A margin of .825 is all that separated the No. 5 Michigan women's gymnastics team from the best squad in the nation-Georgia.
Competing before 9,217 fans in Athens' Stegeman Coliseum on Friday, the Wolverines achieved their highest team score of the season, yet suffered their first road loss of the season as the Lady Bulldogs edged them, 197.200-196.375.
The highlight of the evening was tri-captain Sarah Cain's all-around victory. Marking her fourth consecutive all-around title, Cain tied her season best with a score of 39.600.
"Sarah is getting into her zone and has truly competing with confidence lately," Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. "A lot of the athletes she competed against have the potential to win a national championship in the all-around and she defeated each of them."
En route to her all-around title, Cain secured a first place on the floor exercise with a 9.900. Thanks to four gymnasts scoring a 9.800 or better, the Wolverines bettered Georgia on the floor, 49.150-49.025.
"It was nice to see the team compete with such confidence on the floor," Plocki said. "Showings like that bring our team one step closer to being competitive in all four events."
As for the beam, Cain again reigned supreme with a nearly perfect score of 9.950. Senior Kathy Burke's 9.900 marked a career high and was good enough to earn her fourth-place.
Coming into the meet ranked first in the nation on the vault, Michigan performed accordingly, with a team score of 49.300 thanks to strong showings from Cain and Nikki Peters who finished in third- and fifth-place, respectively. The Wolverines were unable to prevail on the vault, though, as Georgia dazzled the judges and earned a 49.500.
02-22-99
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