Michigan State University Athletics
A State Of Determination
1/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Backed by strong senior leadership, the Michigan State women's gymnastics is ready to take on the upcoming season. Behind the guidance of the seniors, the experience that was gained by the sophomore class last year and the excitement from the incoming freshmen class, the Spartans are ready to take the nation by storm.
"We anticipate a very exciting season," head coach Kathie Klages stated. "The experience that our sophomores gained last season as freshmen combined with our senior class is wonderful. Also, with the fact that our freshmen are doing incredibly well, we feel like our future is very bright."
Michigan State has one strong goal and that is to improve on last season's mark. Although the team went 15-6 during the regular season, the Spartans finished fifth at the Big Ten championships and sixth at the NCAA Regionals. MSU looks to improve its standings in both of the postseason tournaments.
"We had disappointing finishes in the Big Ten and regional championships last season," Klages commented. "Those finishes have not been forgotten. This team is fired up to stay focused throughout the entire season and to finished the year on a high note."
"We would like to be in the top three at the Big Ten championships this season," Klages said of the team's focus for the season. "We also would like to see the team qualify for the NCAA Regional Championship without any stress or struggle. We can do that by increasing our difficulty, improving at every meet and by staying consistent. We need to make sure that we peak at the regional championships instead of earlier in the season, which we seem to have done in the past few years. With these improvements, we will have a good shot to qualify to the NCAA national championships."
THE GYMNASTS
One of the greatest things that the Spartans have this season is a strong sense of camaraderie.
"I think that is a major positive of the Michigan State women's gymnastics team," Klages admitted. "I've had a number of recruits make comments about how close the team is, how much fun they have together and how they get along so well. We've been able to build a very strong group that cares about each other and cares about accomplishing our goals together. I think that is one of our greatest strengths."
The senior class has been one of the major binding ties of this close team. Seniors Julie Devaty and Christy Linder will co-captain this team, while classmate Ilene Cohen, the Spartans' SAAC representative also does a tremendous job of focusing this team.
"Christy and Julie are doing a great job of captains amongst the team," Klages said. "Ilene has also done an outstanding job in the leadership role. You've seen the gymnastics team at field hockey games and volleyball games, supporting all sports. I think that is a great show of leadership on their part."
Along with the two captains and Cohen, Michigan State is backed by a bevy of upperclassmen. Diana Crea, Kristina Petersen and Maurella Walls are the other competing seniors, while Lindsey Voth is the Spartans' lone junior.
Michigan State's sophomores received invaluable experience last season. Nicole Anderson, Anna Hunsinger, Kristin Merritt, Lauren Simpson and Jennifer Yarbrough will use that knowledge to advance the team into the next level this year.
The Spartans also welcome a quartet of freshmen to the lineup this season, as Sarah Alexander, Julianna Karall, Leia Langhoff and Jaime Miles join the ranks of the Green and White.
Klages has seen her team make major improvements in each event as they prepare for the 29th season of Michigan State gymnastics.
 | "This team has the desire, the will, the determination and the talent; the sky is the limit." Head Coach Kathie Klages |
VAULT
A new vaulting table has been added to the mix for the 2003 season. Although Klages understands that the new vault will take some time for the student-athletes to adjust to, she is confident that the vault will be an exciting event for the Spartans this year.
"I feel that once they make the adjustments, we will see much stronger and more powerful vaults," previewed Klages. "The new table enhances that and is a superb addition."
Klages expects the vaulting team that was used last season to be the foundation for this year's lineup. Senior Christy Linder was the only Spartan to compete a 10.0 vault last season. Junior Lindsey Voth and sophomores Anna Hunsinger and Lauren Simpson regularly contributed to the Spartans last season. Klages is also excited about Kristin Merritt, a classmate of Hunsinger and Simpson, who has been working on a Yurchenko vault, which has a starting value of 10.0 and utilizes the new and improved vaulting table. Freshman Sarah Alexander has upgraded her vault to a 10.0 value to enhance the Spartans' lineup. Classmate Jaime Miles will also vie for a lineup position with her 9.900 vault.
