3.65 points after three rotations was not ideal for the Wolverines, but the small amount of momentum proved valuable.

“We have this thing where we say we have to stay in our bubble,” Cummings said when asked how Michigan stays competitive in come-from-behind wins like these. “We know the routines toward the end are (strengths) and so we just try to focus on the fact we know we can come back from anything.”

Sticking to the bubble, Michigan took over in the second half of the meet, riding solid performances all the way to the end. Although the vault is not normally a strength for the Wolverines, all five scorers achieved over a 14.250, and the Illinois lead was cut to 2.5 points. The home crowd, sensing a possible comeback, responded to the energy.

Similar to Michigan’s faulty pommel horse rotation, the Illini faced their achilles heel on the parallel bars. Siminiuc topped the event, scoring a tied personal best of 14.750. This routine was the beginning of the end for Illinois, putting the Wolverines in front for good.

“It’s just a testament to the talent and the depth this team has,” Cummings said. “We all have the same mindset. We all act like we’re key guys, so it’s like no one person is more of a Michigan gymnast than the other.” 

Topping it all off with an impressive high bar routine, Wooten led the Wolverines with a 14.200. But it was Siminiuc’s clinching routine that put the entire crowd on its feet, as the team finally reaped what it had set out to sow since the beginning of the year — the Big Ten regular season title. 

As the team looks ahead toward the Big Ten Championships, defending the regular-season title won’t be easy. With an incredibly competitive conference, Wooten knows what it will take if Michigan wants to come home with another trophy.

“It’s a mental game, right? So what we need to do going into these meets is think about our gymnastics a little bit different each time,” Wooten said. “We are as good as we need to be. Let’s go out and show who we are.”

Now heading to Columbus for the conference championships, the Wolverines need to reciprocate that performance to show everyone who they are if they intend on bringing home the title for the second year in a row.

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When the No. 2 Michigan women’s gymnastics team traveled to Duluth, Georgia, on Friday for its meet against No. 18 Georgia, it was prepared to bring its own energy. However, the crowd in Gas South Arena had other ideas. “Let’s go blue” chants after every routine rivaled the “U-G-A” response from the home crowd, and fueled the Wolverines to a win in their final regular season meet. 

Senior Sierra Brooks harnessed that energy and used it to capture all five event titles for Michigan, including being the only Wolverine on top of uneven bars, beam and vault. Her stellar individual performance, coupled with a quality team showing propelled Michigan (14-2 overall) past Georgia (6-11), 197.825-196.600.

The Wolverines’ uneven bar routines typically warrant high scores. Yet, Friday was a different story. With Brooks’ 9.875 being the team’s highest score, Michigan was off to an uncharacteristically slow start, trailing Georgia by 0.05 after the first rotation.

“It’s hard when judging is a subjective thing,” Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. “It sometimes can be really deflating. They did not let that happen, and I was really proud of them for that.” 

Deflating or not, the Wolverines did not allow the slow start to affect the rest of their night, exploding in impressive vault, floor and beam routines. Brooks scored a 9.950, while junior Naomi Morrison and graduate Abby Heiskell both scored 9.925 on vault, ending Michigan’s scoring woes and putting it in the driver’s seat for the rest of the night. 

Fueling the impressive routines was the sideline chemistry the Wolverines have developed throughout the previous seasons. 

“I think it’s something that’s definitely led to our success the past few years,” Brooks said. “Our team is incredibly good, and I think that makes everyone really comfortable to do their gymnastics and be confident.”

Confident they were, as Brooks, Morrison, Heiskell and senior captain Gabby Wilson all scored 9.925 in their floor routines, pulling Michigan further ahead of the Bulldogs before the final event. 

The Wolverines finished off strong on beam, preventing any hope of a Georgia comeback. Brooks scored a team-high 9.925, and Wilson and graduate Natalie Wojcik both scored 9.900. 

