Regional Preview Press Conference
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
April 8, 2006
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -
Michigan Head Coach Bev Plocki
On Michigan's role as host of the Northeast Regional Championships..."We're just very excited and thrilled to be hosting the Northeast Regional Championship. It's always a great honor to be able to host this competition. Obviously, as you're aware, it's a very important competition with all these teams vying for the opportunity to qualify onto our NCAA Championships. We're just thrilled to be able to be hosting it and I think we've got a great field of teams. Hopefully we'll put on a great show tomorrow evening in front of a great audience."
On the team's preparation going into tomorrow..."I think we're excited and ready; I feel like we're prepared. We're coming off of a conference championship that didn't go exactly as we had hoped. I don't think that that's any reflection on the preparation of my team. It was just one of those days. We've tried to put that behind us. We look forward to the competition tomorrow night."
On the rivalry that has evolved between Michigan and Utah in the past years..."It was a great competition. We appreciate the rivalry we have with Utah because I feel like it's a healthy relationship. It's not an ugly rivalry. I don't like ugly rivalries. It's been a lot of fun. They got us earlier in the year by however many tenths and I think all our kids remember that. I'm sure if you asked either team, they'll say that they want to win the competition tomorrow night. That's our goal as I'm sure it's Utah's goal. But the most important thing is that we try to come out as one of the top two positions and qualify for the national championship. We hope that we're peaking at the right time."
Utah Head Coach Greg Marsden
Opening statement..."We're happy to be here too. I've been coaching for 31 years and this is the first time I've been assigned to the Northeast region. It's our first time out here and I know all these people well. Other than Bev (Polocki, U-M's head coach), this is going to be the first time competing against most of these teams and we're looking forward to that. Michigan and Utah have developed quite a rivalry over the last few years. We were here earlier in February, and had a very good meet then, and we're looking forward to the regional tomorrow."
On whether there is any added pressure ranked No. 2..."I think the big thing that any of the teams here would like to do is finish in the top two. We're going to go into any competition wanting to win, expecting to win. What's really important is that we're one of those two teams moving on to the NCAA Championships. I don't think we have any more pressure than any other of the teams here."
Auburn Head Coach John Thompson
Opening statement..."We're excited to be here. We'd like to thank the Michigan staff. It's a beautiful venue and the equipment and everything is great. We realize the hard work that goes into hosting a championship and we hope that all the hard work is behind you and that your team is ready to compete tomorrow night. Our team is very young and ten of our fourteen competitors are freshman or sophomores. Before the season started we dismissed two few scholarship players for rules violations. Because of that we have had some depth problems throughout the year. But the girls have stepped up and overcome that and done quite well. The highlight this year for us was going to LSU and getting our first win there since 1992. It was especially nice because that's where I used to work as an assistant. Anytime you can go back and beat your old boss, it's a good feeling. It is going to be a great event tomorrow night. Utah comes in number two and Michigan is obviously going to be a big favorite being at home. We have our work cut out for us trying to be one of top teams. As for ending on balance beam, I wouldn't say that's a very good way to end. But we've been ending on beam in every away dual meet all year long and we've done very well. So we're excited about our rotations and we look forward to tomorrow night."
On underclassmen Julie Dwyer and Lindsay Puckett handling pressure..."Well the approach that we take and they have taken all year is that teams don't change whether there's 8,000 people watching or there's two teammates watching. Your routine is just as hard every time you do it. With that approach they've learn that they can handle any environment. Lindsay has struggled at times with the girl before her falling because she doesn't want to let down the rest of the team. But Julie's amazing. She's been automatic and she's competed all-arounds every single week this season and has no falls this entire year. I expect them to go out and do exactly what they've done every week in Michigan, and I think it'll be great."
New Hampshire Head Coach Gail Goodspeed
Opening statement"We're happy to be here at Michigan. Michigan puts on a great meet every year that we're here. The venue at Michigan is just wonderful and the Champions Center is just beautiful. Our athletes are the reverse of (Auburn coach) Jeff's (Thompson), as 11 of 24 routines include seniors: Amanda Hall, Mariana Pena Trestini, and Lindsey Berrios. But we do not have the depth all the way down, due to injuries and illness. I think we'll have a great meet tomorrow night, because we always seem to do well at regional meets. Last year we went from 41st in the country to 18th . This year we rank 27th, so I hope we can move up just as many spots. There will be some great teams on the floor, which will provide some of the best gymnastics that your audience will see."
On the advantages of hosting Regionals..."Well you get to sleep in your own bed and follow the regular pattern that you usually follow. You don't have the travel issues that the other teams have, but I feel that the number one advantage is the fact that you have your own fans. It's nice that a lot of fans do travel, but I will make the guess that the majority of the audience tomorrow will be Michigan fans. Last year we had our fans and it was great. It's just nice to be home and in your comfort zone."
Pittsburgh Head Coach Debbie Yohman
Opening statement..."We're excited to be here. We had a little bit of problems the last couple of weeks and did not finish the season really strong. We're lucky to be here, but looking forward to compete the best that we can. My top all-arounder is out for this meet except for one event. We are suffering from depth problems too. We are looking forward for everyone having a good meet and making it a good show for you all. I want to thank Michigan for hosting the Regional. They do a great job and we really appreciate it. I wish everybody good luck and a good meet."
On the state of her team after the EAGL Conference Championships..."Hopefully, the kids that we had to move into the lineup will do a little better this weekend. Our lineup should not change much from the EAGL Championships. My top all-arounder is still probably only going to do bar. It is a foot injury that won't go away until the end of the season."
Rutgers Head Coach Chrystal Chollet-Norton
Opening Statement..."I want to thank the Michigan staff for hosting the Northeast Regionals, we hosted this year's EAGLs, and so I appreciate it. We are one of the schools that got in, we're really happy to be here because we do not have a full contingency of scholarships so for my team to be here is a real honor and so I'm real happy. I'm glad there's going to be a great showing on the floor tomorrow night it's going to be some great gymnastics and I think my girls can learn a lot from it. We had some highlights this season we have beaten some other teams in our EAGL league so we have some strong single competitors that hopefully can step up and do well for us. Congratulations to the other teams for being here."
On how her team will compete differently after going to regionals last year..."We lost a lot of seniors, so our team is a little bit younger. But again, last year we were able to go to the USA National Championship and win that, so that really has helped my team this year but we are that other program that's not really funded. So this is definitely going to help us because we have the experience at a national level as well as coming back for a second time. So again, we're getting prepared for next weekend and we're just going to try to be relaxed and watch some good gymnastics."