Gymnastics Hosts Annual Spartan Invitational
2/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 19, 2003
Complete Spartan Invitational Notes
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BACK WHERE THEY BELONG
The Spartans return to Jenison Field House on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they host the 14th annual Spartan Invitational, presented by Country Markett, at 2 p.m. The University of Illinois will join the Spartans for the dual meet. This is just the third home meet of the season for MSU, who competed in four of their first six contests on the road.
SPARTANS WIN FOX RUN INVITATIONAL
The Michigan State gymnastics team claimed the Fox Run Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Durham, N.H., with a team total of 194.325 - over two and a half points higher than the second-place score of host New Hampshire (191.875). George Washington (191.425) and Bowling Green (190.900) rounded out the four-team meet.
SARAH STANDS OUT
Freshman Sarah Alexander (Kernersville, N.C.) paced the Spartans with two event titles and the all-around crown. Alexander won the balance beam (9.850) and the floor exercise (9.875) and finished second on the uneven bars (9.800), en route to the all-around title with a season-best score of 39.250.
NEWS FROM THE GYM
Sophomore Kristin Merritt (Racine, Wis.) tied with Sarah Alexander for second on the uneven bars with a 9.800.
Senior Kristina Petersen (Saginaw, Mich.) and sophomore Lauren Simpson (Fenton, Mich.) tied for fourth on the bars with a 9.700 to give the Spartans four of the top five places on the event.
Senior Julie Devaty (North Olmstead, Ohio) finished third on the balance beam with a 9.825, while Simpson posted a third-place score of 38.475 on the all-around.
Michigan State received a fourth-place finish on the vault from sophomore Anna Hunsinger (Elizabethtown, Ky.) and a pair of fifth-place places on the event from both Alexander and Simpson.
GOOD CAREER MOVES
Sarah Alexander posted two career highs at the Fox Run Invitational on Feb. 15. She set personal best scores on the floor exercise (9.875) and the all-around (39.250). Her score in the all-around competition was also the highest by any Spartan gymnast this season.
Anna Hunsinger matched her career high on the vault (9.800), while Leia Langhoff (Midland, Mich.) set a new best on the same event (9.625).
Jaime Miles(Sterling Heights, Mich.) set a new best with her second appearance of her career on the balance beam.
BIG TEN BUSINESS
The Spartans are currently second the Big Ten Conference on the uneven bars, with a season average of 48.758...Sarah Alexander is ranked fifth in the conference on the uneven bars, while Kristin Merritt is ranked eighth...Alexander and Christy Linder (Fremont, Ohio) are ranked seventh and tenth, respectively, on the balance beam
NATIONAL NETWORKING
Sarah Alexander and Anna Hunsinger are ranked among the top-ten in the central region. Alexander is ranked eighth on the balance beam and tenth on the uneven bars, while Hunsinger stands at ninth in the all-around...Kristin Merritt is ranked 13th on the uneven bars, while Christy Linder is tied for the same spot on the balance beam...Lauren Simpson is ranked 15th in the all-around, while Ilene Cohen and Julie Devaty are ranked 17th and 18th, respectively, on the beam...As a team, the Spartans are ranked fourth on the bars (16th nationally) and hold top-ten spots in every other event, including the total team score.
DEVATY NAMED CO-BIG TEN GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Senior co-captain Julie Devatywas named the Co-Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Devaty matched her career-best mark of 9.925 on the balance beam to capture the event title at the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 2. She also finished tied for second on the floor with a season-best mark of 9.875 and matched her personal-best score of 9.825 on the uneven bars to post the fourth-highest score of the day on that event. Devaty tied for the weekly honor with Calli Ryals of Michigan.
MSU EARNS STATE BRAGGING RIGHTS
The Spartans returned to Jenison Field House with a bang on Sunday, Feb. 2, winning the State of Michigan Classic. Michigan State posted a 195.075 to finish first, ahead of Central Michigan (194.900) and No. 11 Michigan (193.900). Eastern Michigan (192.525) and Western Michigan (192.000) rounded out the five-team event. MSU claimed the highest team score on the bars and beam, setting season-high marks on both.
ENDING A STREAK
With the victory at the State of Michigan Classic, Michigan State became the first Big Ten Conference team to defeat Michigan in over four years. Until the Spartans topped the No. 11 Wolverines on Feb. 2, Michigan had not lost a meet against a conference rival since Jan. 15, 1999. Since that date, Michigan had recorded 40 consecutive wins over conference rivals.
HOME SWEET HOME?
The Spartans have performed 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 continued on the road to Ohio (Ohio State - Jan. 25). MSU returned to Michigan to host the State of Michigan Classic (Feb. 2), but took to the road again for a return trip to Iowa (Iowa - Feb. 8), before visiting New Hampshire for the Fox Run Invitational (Feb. 15).
Michigan State will compete in three of the last six meets leading up to the Big Ten Championships at home. The Spartans return to Jenison on Feb. 22 to host Illinois and continue the home stand with a March 1 competition against Central Michigan and Ball State. After two weeks of traveling to New Jersey (Rutgers - March 8) and Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh - March 15), the Spartans close out the 2003 regular season with a home meet against Pittsburgh and Michigan on March 22.
IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST...
You have to play the best. That's the motto of Kathie Klages when she scheduled the Spartans' competition. Six of Michigan State's remaining opponents are ranked in the Feb. 17 edition of the GymInfo Top-25 and seven of its previous opponents also have a place among the leaders. Five of the Spartans' six Big Ten opponents are listed in the poll, including No. 11 Michigan, whom MSU will face two more times this season.
THE LEADERS OF THE PACK
The Michigan State women's gymnastics team announced that seniors Christy Linder and Julie Devaty have been selected as the captains for the 2003 season.
GAZE INTO THE FUTURE
The Spartans continue a two-meet home stand on Saturday, March 1, when they host Mid-American Conference teams, Central Michigan and Ball State. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., at Jenison Field House.
Players Mentioned