Even though the scoresheet said one thing, Plocki had a different take on the night and the competition ahead of them.

“We actually put together a better performance tonight than we did on Monday,” Plocki said, alluding to their win over No. 1 Oklahoma. “I think Oklahoma is still the top contender, but I think there are about five or six teams that could walk away with a title on the right night.” 

Before it reaches the NCAA Championships, Michigan will compete in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, which is a familiar setting where it won last season. Earlier in the season, Michigan State beat the Wolverines, so it won’t just be a walk in the park. As dominant as Michigan has been throughout the season, Brooks knows there is still preparation to be done ahead of the championship.

“I’d say preparing the team and also making sure everyone has the right mentality – you can either handle these big meets really well or incorrectly,” Brooks said, when asked about her role as captain. “We don’t want to go into any meet over-confident or not on the same page because it can cause friction you just don’t need.” 

If the Wolverines can ride their newfound momentum, they may just find themselves on top of it all for the second time in three years.

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Coming off of a big win against No. 22 Indiana, the No. 11 Michigan wrestling team continued its dominance in its final regular season meet with a win over Central Michigan. 

No. 1 fifth-year heavyweight Mason Parris completed his perfect 25-0 regular season, along with pins from No. 11 redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Dylan Ragusin and No. 28 redshirt junior 141-pounder Cole Mattin. Those key showings along with solid performances from the rest of the team propelled the Wolverines (11-4 overall) to a 30-9 victory over the Chippewas (6-9). 

The Wolverines asserted their dominance on the mat early, with a strong performance from No. 17 graduate 125-pounder Jack Medley. Followed by back-to-back pins by Ragusin and Mattin, Michigan led 16-0 heading into the fourth bout. 

For Mattin, his pin Sunday night came with extra meaning. Coming back from four weeks of injury, he accentuated his Senior Night with a win. Considering he is graduating, it could be his last meet at Crisler Center. 

“Believe it or not this is my first varsity win in this building,” Mattin said. “I’m just glad to get a win, especially in a fashion like a pin in front of my family and all the people who have supported me for the past year.” 

The Chippewas’ responded in the fourth, 149-pound bout, with Jimmy Lovett’s decision win over No. 24 redshirt freshman Chance Lamer. That breath did not last long though, as No. 14 redshirt senior 157-pounder Will Lewan won a hard fought bout 8-3 to put the Wolverines up 19-3 heading into the intermission.

No. 4 redshirt senior 165-pounder Cameron Amine also capped his senior season with a victory, winning his bout with an impressive lunging takedown as the clock wound down in the third to put himself up 3-1. The takedown brought both the bench and the crowd at Crisler to their feet, and reinforced Michigan’s momentum. 

Central Michigan put a brief stop to that momentum in the sixth, 174-pound bout, with No. 32 Alex Cramer beating redshirt sophomore Joseph Walker in an 8-7 overtime win, which brought the Chippewas up 22-6. The Wolverine’s No. 8 graduate 184-pounder Matt Finesilver ended his last regular season in a dominant fashion, allowing no points in a 10-0 win. 

Redshirt sophomore Brendin Yatooma lost the 197-pound bout to junior Cameron Wood in tight fashion, 4-2, giving Central Michigan its third win of the night. However, it was too little too late for the Chippewas as Parris won the final bout by major decision, giving Michigan the team win, 30-9. 

With his last regular season coming to an end, Parris reflected on his time on the team, and the impact his parents have had on his career.

“It’s great to be able to go out and represent not only myself but them for all the work they’ve put in also for me.” Parris said. “I just hope to leave being a leader, a role model, working hard and showing all these guys what it means to be a Michigan man.” 

After struggling in conference competition during the season, the Wolverines will need all the confidence they can get heading into the Big Ten Tournament. With twelve of the Big Ten’s fourteen schools in the top 25 in the nation, the tournament will be competitive as ever. 

Now only two weeks away, their eyes are locked on the prize.

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