Gymnastics Teams Prepare for NCAA Regional Competition
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Both the Michigan State men's and women's gymnastics teams are one meet away from the NCAA Championships as they head to NCAA Regional competition this weekend. The Spartan men, ranked sixth in the nation, will be at the University of Massachusetts for the NCAA Eastern Regional, held on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., while the MSU women, ranked 14th, travel to the University of Alabama for the NCAA Central Regional, also held on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. (CT). The MSU men qualified as the fourth team in their region (top six advance) while the women were the fifth team chosen (top seven advance). Here are some notes and quotes for each of the teams. For complete information, please access the men's and women's NCAA Regional Guides on fax-on-demand. The men's guide is passcode #282, cell # 2090, while the women's guide is passcode #282, cell # 2095.
MEN'S NOTES & QUOTES:
NEXT UP: In what looks like a repeat of the Big Ten Championship, competing teams in the NCAA Eastern Regional are Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan and Illinois. The meet, held at the University of Massachusetts, is on April 4 at 7 p.m. Here's the competition: Reg. Natl.
Rank Team Team RQS Rank 1 Iowa 230.175 3rd 2 Ohio State 229.883 4th 3 Penn State 229.633 5th 4 Michigan State 228.892 6th 5 Michigan 228.617 7th 6 Illinois 228.250 8thFOLLOW THE LEADER: All competing teams in the NCAA East Regional are ranked in the top 10, ranging from No. 3-No. 8 consecutively. Iowa is No. 3, Ohio State No. 4 and Penn State No. 5, followed by MSU at No. 6, Michigan at No. 7 and Illinois at No. 8.
SEASON RECORDS VERSUS REGIONAL OPPONENTS: Iowa - The Spartans are 0-3 versus the Hawkeyes this season. In MSU's season home opener on Jan. 10, Iowa won 226-850-221.150. The next weekend at the Windy City Invitational, Iowa won the meet, 228.050-217.300. Iowa also won the Big Ten Championship, 230.525-227.975. Ohio State - MSU is 0-3 against the Buckeyes in 1998. OSU was triumphant at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17 (222.850-217.300), in a dual meet on Feb. 27 (229.875-228.700) and at the Big Ten Championships (229.600-227.975). Penn State - Michigan State is 0-2 against the Nittany Lions this season. At Penn State on Feb. 7, PSU won 227.125-225.000. At the Big Ten Championships, the Lions placed second 229.975-227.975. Michigan - MSU has faced Michigan four times this season and is 3-1 in those meetings. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans 220.800-217.300 at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17. MSU won at Michigan on March 12 (229.475-229.150), defeated U-M at the Big Ten Championship (227.975-226.625) and was victorious in the regular season finale on March 28, 229.225-229.150. Illinois - The Spartans are 1-2 versus the Fighting Illini in 1998. Illinois won at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17., 223.800-217.300 and at Illinois in a dual meet on Feb. 21, 229.175-226.050. MSU defeated Illinois at the Big Ten Championship, 227.975-227.575.
QUOTING COACH ATKINSON: "Having six Big Ten teams qualify in our region just shows the strength of our conference. We've competed against each of these teams at least twice this season. "I'm worried about our team right now. We had a great final home meet last weekend but one of our top performers, Tommy Housley, is questionable right now. Without him, we're dead in the water. He's an important part of the rotation on five events. On the regular season - "We had a very exciting season. Fans looked at our record and were disappointed but, obviously, the overall record doesn't mean nearly as much as how we performed. And we had some great meets."
SICK OF THE WOLVERINES: The NCAA Regionals marks the fourth-straight weekend in which the Spartans compete against the University of Michigan. On March 12, MSU competed at Ann Arbor, winning 229.475-229.150. On March 20-21, the Big Ten Championships saw MSU outscore U-M 227.975-226.625. In both teams' final regular-season meet, Michigan State hosted the Wolverines on March 28, winning 229.225-229.150.
LAST TIME OUT: For the third time in as many meets, Michigan State outshined No. 8 Michigan in a tight 229.225-229.150 decision on March 28 in Jenison Field House. It was the second-highest score of the season for MSU, which surpassed the Wolverines on floor (38.450), vault (38.775) and high bar (38.050). Tommy Housley captured top honors on the floor while Mike Phipps took home the medal on the rings. Brady Grimm took second on the vault. Chris Weedon scored a career-best 9.800 on the high bar while Housley and Keith Douglas turned in career-best numbers on the vault (9.700 and 9.725, respectively). Dave Barron set a career mark on the pommel horse with a score of 9.700.
REGIONAL UPDATE: Michigan State is ranked fourth in the eastern region behind Iowa, Ohio State and Penn State. The top six teams qualify. This year's NCAA Eastern Regional is held on April 4 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. MSU has qualified for regional competition five times in the 1990s. Most recently, the team finished sixth in 1996.
