Seven freshmen took to the floor in Crisler Arena on Sunday afternoon, ready to compete in their first collegiate meet.

Luckily for them, the pressure was off. The Michigan women’s gymnastics team held its annual Maize vs. Blue Intrasquad meet, pitting the athletes against one another for some friendly competition.

The Maize team took the win, beating the Blue team, 7-6, after dominating the final routine in floor exercise. The meet’s decision came down to two-time All-American senior Kylee Botterman and All-American sophomore Natalie Beilstein – the same matchup from last year’s tie-breaking floor event.

Botterman came out on top, providing Maize the victory and earning top scores from the celebrity judges: Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon and Michigan Insider radio personalities Sam Webb and Ira Weintraub.

"We showcased some of our depth and it was a chance to see how some of our gymnasts perform in competition,” Michigan coach Bev Plocki said afterward.

Tori Kane was the only freshman to earn a point for her team after performing the final balance beam routine of the day.

Fifth-year senior captain Sarah Curtis, who has competed in the all-around the past three years, kicked off her final season as a Wolverine by giving the Blue team a point in three of her four events.

“This will be the fourth year doing it, so it’s pretty normal for me, although I can’t say it gets easier every year,” Curtis said of her all-around competition.

Senior captain Jordan Sexton also took to the floor, taking points for the Maize team in both the bars and floor exercise.

The Wolverines boast a division of experience, as its 15-player roster includes five seniors and seven freshmen – Michigan’s biggest freshman class in 20 years.

“The seniors are vital to the success of our team this year and getting all these freshmen on the right path, keeping them under their wing,” Plocki said. “They’ve been doing a great job so far.”

Michigan has won 17 of the last 19 Big Ten titles, including last year's, and the team looks to continue its conference domination this season, as it has won 17 of the last 19 Big Ten titles, including last year’s. But before that can happen, Plocki is hoping for a completely healthy team.

“We have three athletes – one sophomore and two freshmen – who are injured and were not able to perform today,” Plocki said. “But they should be able to get healthy sometime in January. There are freshmen that have great stuff, but that nobody got to see today. I can’t wait to put them into the lineup.”

The Wolverines have a one-month break to prepare for their 2011 season. To kick off their conference season, they will take on Michigan State, Iowa and Western Michigan in East Lansing on Jan. 7.