Spartan Gymnastics Travels To Minneapolis For Big Ten Championship
3/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
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March 16, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich.- - MSU (17-11-1) closes out its regular season in Minneapolis, where it will travel for the 2004 Big Ten Conference Championship. The Green and White will face six Big Ten opponents, including defending champion Michigan, as well as Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Illinois.
BIG TEN OPPONENTS
MSU has faced three of its six opponents at the conference championship this weekend. The Spartans have matched up against Ohio State twice in 2004 and defeated the Buckeyes in both contests. MSU took a 196.775-194.800 win over OSU on Feb. 21 in East Lansing. The Green and White defeated Ohio State again (195.700-195.275) on March 13 at the Eastern Michiagn Eagle Classic.
State fell to Illinois early in the season 195.700-195.425 at Illinois on Jan. 25. The following week, at Michigan on Jan. 31, the Spartans lost to the Wolverines 197.075-195.250. The Maize and Blue also defeated MSU (197.125-195.525) at the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 6. MSU faces Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State for the first time in 2004 at the Big Ten Championship.
NATIONALLY-RANKED SPARTANS
MSU enters the Big Ten Conference Championship with an impressive showing, nationally ranked inthe top 25 in every event except for vault. The No. 25 Spartans have a team total RQS of 196.130. The Green and White are 15th in the nation on the floor, posting an impressive 49.390 in that event. The Spartans are 24th (49.065) on bars and they post 49.100 to take 25th on beam.
FIRST MEETING AGAINST IOWA
No. 17 Iowa promises to be a contender for the Big Ten Championship title, as one of the three nationally- ranked programs to compete in the conference championship with a 196.610 RQS. Michigan State (196.130) and Michigan (196.470) are also nationally ranked. Iowa was defeated by the No. 7 Iowa State Cyclones, 197.575-195.650, in its most recent compeition on Friday, March 12. Iowa is ranked 12th in the nation on vault with an RQS of 49.280. The GymHawks are also nationally ranked on bars (49.200), beam (49.130) and floor (49.415) to take 15th, 20th and 12th places, respectively. Iowa head coach Mike Lorenzen (Maryland, '86) is in his fifth year leading the Hawkeyes.
FIRST MEETING AGAINST PENN STATE
Penn State (6-5-2) enters the Big Ten Championship after a 196.175-195.775 loss to Oklahoma in its most recent competition on Saturday, March 13. Penn State is 1-2-2 in its last five competitions. PSU is ranked 25th in the nation on vault, with an RQS of 49.050, just .020 ahead of the Spartans' 49.030 vault RQS. PSU's national ranking on vault marks the only event for which the Lions are nationally ranked. Nittany Lion head coach Steve Shepherd is in his 12th season at PSU.
FIRST MEETING AGAINST MINNESOTA
Minnesota posted its best score in school history in a 198.125- 197.700 loss to Arizona State in its most recent competition on Friday, March 12 . The Gophers shattered the previous school-best team total score of 196.850, which was twice accomplished, most recently at Arizona in 2002. Minnesota also set a new school record for beam score with a 49.500 at Friday's meet. The Gopher loss to ASU marks MInnesota's sixth consecutive loss this season. Gopher co-head coach Jim Stephenson is in his 12th season at Minnesota and his co-head coach and wife, Meg Stephenson, is in her 7th season.
UNSTOPPABLE RECORD-BREAKING SEASON
Michigan State gymnastics smashed its all-time university record for the second time in less than two weeks, posting 197.075 in a victory over second-place Boise State (196.925) and Pennsylvania (193.125) at Boise State on Sunday, March 7. The Green and White established its previous best-ever record in a 196.775 win over Ohio State (196.775) and West Virginia (195.975) at MSU's last home meet of the season on Feb. 28 at Jenison Field House. The Spartans smashed the school record after having tied their previous all-time best (196.575) to defeat Pittsburgh in East Lansing on Feb. 21.
NATIONAL TEAM & INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
The No. 25 Spartans have a team total RQS of 196.130. The Green and White are 15th in the nation on the floor, posting an impressive 49.390 in that event. The Spartans are 24th (49.065) on bars and they post 49.100 to take 25th on beam. Sophomore Sarah Alexander is ranked 24th in the nation (9.920) on floor.
