No. 25 MSU Gymnastics Takes Fifth In Big Ten Championships

Saturday, March 20

Minneapolis, Minn.

7:00 PM

Michigan State University

Big Ten Conference Championship

No. 25 MSU Gymnastics Takes Fifth In Big Ten Championships

3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics

March 20, 2004

MINNEAPOLIS - Michigan State gymnastics, ranked No. 25 in the nation, finished fifth at the 2004 Big Ten Conference Championships with a team score of 196.025 in Minneapolis Saturday. State freshman Victoria Iakounina was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Spartan to earn the honor since Michelle Ingalls in 1988, while head coach Kathie Klages was named co-Head Coach of the Year with Iowa's Mike Lorenzen and Michigan's Bev Plocki. Sophomore all-arounder Sarah Alexander earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors for the second time in her two seasons at MSU, while Iakounina was voted to the league's second team.

At the championships Saturday, Michigan captured the team title with a 197.800. Penn State was second at 196.625. Iowa and Minnesota took third and fourth with respective scores of 196.500 and 196.325 - less than .500 separated third place from MSU's fifth-place finish. Illinois and Ohio State rounded out the team competition at 195.400 and 194.450. State next competes at the NCAA Regional competition at LSU on April 3.

The Spartans began the night on beam, where Alexander led the way with a 9.900, good for a tie for second place in the event. Michigan's Elise Ray won the beam title, while two other UM gymnasts tied with Alexander for second. Chayla Hill and Iakounina both posted 9.800s, while Lauren Simpson recorded a 9.775. Kristin Merritt rounded out State's scoring with a 9.700 on the event. As a team, Michigan State posted a 48.975 on beam.

After sitting out the second rotation with a bye, State moved to floor exercise, where it scored 49.225 as a team. Once again, Alexander posted a team-best 9.900 in the event, which tied for fourth place in the event, while freshman Chayla Hill scored 9.875. Kristen Coleman scored 9.85 for State, while Jenna Rivers and Jennifer Yarbrough completed MSU's scoring with 9.800s.

Michigan State had a bye in the fourth rotation before competing in vault where it posted a team score of 49.050. Iakounina led MSU on vault with her 9.85 and Hill added a 9.800. Nicole Anderson, Simpson and Alexander scored 9.725, 9.700 and 9.700, respectively to complete Michigan State's vault scores.

Freshman Victoria Iakounina was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year at the 2004 Big Ten Conference Championships.

MSU moved immediately to uneven bars, where Yarbrough, Coleman and Merritt each scored 9.800s. Simpson led the team with a 9.875, which tied for ninth place, while Iakounina completed MSU's scoring with a 9.775. As a team, the Spartans posted a 49.05 on bars before they sat out the seventh and final rotation of the evening.