MSU Gymnastics To Compete At Circle Of Stars Invitational
2/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 5, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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Coming Up: Michigan State (5-4, 0-3 Big Ten) at Circle of Stars Invitational
Friday, Feb.8, 2002 - Indianapolis, Ind. - 7 p.m.
On the Road Again: The Michigan State gymnastics team will go on the road for the third straight weekend as the Spartans compete at the Circle of Stars Invitational Friday, Feb. 8, in Indianapolis, Ind. Along with host Ball State, MSU will compete against No. 19 Ohio State and No. 25 Eastern Michigan.
Scouting the Competition: No. 19 Ohio State is 0-5, but all five losses have come against nationally-ranked opponents. The Buckeyes own a season average score of 193.835 and posted a team-best 194.550 in a loss Saturday to No. 12 Minnesota. Ohio State owns a slight 21-20 edge in all-time meetings with MSU.
No. 25 Eastern Michigan is 3-3 and placed third Sunday at the State of Michigan Classic, one place behind MSU. The Spartans are now 23-1 all-time against the Eagles.
Ball State is 7-2 and is coming off a weekend in which it defeated Northern Illinois and Illinois State. The Cardinals' highest score of the season came in a victory against Western Michigan when BSU scored 194.500. MSU is 12-0 all-time in competitions against Ball State.
MSU Places Second at State of Michigan Classic: Michigan State posted its best team scores of the season in the vault and beam on its way to a second-place performance at the five-team State of Michigan Classic Sunday in Ypsilanti, Mich. Senior co-captain Jane McIntosh celebrated her first performance of the season with a first-place performance on the balance beam, scoring a 9.875. Junior Christy Linder had a strong showing for the Spartans as well, tying for fourth place on the beam (9.825), tying for third on the floor (9.900), tying for seventh on the uneven bars (9.775), and scoring 9.800 on the vault for a third-place tie. Linder's 39.300 all-around score missed a first-place finish by only .325, and was tied for the eighth best all-around score in MSU history. Other top-10 Spartan performances included: freshman Lauren Simpson on the vault for 10th place (9.725), McIntosh and freshman Kristin Merritt, tying for seventh in the floor exercise (9.800), and junior Lindsay Trainham, tying for seventh on the balance beam (9.800).
She's baaaaack: Senior co-captain Jane McIntosh competed for the first time this season Sunday at the State of Michigan Classic. McIntosh had missed the first three weekends while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery - her third such surgery of her career. McIntosh, who competed on the beam at the 2001 NCAA Regional Championships, had a triumphant return, winning the beam with an MSU season-best score of 9.875, and scoring a 9.800 on her other event, the floor exercise, to tie for seventh.
Linder Nears Record: Christy Linder put her name in the MSU record books for the second time this season in the all-around, scoring a 39.300 to finish second at the State of Michigan Classic. Linder's score ranks as tied for eighth best ever in the all-around at MSU, and she now owns three of the top 10 scores. Her 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.
State Power: Sunday's second-place showing at the State of Michigan Classic marked the third straight year the MSU placed at least second in the meet. Last season, the Spartans took the title, and MSU placed second in 2000.
Tough Schedule: Facing two nationally-ranked teams Friday will be nothing new for the Spartans, as MSU has already competed against four nationally-ranked opponents this season. MSU owns a 2-2 record in those match-ups, with wins over then-No. 21 West Virginia and then-No. 23 Eastern Michigan.
Fresh Faces: Michigan State's freshman class continues to be crucial to its success in 2002. In Sunday's meet, nine of the 24 routines were performed by freshmen, which was actually the fewest number of routines performed by freshmen this season. Still, the 42 combined routines by freshman this year (out of a possible 96) are not the highest number of routines performed by a single class, as the junior class has performed 47 routines. The sophomore class has accounted for five routines while senior Jane McIntosh has performed two routines.
Rank You Very Much: Michigan State has slipped back out of the top 25 rankings, but just barely. The Spartans, who are ranked ninth in the Central Region, have an average score which ranks them 29th nationally. Individually, Jane McIntosh and Christy Linder are in the top 25 on the balance beam, as their average scores of 9.875 and 9.825 rank them tied for fifth and tied for 23rd, respectively.
Dynamic Debut: Anna Hunsinger's first ever all-around competition was one to remember, as the freshman won the all-around title Jan. 26 at Illinois. Hunsinger's score of 38.750 is the third best all-around total for a Spartan this season.
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.
In Order to Be the Best...: You've got to beat the best. Michigan State will compete against at least seven teams this season that are ranked in the current top 25, including Michigan (No. 6), Iowa State (No. 8), Minnesota (No. 12), Iowa (No. 18), Ohio State (No. 19), Penn State (No. 20) and Eastern Michigan (No. 25). Counting the Big Ten Championships, the Spartans will face Iowa and Eastern Michigan twice each, and MSU will compete against Michigan and Ohio State three times each. In addition, the Spartans could face other ranked teams in the Regional Championships.