Blue takes 2nd place

The Michigan women's gymnastics team went to the 1998 Central Regional Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with two goals in mind. The first goal was to win, and the second was to qualify for NCAAs.

The Wolverines' fell short of their first goal as Alabama prevailed in front of a home crowd of 5,290 Saturday night. The Crimson Tide registered a team score of 196.55, compared to the Wolverines' second-place score of 196.

It appears as though competing before a home crowd is a key factor when it comes to winning the Central Regional Championships.

In 1997, Michigan was cheered on to victory by the crowd at Crisler Arena. This year, the partisan fans cheering at Coleman Coliseum may have been the catalyst that drove Alabama to the title and possibly hindered the Wolverines' chances.

"This year's competition had a different feeling," Michigan's Sarah Cain said. "Last year we were at home, and this year Alabama had the advantage."

JOHN KRAFT/Daily Junior Lisa Simes and the Michigan women's gymnastics team placed second at the NCAA Central Regional this weekend. The Wolverines qualified for the NCAA Championships in two weeks.

Despite the disappointment of not defending last year's regional crown - which would have guaranteed the Wolverines an automatic bid to the national championships - the team's overall score was still good enough to reach their second goal and earn an at-large bid to NCAAs.

No. 2 Michigan's second-place finish has an even sweeter ring to it when considering the fierce competition. All seven teams were ranked among the Top 25 in the nation, with No. 3 Alabama ranked just behind the Wolverines. Other competitors included the 1998 Big Ten champion, Minnesota, as well as conference rivals Michigan State and Illinois.

Senior co-captain Heater Kabnick secured the most prestigious individual honor at this year's regionals - the first-place title in the all-around - with a score of 39.375.

"I was really excited that I won," Kabnick said. "But I would have traded it for winning the Central Regional Championships."

En route to winning or tying for first place in three of the four events, Cain came up big, earning a tie for first place on the vault with a 9.875. Sophomore Lisa Simes was also a key to the Wolverines' success, as she shared the uneven bars title with a near-perfect 9.9.

The alleviation of pressure that came from trying to defend seven consecutive Big Ten championships was a major relief to the team and provided for a better performance.

"Regionals were exciting," all-Big Ten freshman Bridget Knaeble said. "We weren't as nervous as we were at Big Tens."

The team's relaxed attitude may have been spurred by coach Bev Plocki's pre-meet speech, which calmed the team and put the stress of the tournament into perspective.

"I told the team we have nothing to lose and everything to gain," Plocki said. "No one can take anything away from us."

For now, the team has two weeks to prepare for the national powerhouses that will assemble at NCAAs, hosted by UCLA.

04-06-98