VAULTING TO THE TOP: The Spartans maintain their No. 1 position on the vault for a third week in a row with a regional qualifying score of 38.825. The team is also third in the nation on the floor exercise with a 38.583.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS: (All rankings by regional qualifying score) Tommy Housley is third in the country on the floor exercise with a 9.781 score. Brady Grimm is MSU's other top-5 gymnast, coming in at fourth on the vault (9.783). Kenny Baker is seventh on the pommel horse (9.783) while Ethan Sterk is tied for tenth on the high bar (9.733).
WOMEN'S NOTES & QUOTES:
NEXT UP: The Spartans travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the NCAA Central Regional Championship on April 4 at 6:00 p.m. Here's the competition: Reg. Natl.
Rank Team Team RQS Ave High Rank 1 Michigan 196.375 194.677 197.550 2nd 2 Alabama 196.012 195.395 196.950 T4th 3 L.S.U. 195.144 193.890 196.450 8th 4 Iowa State 194.831 193.371 195.975 T11th 5 Michigan State 194.712 193.382 196.375 14th 6 Minnesota 194.287 193.473 195.400 19th 7 Illinois 193.969 193.006 194.300 21st
NCAA REGIONAL FACTS: MSU has qualified for the regionals three times in the 1990s. In 1993, the Spartans finished fifth, in 1996 the team finished fourth, and last season, State placed fifth and then went on to win the National Invitational Tournament.
MSU VERSUS REGIONAL COMPETITION: Michigan - MSU is 0-3 versus the Wolverines this year. On Jan. 31, UM won the State of Michigan Classic, 194.750-193.350. On March 6 at Michigan, UM won 197.550-193.975 and at the Big Ten Championship, UM had the better score once again, 194.900. In the all-time annals, MSU is up on Michigan 24-15. Alabama - The Spartans have yet to compete with Alabama in '98. In its history, MSU is 0-5 versus the Crimson Tide. The teams last met in 1997. LSU - Michigan State is 2-0 over LSU this season. In its season opener on Jan. 10, MSU defeated the Tigers, 189.475-189.000. The next weekend, State won the Missouri Shakespeare's Festival witha 190.950. LSU finished second at 189.050. Lifetime, MSU is 2-4 against the Tigers. Iowa State - MSU is 1-0 over the Cyclones in 1998 by virtue of a 189.475-188.875 win in its season opener on Jan. 10. The Spartans are 5-0 in school history over ISU. Minnesota - State is 0-1 against the Golden Gophers this season. Minnesota won the Big Ten Championship at 195.400. The Spartans finished fourth at 194.050. MSU is 3-7 all-time against the Gophers. Illinois - Michigan State is 1-1 against the Illini this season. On Jan. 24, Illinois won in a tri-meet, 191.800-191.750. At the Big Ten Championship, MSU won, 194.050-192.850. The Spartans are 20-2 all-time against the Illini.
QUOTING COACH KLAGES: "We're thrilled to qualify in such a tough region. We feel it is the toughest in the nation. Because it is so tough, I feel we have a shot at a berth in the NCAA meet if we do well. All seven central region qualifiers are in the top 21 in the nation. I think Michigan or Alabama will win our region. I think we'll have to finish in the top three in order to receive an at-large bid. "Our team is ready. There was a lot of disappointment after the Big Ten meet (MSU finished fourth) but now we've recaptured our focus and are ready to go. We're rested and healthy so we'll go to Alabama and give it our best."
26 AND COUNTING - Michigan State needs just one more win to tied the MSU all-time win mark of 27 set in 1996, when the Spartans amassed a 27-3 overall mark. State currently has a 26-9 record. 1998 marks only the second time in school history that MSU has surpassed the 20-win mark.
FLIPPING THROUGH THE RECORD BOOK: The Spartans have hit three of the top ten team scores in MSU history this season, including a then-record breaking 195.850 at the Hobie's Spartan Invitational on Feb. 21. State eclipsed that mark versus Ohio State and Western Michigan, breaking 196 (196.375) for the first time on March 14 in the team's last home meet of 1998. So far in 1998 State has: the ninth-best vault score on file (48.875); five of the top 10 uneven bars scores, including a tie for the best-ever of 49.450 at the Hobie's Invitational; three of the top 10 balance beam scores, including a chart-topping 49.375 on March 14; and two of the top 10 floor scores.
FLIPPING SOME MORE: Individually, school records were set in two events in 1998 and current Spartan names litter the rest. Carolyn Hecht hit three of the top four balance beam scores in MSU history this season, including a record 9.950 versus Ohio State and Western Michigan on March 14; Briony Lecky set the Spartan standard of 9.975 on the floor exercise in the same meet, her last career home event; Chrissy Weathersby and Hecht both hit 9.925 on the uneven bars during the season, tied for second-best; Elisabeth Forshier scored 9.900 twice on the vault to tie for fourth-best; Lecky hit 39.350 in the all-around to put her at third-best in the MSU annals.