Gymnastics Travels To Ohio State For Big Ten Contest
1/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 22, 2003
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Michigan State women's gymnastics team will continue to compete away from home, as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Saturday, Jan. 25. The match-up between the Spartans and the Buckeyes at St. Johns Arena is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
SPARTANS SWEPT BY CYCLONES
Michigan State suffered a 193.325-196.000 setback to Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones swept every event to move to 1-2 on the season, while the Spartans fell to 0-3.
FANTASTIC FROSH
Freshman Sarah Alexander (Kernersville, N.C.) continues to make an impression on the Spartans during her initial year. Alexander, who finished second on the vault in last week's season opener, tied for first-place on the beam with a score of 9.850 at Iowa State. She also tied for fifth on the uneven bars (9.775), en route to a third-place finish in the all-around (37.275). The win on the balance beam was Alexander's first collegiate event win.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS
Senior Diana Crea (Beaver Falls, Pa.) tied for a third-place finish on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.825.
Sophomore Lauren Simpson (Fenton, Mich.) and senior Christy Linder (Fremont, Ohio) tied for fifth on the beam, each scoring a 9.775.
Michigan State also received a top-five performance from sophomore Anna Hunsinger (Elizabethtown, Ky.), who scored a 9.700 on the vault for a fifth-place finish. Hunsinger also gathered a fifth-place mark of 9.825 on the floor exercise.
Sophomore Nicole Anderson (Kenosha, Wis.) posted a 9.675 on the vault to finish sixth.
NEW HIGHS
The Spartans set three new season-high team scores last weekend against Iowa State, including an overall team score of 193.325. Michigan State also posted season-highs on the beam (48.400) and floor (48.675).
A NEW BEST
Sophomore Lauren Simpson's score of 38.400 in the all-around competition at the season-opening MSU Invitational is a new personal best, crushing her previous high of 37.900, which she set last season at the Circle of Stars Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind.
BIG TEN BITS
Following an outing of 48.675 on the uneven bars at the MSU Invitational, the Spartans are currently ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference on the apparatus...Sarah Alexander and Lauren Simpson are ranked 17th and 18th, respectively in the conference's all-around standings...Alexander is also tied for ninth on the vault...Diana Crea is tied for eighth on the uneven bars...Julie Devaty is fourth on the balance beam, while Alexander is tied for fifth...
THE BRAINIACS
Perhaps even more impressive than the athletic achievements of the Spartans' 2002 squad were their academic accomplishments. The National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches named seven members of the team -Ilene Cohen (Wantaugh, N.Y.), Julie Devaty, Dana Herr (Phoenixville, Pa.), Anna Hunsinger, Kristina Petersen (Saginaw, Mich.), Lauren Simpson, and Lindsey Voth (Sarasota, Fla.) - Academic All-Americans for Women. Michigan State's seven award recipients are the most ever for the squad, surpassing the four honorees from the 2000-01 academic year. As a squad, the women's gymnastics team posted a 3.49 GPA last season - the best ever for a Spartan gymnastics team.
HOME SWEET HOME?
The Spartans will perform just two of their first six competitions in the familiar comfort of Jenison Field House. After the season opening meet against Auburn and Oregon State, the Spartans traveled to Iowa (Iowa State - Jan. 17) and will continue on the road to Ohio (Ohio State - Jan. 25). MSU will return to Michigan to host the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2), before hitting the road again for a return trip to Iowa (Iowa - Feb. 8) and to the Fox Run Invitational in New Hampshire (Feb. 15).
IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST...
You have to play the best. That's the motto of Kathie Klages when she schedules the Spartans' competition. Six of Michigan State's remaining opponents are ranked in the Jan. 13 edition of the GymInfo Top-25 and its three previous opponents also have a place among the leaders. Four of the Spartans' six Big Ten opponents are listed in the poll, including No. 9 Michigan, whom MSU will face three times this season.
RANKING NOTE
All national rankings are currently based on the team's highest score to date. Beginning on Jan. 27, the rankings will be determined by a total season average and will continue that way until the final month of competition (Feb. 24), when the rankings will be listed in order of Regional Qualifying Score (RQS).
SPARTANS INK FIVE
The Michigan State gymnastics team signed five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Nov. 25. Kristin Coleman, Chayla Hill, Victoria Iakounina, Jaclyn O'Brien and Jenna Rivers will join the Spartans in 2004. The quintet brings a wealth of experience to the MSU lineup -an all-around champion at two Provincial Tour Selections, a nation floor champion, a Region V Athlete of the Year, a Michigan Level 10 state champion and the 2002 Empire Games all-around champion.
THE LEADERS OF THE PACK
The Michigan State women's gymnastics team announced that seniors Christy Linder and Julie Devatyhave been selected as the captains for the 2003 season.
OHIO STATE AT A GLANCE
The Buckeyes are 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in the Big Ten...Ohio State fell to No. 8 Michigan in the season opener and split a tri-meet with Maryland and North Carolina State this past weekend, winning both the vault and floor exercise...OSU is ranked 21st nationally on the floor exercise...The meet against the Spartans will be the home opener for the Buckeyes, who will share the event with the men's team, as they host Illinois-Chicago...
LAST TIME AROUND
Last season, the Spartans defeated the Buckeyes twice during the regular season. MSU topped Ohio State, 193.375-190.450, at the Circle of Stars Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind., and again bested the Buckeyes, 195.600-195.325, in the home finale. The Spartans posted three overall event scores and a team score that rank among the best from last season. Ohio State came back to top Michigan State in the Big Ten Championships, finishing just .100 above the Spartans for fourth-place (194.725-194.625).
Players Mentioned
