Gymnastics Heads To Rutgers
3/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 6, 2003
The Michigan State gymnastics team will take to the road once again to compete at Rutgers on Saturday, March 8, at 8 p.m. It is the Spartans first road trip in three weeks, as they travel to Piscataway, N.J. to take on the Scarlet Knights at 1 p.m.
SPARTANS POST SEASON HIGH SCORES
The Spartans placed second in a three-team meet Saturday (March 1) at Jenison Field House, scoring 195.750 points to defeat Ball State (192.150), while being narrowly edged by Central Michigan (195.850). Michigan State's point total was its highest this season and the fourth most in school history.
S STANDS FOR SARAH AND SEASON-HIGHS
Freshman Sarah Alexander won the all-around by finishing in the top three of all four events, scoring 39.425 for the second best all-around score in Spartan history. Alexander just missed the school record of 39.450 set by Carolyn Hecht in 1996. Alexander tied for first on the floor exercise (9.900), placed third on the vault (9.85) and tied for third on the uneven bars (9.85) and balance beam (9.825).
DON'T FORGET SIMPSON
Sophomore Lauren Simpson matched her career-high on the four-event all-around (39.125) - a career best that she set just one week ago.
WELCOME BACK CHRISTY
Senior Christy Linder returned to the Spartan lineup after a long absence due to a back injury. In her first event, Linder posted a 9.900 on the vault, the highest score of the season by any member of the team. In was also the highest vault score of the day, as Linder won the event.
SPARTANS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT SPARTAN INVITATIONAL
Michigan State captured the 2003 Spartan Invitational, presented by Country Markett, for the fourth consecutive year, defeating Illinois, 194.900-193.600, on Saturday (Feb. 22) in Jenison Field House.
DEVATY NAMED CO-BIG TEN GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Senior co-captain Julie Devatywas named the Co-Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Devaty matched her career-best mark of 9.925 on the balance beam to capture the event title at the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 2. She also finished tied for second on the floor with a season-best mark of 9.875 and matched her personal-best score of 9.825 on the uneven bars to post the fourth-highest score of the day on that event. Devaty tied for the weekly honor with Calli Ryals of Michigan.
MSU EARNS STATE BRAGGING RIGHTS
The Spartans returned to Jenison Field House with a bang on Sunday, Feb. 2, winning the State of Michigan Classic. Michigan State posted a 195.075 to finish first, ahead of Central Michigan (194.900) and No. 11 Michigan (193.900). Eastern Michigan (192.525) and Western Michigan (192.000) rounded out the five-team event. MSU claimed the highest team score on the bars and beam, setting season-high marks on both.
ENDING A STREAK
With the victory at the State of Michigan Classic, Michigan State became the first Big Ten Conference team to defeat Michigan in over four years. Until the Spartans topped the No. 11 Wolverines on Feb. 2, Michigan had not lost a meet against a conference rival since Jan. 15, 1999. Since that date, Michigan had recorded 40 consecutive wins over conference rivals.
HOME SWEET HOME?
The Spartans have performed just two of their first six competitions in the familiar comfort of Jenison Field House. After the season opening meet against Auburn and Oregon State, the Spartans traveled to Iowa (Iowa State - Jan. 17) and continued on the road to Ohio (Ohio State - Jan. 25). MSU returned to Michigan to host the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2), but took to the road again for a return trip to Iowa (Iowa - Feb. 8), before visiting New Hampshire for the Fox Run Invitational (Feb. 15).
Michigan State will compete in three of the last six meets leading up to the Big Ten Championships at home. The Spartans returned to Jenison on Feb. 22 to host Illinois and they will continue the home stand with a March 1 competition against Central Michigan and Ball State. After two weeks of traveling to New Jersey (Rutgers - March 8) and Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh - March 15), the Spartans close out the 2003 regular season with a home meet against Pittsburgh and Michigan on March 22.
THE BRAINIACS
Perhaps even more impressive than the athletic achievements of the Spartans' 2002 squad were their academic accomplishments. The National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches named seven members of the team -Ilene Cohen, Julie Devaty, Dana Herr, Anna Hunsinger, Kristina Petersen, Lauren Simpson, and Lindsey Voth- Academic All-Americans for Women. Michigan State's seven award recipients are the most ever for the squad, surpassing the four honorees from the 2000-01 academic year. As a squad, the women's gymnastics team posted a 3.49 GPA last season - the best ever for a Spartan gymnastics team.
SPARTANS INK FIVE
The Michigan State gymnastics team signed five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Nov. 25. Kristin Coleman, Chayla Hill, Victoria Iakounina, Jaclyn O'Brien and Jenna Rivers will join the Spartans in 2004. The quintet brings a wealth of experience to the MSU lineup -an all-around champion at two Provincial Tour Selections, a nation floor champion, a Region V Athlete of the Year, a Michigan Level 10 state champion and the 2002 Empire Games all-around champion.
THE LEADERS OF THE PACK
The Michigan State women's gymnastics team announced that seniors Christy Linder and Julie Devatyhave been selected as the captains for the 2003 season.
Players Mentioned
