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Marshall goes out in style as Michigan knocks off BYU

In her last event in her last collegiate home meet, Wendy Marshall accomplished something for the first time in her career. She scored her first 10.0 on the floor exercise.

With emotions at an extreme, Marshall pulled off a highly charged performance in Michigan's 197.00-194.35 victory over Brigham Young .

Her floor routine left her coach and fellow teammates in tears. In fact, tears were ready to flow when the announcer called Marshall's name and reminded the crowd that this was her last event at home before the meet began.

"I was OK until Percy announced her last performance," Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. "I then looked at Wendy and her eyes opened up."

As her name was being called, Marshall was trying to hold back her excitement as well as the tears that were about to flow.

"I was ready to cry; I was more excited than nervous," Marshall said. "This was my last impression in front of the home crowd."

There seemed to be a consensus on what type of impression Marshall left, as the crowd held up yellow signs with the number 10 on them.

Impressing the crowd shouldn't be that difficult for Marshall, given the career she has had at home. This year was only the icing on the cake, as Marshall has established season highs and school records at all of her home meets this year.

Saturday night against No. 5 Brigham Young was no different than any of Marshall's other home meets as she continued to rewrite the Michigan record book. Marshall scored a career-best 9.9 on the uneven bars to accompany the seventh perfect 10.0 of her career. Her other six came on the vault.

Marshall's performance was almost like a gift to the crowd for all of the fan support she has received throughout her career.

"Our home crowd is what I am really going to miss," Marshall said.

Probably the person who will miss Marshall and her fellow seniors, Dianna Ranelli and Tina Miranda, the most will be their coach. For Plocki, the three seniors have been like a part of her family for the past four years.

"This is the hardest meet I have," Plocki said. "I am with these kids everyday for four or five years. They are like my own kids. This meet is like a realization."

Michigan's meet against BYU was especially hard for two of Plocki's oldest kids. For Ranelli and Miranda, they would have to revel in the accomplishments of Marshall, the only senior that was able to compete.

"The other two seniors were living their last meet through Wendy," Plocki said. "Wendy was competing as much for them as for herself."

Both Marshall and the rest of the Wolverines gave the two seniors much to be proud of as Michigan turned in one of the best team performances ever.

The fired-up squad turned in the Wolverines' second-highest team score ever with 197 points.

Michigan did even better in posting school records on the uneven bars (49.375) and floor exercise (49.475).

What made the Wolverines' performance even more special was the fact that four Michigan gymnasts swept the all-around with scores of 39.3 and higher. BYU's closest competitor to a Michigan gymnast in the all-around scored a 38.925.

Junior Andrea McDonald topped the field with a personal-high in the all-around (39.525). On her way to the all-around title, McDonald also recorded career-highs on the vault (9.9), uneven bars (9.85) and floor exercise (9.95).

Freshmen Lisa Simes and Beth Amelkovich continued to be vital contributors for Michigan. Simes finished second in the all-around with 39.45, improving on her career-high of 39.4, which she achieved against Georgia last week.

Amelkovich has proved to be a consistent performer, as she tied Marshall for third in the all-around and first on the uneven bars.

Even though Saturday's meet was the last home meet of the season, Michigan knows that there is plenty of gymnastics still left to be played, especially in the next couple of weeks.