REGIONAL TEAM & INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
As a team, MSU is ranked fourth in the Central region (March 15th), posting an RQS of 196.130. Regionally, State is ranked fifth on beam and fourth place on bars. The Green and White moved up two places on floor exercise to take third behind Alabama and Louisiana State. The Spartans are fifth in the region on vault, moving up one place from last week's sixth-place slot. The Spartans' entire lineups for vault and bars are ranked in the central region's top 50 as of March 15.
TOP 30 INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS- REGIONAL
VAULT
Victoria Iakounina T13th 9.855
Chayla HIll 21st 9.825
BARS
Victoria Iakounina T12th 9.855
Kristin Merritt 24th 9.815
Lauren Simpson 27th 9.810
Jennifer Yarbrough 30th 9.790
BEAM
Sarah Alexander 6th 9.890
Jaime Miles T17th 9.835
Lauren Simpson 26th 9.815
FLOOR
Sarah Alexander T5th 9.920
Chayla HIll 12th 9.895
Nicole Anderson 23rd 9.870
ALL-AROUND
Sarah Alexander 13th 38.955
LAST WEEK'S ACTION
MSU's 195.700 won the Eagle Classic on Saturday, March 13, while Ohio State finished second at 195.275. Host Eastern Michigan was third at 195.200 and Southeast Missouri State rounded out the competition at 194.150. The Spartans have defeated seven of their 10 most recent opponents. As a team, the Spartans won vault with a 49.175 and floor with a score of 49.325. Spartan co-captain Sarah Alexander was just 0.025 off her career best all-around score of 39.425, as she took second in the all-around competition at the meet. On vault, Iakounina and teammate Kristen Coleman tied for second with 9.875s in the event. Alexander posted a 9.850, while sophomore Jaime Miles scored a 9.825. On bars, Iakounina also tied with Southeast Missouri's Ashley Goodwin for second, as both gymnasts scored 9.850. Jennifer Yarbrough turned in a score of 9.825 on bars. As a team, the Spartans posted a 48.250 in the event. On beam, MSU scored a 48.950, while Ohio State won the event with a 49.000. Miles recorded a 9.850, and Iakounina posted a 9.775. State did not count a score below 9.825 on floor, as Hill and Alexander led the Spartans with 9.900s, and each posted 9.850s, and Yarbrough scored 9.825.
HEAD COACH Kathie Klages
Head coach Kathie Klages (Central Michigan '77) is in her 14th season at the helm of Michigan State gymnastics. In that time, she has posted a 223-111-2 record, good for a .667 winning percentage. Her teams have participated in seven NCAA Regional Championships in her time at State, including 2002 and 2003. In 2003, MSU finished fifth at the regional. Klages was named NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2000, 1998, 1996 and 1993. She earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1996. She is a member of the National Association of Women's Gymnastics Judges and holds a National ranking.
**THE SPARTANS**
Sarah Alexander - Sophomore - Co-Captain - Kernersville, N.C. Earned season-best 9.850 on vault at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Posted a 39.400 in the all-around at Eastern Michigan (3/13), just 0.025 off her career best all-around score of 39.425... Tied with teammate Chayla HIll to take floor title (9.900) at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Captured meet title on beam (9.950) at Boise State (3/7) and also tied to take meet title on floor (9.925)... Posted second-consecutive 9.800 on vault against Oregon State (3/5)... Earned a personal second-best vault score of the season (9.800) against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28)... Earned 9.900 on beam to take meet title against OSU and WVU (2/28), her second-consecutive 9.900 on beam and third overall in 2003-04, to tie her season-best score in this event... Tied her season-best 9.950 on floor exercise (2/28), which marks her fourth-consecutive week scoring 9.900 or higher in this event... Won beam title to tie personal season-best (9.900) against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Set season-best (9.825) on vault against Pittsburgh... Registered 9.900 or higher on the floor for the third-consecutive meet against Pittsburgh... Won floor and beam titles at the Spartan Invitational (2/14)... Was MSU's only finisher in the top three of any event against Michigan (1/31), where she tied for the beam title (9.900), and tied for third on both floor and in the all-around... Won the floor (9.925) and all-around (39.250) titles at Illinois (1/25)... Had a 9.825 on floor at Florida (1/23)... Took second on the beam with a score of 9.875 in the season opener (1/9)... Named first-team All-Big Ten in 2003... MSU's leading all-arounder in 2003, she earned a first-place finish in the all-around with a 39.425, a new career best and the second-highest score in school history (2/22/03), and tied the score on March 1... Matched the school record and won the event title on floor against Michigan and Pittsburgh on (3/22/03)... Kinesiology major.
