Gymnastics Concludes Regular Season with Home Meet Against Pittsburgh
3/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 19, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - With the regular season coming to a close, the No. 24 Michigan State gymnastics team (11-6) will end its 2010 regular season with a meet in East Lansing against Pittsburgh (8-9) on Saturday (March 20). The Spartans will face the Panthers in IM West at 6 p.m. MSU enters the meet with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 194.840, while Pittsburgh currently boasts a 193.305 RQS.
As a team, the Green and White is currently ranked in the top-30 in all four apparatuses. On the beam, MSU's best event of the season, the Spartans currently are ranked 16th with a score of 48.921. Michigan State currently boasts a score of 48.775 on the bars, ranking 26th in the nation. The Spartans round out apparatus scores with a 48.880 (28th) on the vault and a 48.845 (29th) on the floor.
Individually, junior Kelsey Morley and senior Nicole Curler are tied for 20th on the beam with a 9.850. Senior Rochelle Robinson is ranked 37th on both the vault (9.855) and the bars (9.840). Curler leads the Spartans on the floor (9.840 - t-51st) and in the all-around (39.035 - 40th).
Pitt enters the weekend ranked 17th on the vault with a score of 49.035, its best event of the season. The Panthers also possess scores of 48.315 (42nd) on the bars, 48.480 (45th) on the floor and 47.690 (51st) on the beam.
Pittsburgh is led individually on the vault by senior Dani Bryan. Bryan is currently 43rd with a 9.850 score. Sophomore Alicia Talucci leads the Panthers on the beam, floor and in the all-around. On the beam, Talucci has a score of 9.805 on the beam, a 9.765 on the floor and 38.960 in the all-around. Junior Jen Liberato leads Pittsburgh on the bars with a 9.705.
East Lansing Connection
Michael Rowe, assistant coach of Pittsburgh, is a 1985 graduate of Michigan State University where he was a cheerleader. Prior to joining the Panthers, Rowe was a coach at Geddert's Twistars when Spartan senior Nicole Curler was a gymnast in the gym. While at Geddert's, Curler was the 2005 Junior Olympic National Champion on the beam.
The Spartans will begin their postseason competitions on Saturday, March 27, when they travel to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Championships. Action is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on the campus of Ohio State.
Players Mentioned
