Recruiting Breakdown: Wolverines Reload With Four-Member Incoming Class
Recruiting Breakdown: Wolverines Reload With Four-Member Incoming Class
Get to know the newest group of Wolverines, including former U.S. elite Lauren Farley.
The 2018 NCAA gymnastics season is still months away, but it's never too early to get to know the incoming freshman class for each team. Here's a breakdown of the new additions Michigan has made for next year.
Michigan is coming off a great 2017 season that saw the Wolverines win the Big Ten championship for the fourth year in a row and punched their ticket to nationals after a stellar performance at regionals. While Michigan was expected to contend for a place in the Super Six, a poor performance on balance beam prevented the Wolverines from advancing. They have not competed at the Super Six since 2011.
Outgoing: Talia Chiarelli, Nicole Artz
Michigan loses two seniors who accounted for seven routines in 2017. Chiarelli competed in all 13 meets on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise, while Artz was a stellar all-around performer. Artz finished the regular season tied for 13th nationally in the all-around and was eighth on floor exercise. Chiarelli was a solid, consistent performer on balance beam and floor exercise. She scored a 9.800 or better nine times on balance beam and 11 times on floor. She posted a season-best 9.975 on floor in a road meet February 5 against Maryland. Artz was consistent on all four events, posting a score of 9.800 or better in 42 of 50 routines this season. The battles for the remaining spots in the lineup will be fierce.
Incoming: Lauren Farley, Sydney Townsend, Carly Gordon, Samanta Javanbakht
Trains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy
Coached by Natalya Marakova, Megan Haught and Egor Grebenkova
Farley finished ninth in the all-around at the 2017 JO national championships, where she took second on balance beam and tied for eight on floor exercise. She earned third in the all-around at the Region 3 championships, taking first on uneven bars and tying for second on balance beam, fourth on vault, and fifth on floor exercise. Her best performance at JO nationals came in 2015 when she finished second in the all-around. She was the national co-champion on uneven bars and took silver on balance beam. Farley competed as a junior elite in 2013 and finished tied for ninth on uneven bars at the Secret U.S. Classic and tied for 12th on bars at the P&G championships that year.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Trains at Milton Springers Gymnastics
Coached by Craig Smith and Jessica LeBlanc
In her elite debut in 2011, Townsend finished second on vault and fourth on balance beam at the Canadian championships. She competed at Elite Canada in 2017 and at both Elite Canada and International Gymnix in 2016. She made her senior international debut at Jesolo in 2015 and helped the team to a bronze medal. She was a member of Canada's 2015 world championship team, which finished sixth. Townsend competed on vault in the team final. She also had plenty of experience as a junior elite, competing at both the Junior Pan American Games and the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Canada was the team champion at the Junior Pan Ams, and Townsend just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish on balance beam. She earned 12th in the all-around and finished seventh on both floor and vault at the Youth Olympics.
Video courtesy of FIG Channel
Impact events: Floor exercise and vault
Trains at Chelsea Piers Gymnastics
Coached by Chris McClain and Anthony Espinoza
Gordon earned ninth in the all-around while competing at the 2016 Region 6 championships. She finished third on uneven bars and tied for eighth on balance beam. At the 2016 New York state championships, she also finished ninth in the all-around. She tied for eighth on uneven bars and took ninth place on balance beam. She was fifth in the all-around and second on beam, fourth on bars, and sixth on floor at the 2014 New York state championships. Her performance at Region 6 championships was even better -- third in the all-around, second on beam, and third on bars. She was a 2014 JO national championship qualifier.
Video courtesy of 2017clgordon
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Capital Gymnastics National Center
Javanbakht was a two-time JO national championship qualifier. She finished seventh in the all-around at the 2017 Region 7 championships and added a fifth-place finish on floor, and was 10th on bars, beam and vault. She took silver in the all-around at the Virginia state championships, where she grabbed second on floor, fourth on bars and beam, and sixth on vault. In 2016, she was seventh in the all-around and on uneven bars at the regional championships.