Nicole Anderson - Junior - Kenosha, Wis. Earned 9.850 on the floor at Eastern Michigan (3/13) for ninth-consecutive meet earning 9.800 or higher on the floor... Posted 9.875 on the floor at Boise State (3/7), marking eighth-consecutive meet earning 9.800 or higher on the floor... Tied season-best 9.750 on vault at Oregon State (3/5)... Registered a season-best 9.750 on vault against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28)...Tied career-best (9.900) on floor against OSU and WVU (2/28), just one week after establishing that record, which marks her sixth-consecutive week earning 9.800 or higher on the floor... Posted a career-best (9.900) on the floor against Pittsburgh (2/21)...Tied her career-best floor score with a 9.875 at Illinois (1/25)... Has recorded at least a 9.650 on vault in four meets, and has four 9.675s to her name... Had a 9.800 on floor at Michigan (1/31)... Family community services major.
Kristen Coleman - Freshman - Cornwall, Ontario Earned second best score of the season on vault (9.875) at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Tied season-best 9.900 on floor exercise at Boise State (3/7), one of two season-bests that she reached that night... Tied career-best 9.825 on bars at Boise State (3/7)... Posted a season-best 9.900 on vault at Oregon State (3/5)... Recorded 9.725 on vault against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28), which marks her second-best effort in the event this season... Registered a 9.850 on floor against OSU and WVU to contribute to MSU capturing the event title... Posted a season-best (9.900) on the floor against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Career-best 9.825 on bars came in the Spartan Invitational (2/14), topping her previous career high of 9.775, which she set at Illinois (1/25)... Tied for the event title with a career-best 9.825 on vault at Illinois (1/25)... Scored 9.650 on vault in her second collegiate meet at Central Michigan (1/18)... Kinesiology major.
Chayla HIll - Freshman - Hudson, Ohio Tied with teammate Sarah Alexander to take meet title on the floor (9.900) at Eagle Classic (3/13)... Recorded 9.900 on the floor at Eastern Michigan (3/13), marking second-consecutive week to earn 9.900 in the event... Established career-best 9.900, tying for meet-title on vault against Boise State (3/7)... Also posted a career-high 9.900 on beam against Boise State (3/7)... Tied season-best 9.925 on floor exercise against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28), which marks her third-consecutive week earning 9.850 or higher on the floor... Recorded her career high of 9.925 on floor at the Spartan Invitational (2/14)... Career-best 9.825 on vault came at Illinois (1/25), where she earned a share of the event title with teammate Kristen Coleman... Recorded a 9.90 on floor at Illinois (1/25)... 9.850 on floor at Michigan (1/31)... Posted 9.750 on vault and 9.825 on floor at Florida (1/23)... Recorded a 9.750 on floor exercise in her collegiate debut (1/9)... No-preference major.
Anna Hunsinger - Junior - Co-Captain - Elizabethtown, Ky. Competed in five meets for the Spartans before suffering a season-ending injury... Season-high 9.850 on beam came against Michigan (1/31)... Recorded a season-best 9.850 on floor at Illinois (1/25) to go along with a 9.800 on beam... Posted a 9.725 on beam and 9.800 on floor exercise at Central Michigan (1/18)... NACGC/W Academic All-America in 2002 and 2003... Academic All-Big Ten in 2003... Kinesiology major.
Victoria Iakounina - Freshman - Woodbridge, Va. Clinched third place overall for her 9.875 vault score at Boise State (3/7)... Recorded 9.925 on floor at Boise State (3/7), marking her fifth-consecutive meet to earn 9.700 or higher on the floor... Set season-best 9.925 on vault at Oregon State (3/5)... Posted 9.850 on vault, bars and beam against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28) to set season-best on beam and to tie season-best on vault, 9.850 on bars indicates third-consecutive week posting 9.850 or higher in this event... Claimed meet title on bars (9.900) with her season-best effort against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Tied her career best (9.800) on beam against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Competed in the all-around twice, with a career-best of 38.175 at Michigan (1/31)... Set then-career bests of 9.800 on vault and 9.800 on bars at Florida (1/23) and Illinois (1/25), respectively... Season and career bests on beam (9.800) and floor (9.225) came at Central Michigan (1/18)... No-preference major.
Julianna Karall - Sophomore - Chicago, Ill. Competed on beam at Michigan, posting a career-best 9.700... Did not compete in 2003... Business administration and pre-law major.
