Women Gymnasts Co-Host Michigan on Saturday
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 18, 1999
NEXT MEET - Michigan State hosts the sixth-ranked University of Michigan on March 20 in Jenison Field House at 7 p.m.
SERIES RECORDS - MSU is 24-17 all-time against the Michigan Wolverines. The teams last met in the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 6 that UM placed second in with a score of 193.625. MSU was third at 193.075.
ABOUT MICHIGAN - Michigan, ranked No. 6 in the latest top 25 poll, defeated UCLA last weekend with a season high score of 197.400. Michigan scored 49.000 or higher on every event, led by Sarah Cain, who scored a perfect 10.000 on the vault.
INJURIES STRIKE AGAIN - Seniors Carolyn Hecht and Mary Jo Schlicklin saw their MSU careers come to an abrupt halt last week. Hecht suffered a torn meniscus in her knee, while Schlicklin tore her ACL against LSU.
SPRING BREAK RECAP - Senior Mary Jo Schlicklin scored a career-high 37.825 to finish third in the all-around and help MSU to a second-place finish at the Shanico Invitational in Corvallis, Ore., on March 5. Oregon State won the meet with a 194.625 while MSU finished with a season-low 187.675. The Spartans still managed to beat out SE Missouri State (187.575) and Seattle Pacific (184.300). On March 7, MSU used three career highs in the all-around to finish second to UCLA in the UCLA Invitational in Los Angeles. UCLA scored 196.500 and MSU 193.050. The Spartans defeated Kentucky (191.950) and California (191.525). Schlicklin equaled her career-high in the all-around while sophomore Toni Duce nailed a career-best 38.350. Sophomore Melissa Green was MSUs third all-arounder, scoring a career-high 38.925. Sophomore Elisabeth Forshier tied her season-high on the vault at 9.875 and junior Polly Kiker matched her season best of 9.875 on the uneven bars. MSU had to count two falls on the bars and two on the beam against LSU, Illinois and UIC on March 12, resulting in a fourth-place finish and a score of 190.900. Schlicklin did manage a career-best 9.650, competing on the vault for only the third time all season. Green notched a career-best on the vault at 9.750, while Duce hit her season high on the vault at 9.675.
IN THE RANKINGS - The Spartans are not rated in the Top 25 this week, which is based on regional qualifying average. As a team, the Spartans are ranked 25th on the vault with a RQS of 48.4375. Individually, Carolyn Hecht is 21st in the all around with a RQS of 38.8643 and is 20th on the balance beam at 9.8625.