Michigan State University
Oregon State, LSU, Ohio State
Spartan Women' Gymnasts Finish Fourth In Season Opener
1/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 8, 2000
East Lansing, Mich. - The Spartan women?s gymnastics team fell to three top-20 opponents in the season opener for all four teams at The Summit in Lansing on Saturday, January 8. No. 10 LSU won the meet with a score of 192.600. No. 12 Oregon State placed second at 191.100, followed by No. 20 Ohio State (190.650) and Michigan State (190.625).
The Spartans were cruising along in second place after two rotations but had a tough balance beam outing, scoring just 46.675. The team rebounded on the floor, posting a 48.375, the highest event total of the night.
?We looked awesome but then struggled on our nemesis, the balance beam,? said MSU head coach Kathie Klages. ?It was a total team effort with kids stepping up and getting the job done all around. The freshmen did a very nice job in their collegiate debuts.?
Jane McIntosh (So., Concord, Mich.) placed fourth on the floor exercise with a 9.800 while freshman Christy Linder (Fremont, Ohio), the only Spartan all-arounder, scored a 37.675 to finish third. Senior Polly Kiker (Englewood, Colo.) notched a second-place finish on the uneven bars with a 9.800, while Elisabeth Forshier (Jr., South St. Paul, Minn.) took fifth on the vault with a 9.700. Toni Duce (Jr., Rochester Hills, Mich.) was the highest-placing Spartan on the balance beam at 9.625, finishing 11th.
The Spartans return to action next Sunday, Jan. 16, at Missouri at 2 p.m.
Top Scores Team: 1 - LSU 192.600, 2 - Oregon State 191.100, 3 - Ohio State 190.650, 4 - Michigan State 190.625.
All-Around: 38.300 Tanya Ricioli, Oregon State, 38.0 Sarah Spring, Ohio State, 37.675 Christy Linder, Michigan State.
Vault: 9.800 Lara Degenhardt, Oregon State, 9.800 Tanya Ricioli, Oregon State, 9.775 Lindsey Vagades, Ohio State.
Uneven Bars: 9.825 Tanya Ricioli, Oregon State, 9.800 Polly Kiker, Michigan State, 9.775 Stephanie Bychowski, Oregon State, 9.775 Mary Beth Doerr, Ohio State.
Balance Beam: 9.900 Corrie Young, Oregon State, 9.850 Stephanie Bychowski, Oregon State, 9.800 Tiffani White, Oregon State.
Floor Exercise: 9.850 Lindsey Vagedes, Ohio State, 9.825 Tanya Ricioli, Oregon State, 9.825 Kerry Descalopoulis, LSU.