Leia Langhoff - Sophomore - Midland, Mich. Had 9.625 on bars at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Posted 9.725 on bars at Oregon State (3/5)... Registered 9.825 on bars against Pittsburgh (2/21) to surpass former career-best of 9.700 on bars at Michigan (1/31)... Set two additional career-bests in 2004, including a 9.650 on vault and 9.800 on floor at Florida (1/23)... NACGC/W Academic All-America honoree... ...No-preference major with plans to major in geology.
Kelli Maxwell - Freshman - Grand Ledge, Mich. Has not competed in 2004.. .Kinesiology major.
Kristin Merritt - Junior - Racine, Wis. Had 9.750 on beam at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Earned career-high 9.825 in season debut on beam at Boise State (3/7)... Has scored 9.800 or higher on bars all but one contest in 2003-04 ... Set career-best 9.900 on bars against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28) to break personal record after earning previous-best 9.850 on bars in past two meets...Tied career-best on bars (9.850) against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Competed on bars at the State of Michigan Classic (2/6) and the following week in the Spartan Invitational, recording a 9.800 and a 9.850, respectively... Academic All-Big Ten in 2003... Has not competed in 2004... Kinesiology major.
Jaime Miles - Sophomore - Sterling Heights, Mich. Had 9.850 on beam at the Eagle Classic (3/13)... Tied second-best score on vault (9.825) this season at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Led Spartans on vault against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28), posting a career-best 9.875... Set a career-best 9.825 on vault, which tied her for second place in the event against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Has recorded at least a 9.800 on beam in seven of Michigan State's nine meets... Set a career-best 9.900 on beam in MSU's first meet of 2004 (1/9)... Posted a 9.800 on beam at Florida (1/23) and 9.875 at Illinois (1/25)... Kinesiology major.
Jaclyn O'Brien - Freshman - Hartland, Mich. Freshman from Hartland, Mich.. Has not competed in 2004... Kinesiology major.
Jenna Rivers - Freshman - Hauppauge, N.Y. Had second-best career score on the floor (9.850) at Eastern Michigan's Eagle Classic (3/13)... Set career-best 9.875 on floor exercise at Boise State (3/7)... Earned 9.700 on floor exercise for her collegiate debut against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28)... General business/pre-law major.
Lauren Simpson - Junior - Linden, Mich. Posted 9.700 on beam at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Recored 9.850 on beam at Boise State (3/7)... Registered 9.875 on bars against Boise State (3/7), marking the third-consecutive week of a .25 score improvement in this event and tying her for second place overall... Earned 9.850 on bars against Oregon State (3/5)... Posted 9.825 on both beam and floor against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Tied her career-best bars score in the Spartan Invitational (2/14) with a 9.850... Also set her career floor score with a 9.900, good for third place in that event... Set a career-high score of 9.875 on beam in the season opener to go along with a 9.800 on bars (1/9)... Posted a 9.8 on beam and a 9.725 on bars at Michigan (1/31)... Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2003... Competed in the all-around in nine meets... Set career-best scores on every event in 2003... Academic All-Big Ten in 2003... NACGC/W Academic All-America honoree in 2002 and 2003... .Lyman Briggs School zoology major.
Lindsey Voth - Senior - Sarasota, Fla. Has not competed in 2004... Competed on vault seven times in 2003, and beam once... Also saw action as an exhibition performer on vault, beam and floor several times... Earned a season-best score of 9.725 on vault against Central Michigan and Ball State (3/1/03)... Twice honored as an NACGC/W Academic All-America selection (2002 & 2003)... Earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades in 2002 and 2003... Kinesiology major.
Jennifer Yarbrough - Junior - Williamston, Mich. Tied season-best bars score (9.825) for the third time in 2004 at Eastern Michigan (3/13)... Recorded 9.85 on the floor at Boise State (3/7), to tie her season-best for a third time... Tied season-best 9.825 on bars and posted 9.800 on both beam and floor against Ohio State and West Virginia (2/28)... Recorded 9.850 on floor against Pittsburgh (2/21)... Set a career best on beam at Illinois (1/25) with a 9.850... Had a 9.825 on bars at Illinois (1/25)... Recorded a 9.725 on floor exercise at Central Michigan (1/18)... Had a 9.825 on beam against LSU, Arizona & Western Michigan (1/9)... NACGC/W Academic All-America honors in 2003... 2003 Academic All-Big Ten accolades... Business/pre-law major.
Players Mentioned