UNEVEN BARS
The Spartans made great strides last season in the uneven bars and Klages sees this season to be a continuation. Senior Diana Crea is the Spartans' top bar performer and should be a solid fixture on the event this season. Ilene Cohen, Julie Devaty, Anna Hunsinger and Christy Linder are all working on more difficult bar routines, upping the point value of their routines. Also improving her trade is Kristin Merritt, who is adding an "E" value dismount this season.
Rejoining the lineup is senior Kristina Petersen, who missed last season recovering from shoulder surgery. Lauren Simpson and classmate Jennifer Yarbrough have both been improving their consistency on the apparatus and Klages expects both of them to be vying for a potential spot on the lineup. Sarah Alexander is expected to give the incumbents some competition. Alexander took fourth at the Junior Olympic Nationals last year.
BALANCE BEAM
The Spartans developed quite a lot of consistency last season on the balance beam and Klages expects to build on that confidence this season. Ilene Cohen and Lauren Simpson are two gymnasts who have added new flight series to their routines, heightening the difficulty of their performances. Michigan State will also see some action from the freshmen, as Sarah Alexander, Jaime Miles and Julianna Karall bring some new experience to the event.
"I think this may be our strongest event," Klages predicted of the balance beam. "We have got some exciting new flight series and dismount upgrades. We are very excited about adding these to our program."
 Co-captain Julie Devaty leads the Spartans' lineup on the floor exercise.  | |
FLOOR EXERCISE
Lack of depth was an issue last season on the floor exercise, but this season Klages expects the strong depth of the Spartans to provide some exciting floor routines. Injuries plagued many of the mainstay performers, but a new season has brought such a deep lineup that the Spartans will be competing against one another in practice for the opportunity to take on the competition.
"We didn't have a lot of depth last year," Klages stated. "We had six to seven consistent performers and then we dropped off drastically. This year, we're going to see a lot more depth in our lineup because our freshmen class is so strong."
Klages cites Julie Devaty, Anna Hunsinger and Christy Linder as strong floor workers, who will anchor the lineup. Newcomer Sarah Alexander brings tremendous tumbling skills to the program, as does Jaime Miles and Leia Langhoff. The healthy return of Diana Crea, Kristina Petersen and senior Maurella Walls adds another layer of performers for the Green and White. Sophomore Nicole Anderson is also on tap to impact the MSU floor lineup.
ALL-AROUND
Christy Linder will lead the group of Spartans who compete in the all-around competition. Having not missed a single event in over two years, Linder is the strongest all-around performer for Klages and the Spartans. The Spartan head coach also expects Anna Hunsinger to become a mainstay in the four-event showcase. Newcomer Sarah Alexander, with her high level of difficulty on all four events, will challenge for the top all-around position this season.
THE TRAINING FACILITIES
One of the most exciting things to happen for the women's gymnastics team over the past year is the upgraded facilities at Jenison Field House.
A new, state-of-the-art lockerroom was added to the gymnastics training facility, which includes oak lockers for each team member, a private shower area and a lounge equipped with video equipment and computer terminals.
Improvements have also been made to the Jenison weight room and training room, as both spaces have nearly doubled in size. The weight room expansion included new equipment, while the training room now boasts more taping tables, rehabilitation equipment and private patient rooms. The equipment room was also doubled in size providing on-site laundry services and individual equipment lockers for every student-athlete.
"We are so excited about the new facilities," Klages proudly stated. "The fact that we have this new, state-of-the-art lockerroom right off our training area is very exciting. Also, the fact that the training room has been upgraded and the services there have been expanded is wonderful for our athletes. They can now get all of the services right here at Jenison. The weight room has doubled in size and the team has found that the additional equipment that has been purchased for the weight room has really helped their training."
The biggest, most noticeable addition for the Michigan State gymnastics program is in the gym itself. All of the equipment has been elevated, with resi-pits placed below each apparatus, providing softer landings as the team trains and enhances newer, more difficult skills.
"The upgrades in the gymnastics facility will greatly enhance our training and keep our kids a lot safer in their training," said Klages. "We have elevated every apparatus and there are now resi-pit landings for every piece of equipment. We also have spotting belts over each training area for added safety when learning a new skill.
THE SCHEDULE
In order to be the best, you have to play the best. That is the old adage that Klages follows while scheduling and this season is no different. The Spartans will take on some of the top teams in the country this season - a challenge the 13th year mentor is excited about.
