Michigan State University
The Country Markett Spartan Invitational (UNH, Ball St, UIC)
MSU Gymnastics Wins 13th Annual Spartan Invitational
2/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 23, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's gymnastics team won the team title at the 13th annual Spartan Invitational sponsored by Country Markett, scoring 195.700 points for the fifth-highest team score in MSU history. MSU's score was the second highest in Invitational history, trailing only a 195.850 scored by MSU in 1998, and came one week after the Spartans had the fourth-highest team score in history.
MSU's title was its third straight in the Spartan Invitational and ninth in the 13 years the competition has been held. Illinois-Chicago finished second by scoring 194.875 points, Ball State placed third with 193.275 points, while New Hampshire finished fourth scoring 193.100.
"I'm very excited to see the team come back after counting a fall on the uneven bars," said MSU head coach Kathie Klages, whose team improved to 12-4. "We had outstanding performances on the beam and floor exercise. We needed this score to help us in our quest to qualify for the NCAA's."
Senior Jane McIntosh (Concord) equaled her own school record which she shared with Carolyn Hecht (1998) by scoring 9.950 to win the balance beam. McIntosh, competing in just her third meet of the season after recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, also placed third in her only other event, scoring 9.875 on the floor exercise.
"I'm really pleased with Jane McIntosh," said Klages. "Tonight was the first time I felt like I saw the old Jane."
Junior Christy Linder (Fremont, Ohio) won the all-around title with a score of 38.875 despite a fall on the bars. Linder excelled on her other three events, however, winning the floor exercise with a 9.900, placing second on the vault with a 9.850 and scoring 9.800 to tie for third on the beam.
MSU had another solid performance from junior Julie Devaty (North Olmsted, Ohio), who equaled her personal best with a 9.900 to place second on the beam. Devaty also tied for fourth with a score of 9.850 on the floor.
Freshman Anna Hunsinger (Elizabethtown, Ky.) placed second in the all-around with a total of 38.700. Her top performances included a 9.850 on the floor which tied her for fourth, and a 9.775 vault which also tied for fourth.
Freshman Jennifer Yarbrough (Williamston) placed second on the parallel bars with a personal-best 9.825, while freshman Kristin Merritt (Racine, Wis.) tied for third with a 9.800, which was also a personal best. Freshman Lauren Simpson (Fenton, Mich.) tied for fourth on the vault with a score of 9.775.
As a team, MSU's best performances came on beam and floor. The Spartans scored 49.175 on the beam, which the fourth-best total in school history. MSU's highest team total of the night was a 49.300 on the floor which was sixth-best in school history.
The Spartans will next compete in their last home meet of the season when MSU meets Ohio State in a Big Ten showdown next Saturday night (March 2) at 8 p.m. in Jenison Field House.
