No. 15 MSU Gymnastics Makes First Road Trip To Illinois
1/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 22, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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A Road Less Traveled: The Michigan State gymnastics team will go on the road for the first time this season when the Spartans visit Illinois Saturday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. MSU opened the season with home meets each of the first two weekends.
About Illinois: Illinois slipped to 2-3 this season with a 193.650-190.375 home loss against Illinois State on Saturday, Jan. 19. The Fighting Illini had their top team score of 191.575 the previous weekend while finishing second at a quadrangular meet at Auburn. Michigan State is 22-8 all-time against Illinois, including a 194.800-192.900 victory last season in Jenison Field House.
MSU Slips Against Iowa: Michigan State dropped its Big Ten opener Saturday, Jan. 19, against Iowa in Jenison Field House, 193.875 - 191.200. Junior Christy Linder was MSU's lone individual champion, winning the floor exercise with a score of 9.875, which is her second best score ever on the event. In fact, the floor was the one area where Michigan State was solid, as junior Julie Devaty and freshman Anna Hunsinger tied for second with a score of 9.775. MSU totalled 48.900 points on the floor, which was almost a full point better than it did on any other event. MSU's only other top three finisher was Linder's second place finish on the balance beam with a score of 9.800.
Rank You Very Much: Based on the Spartans' strong showing in the season opener, MSU, which was unranked in the preseason coaches Top 25 poll, earned a No. 15 national ranking (including a No. 5 regional rank) in the Jan. 21 rankings.
Fresh Faces: Michigan State's freshman class will be crucial to its success in 2002. In Saturday's meet against Iowa, 12 of the 24 routines were performed by freshmen, while 10 routines were performed by freshman in the Jan. 11 opener. Strangely enough, the 22 combined routines are not the highest number of routines performed by a single class, as the junior class has preformed 24 routines. The final two routines have been performed by sophomore Lindsey Voth.
Spartans Start Strong: Michigan State opened the 2002 season with an impressive showing Jan. 11 in Jenison Field House. The Spartans, who totalled 194.650 points, finished second out of four teams, defeating No. 21 West Virginia (189.925) and Western Michigan (188.025), while being edged by No. 20 Iowa State (195.175) for the top spot. Junior Christy Linder was the meet's top performer, scoring at least 9.825 on all four events while easily claiming the all-around title with a score of 39.400. Linder won the balance beam with a 9.825, finished second on bars (9.875), tied for second on vault (9.850) and fourth on floor (9.850).
Linder Nears Record: Christy Linder's all-around score of 39.400 in the Jan. 11 season opener was tied for the second best all-around score in MSU history. Only Carolyn Hecht scored higher, recording a score of 39.450 vs. Ohio State on March 22, 1996. Melissa Green is the only other Spartan to score 39.400, accomplishing the feat Feb. 19, 2000 vs. Pittsburgh.
Best Ever Opener: Michigan State's point total of 194.650 in the Jan. 11 opener was easily its best ever in a season-opening meet. The previous best-ever score in an opener was 191.900 by the 1996 squad which went on to finish 27-3.
McIntosh Sidelined: Senior Jane McIntosh, one of Michigan State's top returners, has been unable to compete in either of MSU's first two meets because of lingering effects from off-season shoulder surgery. McIntosh, who competed on the beam at the 2001 NCAA Regional Championships, has been through three shoulder surgeries in her career. McIntosh did compete at the Green & White scrimmage, but her return to competition is on hold for an indefinite period of time.
In Order to Be the Best...: You've got to beat the best. Michigan State will compete against at least nine teams this season that are ranked in the current top 25, including Minnesota (No. 7), Iowa State (No. 9), West Virginia (No. 10), Michigan (No. 11), Eastern Michigan (No. 13), Iowa (No. 22), Ohio State (No. 23), Rutgers (No. 24) and Penn State (No. 25). In addition, the Spartans could face other ranked teams in the Regional Championships.
Spartans Shine at Green & White Scrimmage: MSU opened the 2002 season by hosting the Green & White scrimmage Jan. 6 at Jenison Field House. The Green edged the White, 114.850 - 114.450, in the competition in which only the top three scores from each team were added into the team score. Junior Julie Devaty posted the day's top scores, recording a 9.900 to win the balance beam and a 9.850 to claim the floor exercise title. Junior Christy Linder had the top vault score, posting a 9.800, while freshman Jennifer Yarbrough had the team's best score on the uneven bars with a 9.600. Other top performances included 9.700 scores by freshman Anna Hunsinger on vault, by Linder on the beam and by junior Lindsay Trainham and freshman Lauren Simpson on the floor exercise.