Kathie Klages Position: Head Coach Experience: 18th Season Alma Mater: Central Michigan '77

Head Coach Kathie Klages is in the midst of her 18th season at the helm of the Michigan State gymnastics program. Klages has instilled a winning mentality to the Spartans, having posted a winning record in each of her 17 seasons leading the Green and White. A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, she has been named Central Region Coach of the Year four times.

Last season, the Spartans went 12-7 during the regular season and placed fourth at the NCAA Central Regional and seventh at the Big Ten Championship. Rochelle Robinson, a First Team All-Big Ten selection along with Kristen Coleman and Nicole Curler, highlighted the MSU campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the all-around and performing the first perfect 10 in Spartan history. Coleman also made history becoming only the second Spartan, and the first under Klages, to be named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. Away from the competition, the Spartans ranked 20th in the nation and first among Big Ten foes with a team GPA of 3.369. A program-record 10 student-athletes earned National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) All-Academic honors, while seven were named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team.

In 2006, Klages led a young but talented group of gymnasts to a 17-12 dual meet record and second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship Meet, its highest conference finish since the 1996 campaign. Under her direction, junior co-captain Chayla Hill became the 10th Big Ten event champion in school history, tying for first on vault at the conference championship meet, while teammate Kristen Coleman, a first team All-Big Ten selection, captured second in the all-around competition. The Spartans followed with their 15th appearance in the NCAA Regional Meet, finishing fourth in the Central region. For her individual performance in regional competition, Coleman advanced to the NCAA Championship Meet, becoming the first Spartan to reach the national stage since the 2003 campaign. In addition to accolades in the gym, Michigan State saw seven gymnasts garner NACGC/W Academic All-America honors, while four Spartans received Academic All-Big Ten laurels.

In 2005 Michigan State posted a record of 17-11 and finished fourth in the Big Ten. Under Klages' tutelage, Hill advanced to regional competition and finished the season 25th on vault and 28th on floor at the event. Off the mat, eight members of the 2005 squad were selected NACGC/W Academic All-Americans. As a team, the Spartans' cumulative GPA of 3.32 placed 25th among varsity gymnastics programs nationwide. Michigan State finished in a tie for 14th nationally in the number of individual student-athletes recognized.

The Spartans finished fifth in the Big Ten in 2004 and compiled an overall record of 17-11-1. The Green and White capped the season with a fifth-place finish at NCAA Regional competition.

The Spartans took seventh in the Big Ten in 2003, but claimed a notable win early in the year. State snapped Michigan's 40-meet winning streak against conference opponents, as the Spartans became the first Big Ten team to defeat Michigan in more than four years. Perhaps even more impressive were the academic accomplishments of the 2003 Spartans, as the team posted the 10th-best team GPA in the nation with an average of 3.47, while seven gymnasts were honored as NACGC/W All-Academic members and eight earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.

In 2002, Klages celebrated a personal milestone, as she recorded her 200th victory as leader of the Michigan State gymnastics squad. The Spartans downed George Washington (195.350-194.650) for the notable win on March 9, 2002. Michigan State also made a return trip to NCAA regional competition that season after failing to qualify during the 2001 campaign.

The 2001 season proved to be a rebuilding year for the Green and White following a successful 2000 campaign where Klages was named the NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. She had previously earned the honor in 1993, 1996 and 1998.

MSU failed to advance to the NCAA Regional meet in 1999 following a record-breaking performance in 1998 where MSU became only the second squad in school history to garner 20 or more wins in a season (23-8). The 1998 team still holds the highest mark in school history on the uneven bars (49.450).

In 1998, for only the third time in Spartan history, Klages guided three gymnasts - Carolyn Hecht, Chrissy Weathersby and Polly Kiker - to selection on the All-Big Ten team.

In 1997, Klages guided her team through injury trouble to finish at No. 15 in the national polls. MSU marched to a first-place finish at the National Invitational Tournament while two gymnasts, Kristin Peugeot and Jamie Elwell, individually qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Klages took home Big Ten Coach of the Year honors following a school-record 27-3 season in 1996, in which the Spartans were ranked among the top 12 nationally for much of the year.

Klages also guided MSU to an 18-6 mark in 1995 and a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship Meet. The Spartans finished fourth in the Big Ten in 1994, while the squad tallied back-to-back third-place finishes during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. State also made its first regional meet appearance under Klages in 1993. Prior to becoming the fourth women's gymnastics coach in MSU history, Klages spent five successful years as the assistant coach of Great Lakes Gymnastics in Lansing. During her tenure, she coached the 1990 Level 10 Junior Olympic National Champion, 20 state championship teams, numerous national qualifiers and former Spartan greats Kim Hartwick and Michelle Ingalls.

In 1988, she was named the United States Gymnastics Federation (USGF) Coach of the Year in Michigan. A member of the National Association of Women's Gymnastics Judges since 1978, Klages is also a national judge.

Before coaching at Great Lakes, Klages was the head coach of Blue Lakes Gymnastics in Muskegon for two years (1983-85). She also served a two-year stint as head coach at Spring Lake High School (1979-81).

A native of Spring Lake, Mich., Klages is a member of USA Gymnastics, the National Association of Women's Gymnastics Judges, United States Elite Coaches Association and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Klages also directs the gymnastics summer camp at MSU. Klages earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Central Michigan in 1977.

Kathie's family includes her husband, Ross, four children - Matthew (27), Ian (26), Raven (20) and Dylan (18) - and grandchildren, Isabella (4), Eljah (3) and Lily (six months).