March 29, 2003
Complete Results
Champaign, Ill. - Illinois finished sixth at the 2003 Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championships Saturday at Huff Hall in front of 1,186 fans. Michigan set a season high with 197.450 points to win its fifth consecutive conference title. Iowa finished second for the first time since 1991 with 196.850 points and Penn State was third with a score of 196.650. Minnesota finished fourth (195.425) followed by Ohio State (194.975), Illinois (193.575), and Michigan State (193.425).
Saturday marked the first time that University of Illinois hosted the Big Ten Championships since 1995. Illinois Head Coach Bob Starkell thinks that performing in front of the home crowd may have caused some jitters for his young squad.
"Being at home and being such a big event with so much energy, they were extremely nervous and more nervous than I anticipated. We started on one of our strongest events (floor exercise) and the nerves showed there. They were all over the place on floor. But after we got off that event and moved on to other events, they calmed down and were able to perform better and got the most they could out of this meet."
Starkell went on to point out that he was pleased with how his team performed despite the early nerves. "At this point in the season, I wasn't too concerned with the score," said Starkell. "I was worried about our performance, how we carried ourselves as a team, and what we could do today to help us go to the next level. All in all, I am extremely pleased with our performance tonight."
Illinois sophomore Ashley Williams, last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, had an outstanding conference meet once again. The Northport, Alabama native hit on all four events and posted an all-around score of 39.250 to place 10th in a loaded field. Williams tied a career-high on the uneven bars with a 9.900 to tie for fourth place and her balance beam score of 9.850 tied her for eighth place. Williams also led the way for the Orange and Blue on the floor and vault. Her floor performance of 9.775 led the team, and she and senior Amanda Kaufman paced the Illini vaulters with identical 9.725's.
"Ashley Williams was great. She has struggled throughout the year while battling knee injuries, but tonight everything came together for her. She had a great performance last year at Big Ten's (3rd place in all-around) and was great again tonight. Hopefully she is making a habit of performing well at the Big Ten Championships."
Penn State's Katie Rowland won the all-around title for the second consecutive year when she completed all four events with a final tally of 39.625. The senior also won the vault competition for the second straight year with a perfect 10.000 to tie a Big Ten Championships record held by former Michigan gymnasts Beth Wymer and Heather Kabnick.
Big Ten Award Winners:
All-Conference First Team:
Alexis Maday, Iowa
Annie Rue, Iowa
Jenny Deiley, Michigan
Janessa Grieco, Michigan
Calli Ryals, Michigan
Sarah Alexander, Michigan State
Mary Skokut, Minnesota
Tiffanie Janke, Ohio State
Jill Weber, Ohio State
Katie Rowland, Penn State
All-Conference Second Team:
Kara Kapernekas, Illinois
Ashley Williams, Illinois
Stephanie Gran, Iowa
Becca Clauson, Michigan
Lauren Mirkovich, Michigan
Lauren Simpson, Michigan State
Laura Johnson, Minnesota
Carolyn Yernberg, Minnesota
Elizabeth Meaney, Ohio State
Kaylin Schlecht, Ohio State
Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
Katie Rowland, Penn State
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Jenny Deiley, Michigan
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Bev Plocki, Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Huff Hall, Champaign, Ill.
March 29, 2003
Team Results V UB BB FX Total
Michigan 49.125 49.425 49.450 49.450 197.450
Iowa 49.175 49.250 49.125 49.300 196.850
Penn State 49.150 49.150 49.250 49.100 196.650
Minnesota 48.725 49.200 48.300 49.200 195.425
Ohio State 48.875 49.025 48.325 48.750 194.975
ILLINOIS 48.325 47.950 48.675 48.625 193.575
Michigan State 47.800 48.450 48.050 49.125 193.425
Individual Results
(Illinois results + winners)
Vault
1. Katie Rowland PSU 10.000
21t. Amanda Kaufman ILL 9.725
21t. Ashley Williams ILL 9.725
25. Kara Kapernekas ILL 9.700
35t. Lauren Newcomb ILL 9.600
37t. Jessica Cole ILL 9.575
39. Karen Hawley ILL 9.500
Bars
1t. Alexis Maday IOWA 9.950
1t. Jennifer Deiley MICH 9.950
4t. Ashley Williams ILL 9.900
30. Kara Kapernekas ILL 9.750
34t. Emily Earle ILL 9.675
36t. Jessica Cole ILL 9.650
40. Karen Hawley ILL 8.975
41. Katie Wild ILL 8.850
Beam
1. Janessa Grieco MICH 9.950
8. Ashley Williams ILL 9.850
22t Amanda Kaufman ILL 9.750
22t. Karen Hawley ILL 9.750
30. Margaret Dann ILL 9.675
31. Kara Kapernekas ILL 9.650
33. Jessica Cole ILL 9.550
Floor
1t. Stephanie Gran IOWA 9.950
1t. Calli Ryals MICH 9.950
28t Ashley Williams ILL 9.775
32t. Jessica Cole ILL 9.750
35. Sara Dumich ILL 9.725
36. Karen Hawley ILL 9.9.700
38. Amanda Kaufman ILL 9.675
41. Kara Kapernekas ILL 9.175
All-Around
1.Katie Rowland PSU 39.625
10. Ashley Williams ILL 39.250
17. Jessica Cole ILL 38.525
18.Kara Kapernekas ILL 38.275
19. Karen Hawley ILL 37.925