"I think that by getting our team in competition with top teams will help them realize two things," Klages commented. "First, they can see what it is going to take to get to that level, and second, they will also see that they are not that far away from that level. They can see that with a lot of hard work and consistent performances they could be there too, so I think that it is very beneficial to us."
The Spartans open their season hosting the MSU Invitational on Jan. 10. MSU will be on the road for the remainder of January, visiting Iowa State (Jan. 17) and Ohio State (Jan. 25).
Michigan State bookends the month of February with two home invitationals. The Spartans will host the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 2, welcoming instate foes Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Michigan and Western Michigan to Jenison Field House. The Spartans return to the state of Iowa for a showdown with the Hawkeyes on Feb. 8, before traveling to New Hampshire to take on Bowling Green, George Washington and New Hampshire at the Fox Run Invitational on Feb. 15. MSU returns home on Feb. 22 to host Illinois at the 14th annual Spartan Invitational.
MSU will play host to Central Michigan for the second time this season on March 1 in East Lansing. Joining the two teams at Jenison Field House will be Ball State. Competitions at Rutgers (Mar. 8) and Pittsburgh (Mar. 15) highlight two weekend road trips for the Green and White. Michigan State will wrap up the regular season on March 22 in the home finale against Pittsburgh and Michigan.
The Spartans' postseason begins at the Big Ten Championships, which will be held on March 29 in Champaign, Ill.
"During our Big Ten schedule, we meet Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan prior to the championship, so that will give us a good feel of what the Big Tens will be like," Klages previewed. "But we do not meet Penn State or Minnesota until that time and they are generally both very strong teams. In order for us to reach our goal of finishing in the top three at the Big Tens, it is going to take very good performances at that championship meet."
The NCAA Regional championships will be held at six locations on April 12, with all competing teams hoping to advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held on April 24 in Lincoln, Neb.
Because the Central Region is full of strong, competitive teams, getting to the national level from there is always a tough road. Klages' goal is to be ranked among the top 18 in the country at the conclusion of the regular season, therefore earning the possibility to be placed out of the region.
"Qualifying in the Central Region is never easy," Klages stated. "If we were seeded out of region, that might give us a better chance of making to the national championship meet. They seed the top 18 and then take three teams from within each region for the regional championship. The top two teams (from each regional meet) advance to the national championship. It's not an easy task by any means, but it is one that is definitely attainable for this team."
THE COACHING STAFF
Klages and assistant coaches, Tom Holloway and Elisabeth Forshier, will have two additions to the coaching staff this season, which unfortunately means two voids in the competing lineup.
Junior Dana Herr and senior Lindsay Trainham have both had to medically disqualify from competition. Herr is still feeling the effects of a knee injury suffered in the preseason of her freshman year and will join the team as a student manager, while Trainham, who landed awkwardly on a vault last season and injured her knees, will finish out her Green and White career as a student coach.
Although Klages is disappointed with the loss of the athletes, but sees the addition of both Herr and Trainham as positive reinforcements for the Spartans.
"We're absolutely thrilled to have Dana and Lindsay stay on with our program," Klages commented. "They know the team, know gymnastics and know what athletes need at key times and they can provide those things for them. Dana will give the athletes confidence as a mat mover. They will trust her explicitly and when you have that consistency, it will really help our athletes gain confidence. She's going to be a huge asset to our program. Lindsay will also be beneficial to our team as a coach. She understands first-hand what an athlete goes through over the season and that will be huge for us."
Also assisting the Spartans this season as a student coach is former MSU standout, Jane McIntosh. A school-record holder on the balance beam and 2002 All-Big Ten member, McIntosh has volunteered her time this fall to choreograph new floor exercise and balance beam routines for the current Spartans.
Michigan State is preparing to take this season to new heights and Klages has already seen signs that this squad is ready to soar.
"This team is in the best shape that any team has ever been in at the beginning of the season," Klages stated. "They are very determined to accomplish their goal of getting to the NCAA championships. They have already proven that by how hard they've worked all summer and how impressive they look now."
The Michigan State Spartans are in a state of determination to take the nation by storm this season and continue to build the program for the future.
