Checking The Box
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Her accomplishments are incredulous.
- 11-time Big Ten and Regional Coach of the Year.
- Coaching nine individual national champions.
- 24 Big Ten team championships in 32 years.
- 24 trips to the NCAA Championships and 10 Super Six appearances.
- Coaching 49 NCAA All-Americans.
- Posting a career record of 819-262-4.
Yet something was missing from University of Michigan women's gymnastics coach — and 1982 Butler graduate — Bev Plocki's career.
An NCAA team championship.
That is, until Saturday.
“It feels so good to finally be able to check that box,” Plocki said. “We've finished second twice. We were in the top three I don't know how many times.
“We've been so close.”
And Saturday's outcome was as close as it gets.
Wolverine junior Abby Heiskell stood alone on the beam for the final event of the national competition in Fort Worth, Texas. She needed a score of 9.8500 to secure the championship for her team.
She wound with a 9.9250.
“When Abby jumped off the beam and bowed, and we knew we had it ... I felt a sense of numbness,” Plocki said. “So many emotions just hit me all at once.”
Michigan's point total at nationals was 198.2500, a fraction of a point in front of Oklahoma's 198.1625. Utah was third at 197.9875, Florida fourth at 197.1325.
“This was the closest score in the history of the event,” Plocki said. “I have so much respect for the coaches and athletes at those other three schools — simply outstanding programs.
“To finally finish at the top ... Words just cannot describe it.”
Beverly Fry Plocki won WPIAL and PIAA championships as a Butler gymnast. She went on to become an All-American at the University of Alabama before becoming a graduate assistant coach at West Virginia University for two years.After that stint, she became one of the youngest gymnastics head coaches in the country when she applied for and was hired as Michigan's head coach.“I wound up in the right place at the right time,” Plocki said.The Wolverines were 0-13 in the Big Ten, 2-19 overall, in 1989, the year before Plocki took over. She won more than 20 meets and the Big Ten championship by her third year.“Michigan is so good in so many sports,” she said. “I knew I could recruit and win there. There were so many resources and the athletic department has always been supportive.“We changed the culture and the attitude. We've been competitive ever since.”Now she's won more Big Ten championships than any coach in any sport in the history of the conference.“That is so humbling,” Plocki said. “When you look at how dominant Iowa has been in wrestling, for example. It's hard to believe.”Plus, she's grabbed the brass ring — and is looking for more.“We lose one gymnast on the balance beam. Everybody else is coming back,” Plocki said. “We've got a talented group of freshmen coming in as well.“Honestly, we will be more talented next year than we were this year. There's no reason why we can't make another run at it.”Michigan's score Saturday marked the third-best in NCAA women's gymnastics championship history. The Wolverines also became only the seventh school to secure the national women's title, joining Georgia, Utah, UCLA, Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida.“We know what it takes to do this,” Plocki said.
