Gymnastics Set for Michigan Classic Hosted By Western Michigan
2/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 5, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Coming off its season-high team score a week ago, the No. 21 Michigan State gymnastics team (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 7, when it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. for the Michigan Classic hosted by Western Michigan at 1 p.m. Joining the Spartans and the Broncos will be Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. For the Broncos and MSU, this will be the second time the two schools have competed against each other this season, with the other meeting coming in the season opener on Jan. 8 in East Lansing.
MSU travels to Kalamazoo with an average team score of 194.065, a score that is third in the conference and fifth in the region. The Green and White averages a score of 48.585 on the beam, a mark that is tops in the Big Ten, 12th nationally and third regionally. The Spartans currently boast the 19th-best vault score in the nation with a 48.855 mark, a score that is also third in the conference and fifth regionally.
On the uneven bars, MSU is ranked sixth within the Big Ten and seventh regionally, with an average score of 48.190. Rounding out the team's average scores is the 48.435 averaged on the floor exercise. That score is currently fifth-best in the conference and seventh-best in the region.
Individually, the Spartans boast two gymnasts who rank in the top-15 nationally in their respective events. Senior Rochelle Robinson is 12th on the vault with an average of 9.865. That average is also second in the conference and third in the region. Fellow senior Nicole Curler is 12th on the balance beam with an average score of 9.835. She is also second in the Big Ten, and ninth in the region. Curler's average all-around score of 38.740 is seventh best in the conference and 12th in the region.
Last week, the Spartans hosted their annual Flip for a Cure Meet against Ohio State on Saturday. MSU recorded its best bar total with a score of 48.875. Freshman Shanthi Teike posted her first career first-place finish in the all-around when she tallied a score of 39.025. Robinson finished first on both the vault (9.850) and the bars (9.900). Curler placed first on the beam with her 9.850 mark, while junior Nicole Argiros won the floor with her career-best score of 9.875.
The host Broncos enter the meet with a 3-6 record. Overall, WMU boasts an average score of 190.155, ranking 12th in the region. Western Michigan's best regional ranking comes at the uneven bars with its 10th-ranked score of 47.615. The Broncos are currently 12th in the region on vault (47.635), balance beam (46.955) and floor exercise (47.950). Kristine Garbarino leads WMU in the all-around with her average score of 38.760, ranking 10th regionally. Garbarino is also ninth on the floor (9.765) in the region and 22nd on the balance beam (9.670).
CMU boasts a record of 4-1 as it enters the meet. Central Michigan is seventh in the region with an average score of 192.731. The Chippewas currently have their best ranking regionally on the floor exercise as they are tied for fifth (48.487). CMU's average of 48.200 on the balance beam is the sixth-best in the region, while its vault score of 48.544 ranks seventh best. The Chippewas currently boast an average score of 47.500 on the uneven bars, the ninth-best mark in the region. Britney Taylor currently ranks ninth in the region on the vault with an average of 9.819, while also ranking 18th in the all-around with a score of 38.594. Kristin Teubner is 22nd in the region on the floor exercise (9.750) and 24th on the uneven bars (9.700).
Eastern Michigan has a 0-2 record prior to the meet. The Eagles currently boast an average score of 191.262 this season, ranking 10th within the region. EMU has the seventh-best regional balance beam score with a 47.675. Eastern Michigan's average score of 47.800 on the uneven bars is currently ninth regionally. EMU rounds out its average scores with a 48.000 on the vault and a 47.787 on the floor, ranking 10th and 13th, respectively. Erin Grigg boasts the 16th best all-around average in the region with a 38.650. Nikole Viltz is currently 14th in the region on the balance beam with a 9.712 average.
MSU returns to conference action when it travels to Champaign, Ill. on Sunday, Feb. 14, for a meet against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The meet is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET and will mark the debut of "The Victory Plank", a trophy the two schools will compete for each year with the winning team obtaining the trophy for the year.
Players Mentioned