Video courtesy of Samanta Javanbakht
Impact event: Floor exercise
Michigan is coming off a great 2017 season that saw the Wolverines win the Big Ten championship for the fourth year in a row and punched their ticket to nationals after a stellar performance at regionals. While Michigan was expected to contend for a place in the Super Six, a poor performance on balance beam prevented the Wolverines from advancing. They have not competed at the Super Six since 2011.
Outgoing: Talia Chiarelli, Nicole Artz
Michigan loses two seniors who accounted for seven routines in 2017. Chiarelli competed in all 13 meets on vault, balance beam, and floor exercise, while Artz was a stellar all-around performer. Artz finished the regular season tied for 13th nationally in the all-around and was eighth on floor exercise. Chiarelli was a solid, consistent performer on balance beam and floor exercise. She scored a 9.800 or better nine times on balance beam and 11 times on floor. She posted a season-best 9.975 on floor in a road meet February 5 against Maryland. Artz was consistent on all four events, posting a score of 9.800 or better in 42 of 50 routines this season. The battles for the remaining spots in the lineup will be fierce.
Incoming: Lauren Farley, Sydney Townsend, Carly Gordon, Samanta Javanbakht
Lauren Farley
Dallas, TexasTrains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy
Coached by Natalya Marakova, Megan Haught and Egor Grebenkova
Farley finished ninth in the all-around at the 2017 JO national championships, where she took second on balance beam and tied for eight on floor exercise. She earned third in the all-around at the Region 3 championships, taking first on uneven bars and tying for second on balance beam, fourth on vault, and fifth on floor exercise. Her best performance at JO nationals came in 2015 when she finished second in the all-around. She was the national co-champion on uneven bars and took silver on balance beam. Farley competed as a junior elite in 2013 and finished tied for ninth on uneven bars at the Secret U.S. Classic and tied for 12th on bars at the P&G championships that year.
Video courtesy of USA Gymnastics
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Sydney Townsend
Burlington, Ontario, CanadaTrains at Milton Springers Gymnastics
Coached by Craig Smith and Jessica LeBlanc
In her elite debut in 2011, Townsend finished second on vault and fourth on balance beam at the Canadian championships. She competed at Elite Canada in 2017 and at both Elite Canada and International Gymnix in 2016. She made her senior international debut at Jesolo in 2015 and helped the team to a bronze medal. She was a member of Canada's 2015 world championship team, which finished sixth. Townsend competed on vault in the team final. She also had plenty of experience as a junior elite, competing at both the Junior Pan American Games and the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Canada was the team champion at the Junior Pan Ams, and Townsend just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish on balance beam. She earned 12th in the all-around and finished seventh on both floor and vault at the Youth Olympics.
Video courtesy of FIG Channel
Impact events: Floor exercise and vault
Carly Gordon
New York City, New YorkTrains at Chelsea Piers Gymnastics
Coached by Chris McClain and Anthony Espinoza
Gordon earned ninth in the all-around while competing at the 2016 Region 6 championships. She finished third on uneven bars and tied for eighth on balance beam. At the 2016 New York state championships, she also finished ninth in the all-around. She tied for eighth on uneven bars and took ninth place on balance beam. She was fifth in the all-around and second on beam, fourth on bars, and sixth on floor at the 2014 New York state championships. Her performance at Region 6 championships was even better -- third in the all-around, second on beam, and third on bars. She was a 2014 JO national championship qualifier.
Video courtesy of 2017clgordon
Impact events: Uneven bars and balance beam
Samanta Javanbakht
VirginiaCapital Gymnastics National Center
Javanbakht was a two-time JO national championship qualifier. She finished seventh in the all-around at the 2017 Region 7 championships and added a fifth-place finish on floor, and was 10th on bars, beam and vault. She took silver in the all-around at the Virginia state championships, where she grabbed second on floor, fourth on bars and beam, and sixth on vault. In 2016, she was seventh in the all-around and on uneven bars at the regional championships.
Video courtesy of Samanta Javanbakht
Impact event: Floor exercise