Gymnastics Teams to Co-Host Illinois Jan. 31
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
January 28, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's and women's gymnastics teams will host a co-ed meet with the University of Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. in Jenison Field House. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and children.
The Spartan men, currently ranked eighth in the country battle the ninth-ranked Illini in their home opener. Both teams match up fairly evenly with MSU having the advantage in the still rings while the Illini have slightly stronger parallel bars routines. Here are the head-to-head rankings:
Floor Exercise: MSU - 8th, Illinois - 9th
Pommel Horse: MSU - 6th, Illinois - 8th
Still Rings: MSU - 2nd, Illinois - 10th
Vault: MSU T-3rd, Illinois - 6th
Parallel Bars: Illinois - T-5th, MSU - 10th
High Bar: Illinois - 6th, MSU - 9th.
The womens team, decimated by injuries to its veterans, is finding out just how good its younger athletes are. Sophomore Elisabeth Forshier is 18th in the country with a vaulting average of 9.792 to lead the Spartans. She was the top Spartan finisher on vault in nearly every meet last season. Sophomore Melissa Green has made a complete recovery from an injury-riddled rookie season, winning the all-around in the seasons opener, and finishing second last week at Ohio State with a career-high 9.825 on the floor exercise. Freshman Jane McIntosh is currently second on the team with a balance beam average of 9.550 and a floor average of 9.692.Senior Carolyn Hecht is the Spartans team leader. She has finished in the top three in the all-around in all three meets to date and is currently tied for seventh in the nation on the balance beam with a 9.825 average.
This meet is both teams opener at Jenison Field House in 1999. The mens team will host Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 6 and Michigan on March 20. The women host the Spartan Invitational on Feb. 13 and the Big Ten Championships on Mar. 27.
