Gymnastics Hosts No. 7 Michigan On Saturday
2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State gymnastics team hosts No. 7 Michigan on Saturday at Jenison Field House at 2 p.m. It is also the Alumni Meet for MSU, as it welcomes back former MSU gymnasts to be recognized at the end of the meet.
"It's so exciting to have the alumni come back," said head coach Kathie Klages. "It just warms my heart to see them and see where they are and what they're doing with their lives. Pride swells every time this meet comes around."
MSU (3-4, 0-4) is coming off its best meet of the season at Penn State last Saturday, as the Spartans recorded their highest score of the season (194.775) and senior Nicola Deans registered a career-high score of 39.375 to finish second in the all-around competition, while tying her career-best on vault and picking up a season-high score on beam.
"We're looking to see improvement and each meet we feel like we're getting a little better and a little better," said Klages. "Last weekend we hit our season high, we're looking to build upon that and break into that 195s or beyond this weekend. We're just looking to make those improvements and hit all the routines that are competing."
The Wolverines enter the weekend 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, and currently in a tie five-way tie atop the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines rank No. 8 in the nation in the vault rankings, 10th on beam and No. 5 on floor.
"I think that in all gymnastics meets you are performing against yourself, so while usually the opponent really doesn't matter, this is Michigan-Michigan State, so you know the athletes are going to be a little bit more hyped up and excited," said Klages. "Michigan is a phenomenal program. They've dominated the Big Ten for years and years. It's a tough meet for us, but it should be fun with the alumni back in town and the fact that we're focusing on ourselves and what we need to do to improve."
Michigan State is averaging 193.975 this season, with the team's best event coming on the floor exercise, where the Spartans average 48.635, with a high of 49.075. Junior Hailee Westney leads the Spartans on bars, where she has picked up four event titles this season. MSU has taken the bars title at all five meets so far this season, with Lindsey Lemke taking the title in the quad meet at Rutgers.
Deans continues to impress in her senior season, earning two all-around titles, four vault titles and two floor titles. She has set a new career high in the all-around competition in each of the last two weekends.
"I think a big strength of our team is that we can handle adversity quite a bit, so that's a strength where we've had somebody go down, someone else has had to step up," said Klages. "We've been able to manage putting six kids up for most of the season even though we have so many injuries. Nicola Deans has just been performing incredibly, so if we can just jump on her coattails and do what she's been doing we'll be awesome."
Up next, MSU hits the road to face Illinois on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
