Gymnastics Set For Home Finale
3/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 19, 2003
The Michigan State gymnastics team will close out the 2003 regular season on Saturday, March 22, hosting Pittsburgh and Michigan at 7 p.m., at Jenison Field House. The Spartans defeated Michigan earlier in the season, 195.075-193.900, at the State of Michigan Classic and most recently topped Pittsburgh, 195.250-194.650, on Saturday (March 15) in Pittsburgh.
It will be the final home competition for seniors Ilene Cohen, Diana Crea, Julie Devaty, Christy Linder, Kristina Petersen, Lindsay Trainham and Maurella Walls.
MSU TAMES THE PANTHERS
Backed by two near-sweeps, the Spartans defeated Pittsburgh (195.250-194.650) on Saturday, March 15, at the Fitzgerald Field House on Pitt's campus. Michigan State claimed three of the top four spots on the vault and four of the top five spots on the uneven bars.
Sarah Alexander led the way on the vault, tying the best individual score by a Spartan this season on the apparatus with a 9.900. Christy Linder finished second with a 9.800 and Nicole Anderson took fourth with a 9.750. On the bars, Diana Crea won the event with a career-best 9.925. Alexander claimed second (9.875), while Kristin Merritt and Jennifer Yarbrough finished tied for fourth, each posting a 9.800.
Senior Julie Devaty finished second on the balance beam with a 9.800 and tied for third on the vault with a 9.850. Alexander finished fifth with a 9.825. Alexander also claimed the top score on the all-around, with a 38.900 and sophomore Lauren Simpson finished second with a 38.825.
ALEXANDER HAS RECORD SETTING NIGHT
On Saturday, March 8, freshman Sarah Alexander posted a 9.975 on the floor exercise to win the event and match the school record. The mark was first set in 1998 by Briony Lecky and had been matched by Polly Kiker and Melissa Green - both during the 2000 season. Alexander also set the second-highest score in school history in the all-around with a 39.425 - just .025 off of the program's highest tally of 39.450 set by Carolyn Hecht in 1996 - and matching her career high set one week ago.
SPARTANS ALSO NUDGE TEAM RECORDS
As a team, Michigan State posted a 49.400 on the floor exercise. That is the third best score in program history - just .100 off of the program record, which was set in 1997 at the NCAA Regionals in Ann Arbor, Mich.
MORE HIGHS GO LOW
Freshman Sarah Alexander posted career best marks on the vault (9.900) and uneven bars (9.875), while senior Diana Crea set personal highs on the uneven bars (9.925) and balance beam (9.750).
Sophomore Kristin Merritt posted a 9.800 on the vault for the best score of her career, while Jennifer Yarbrough garnered the same score on the uneven bars to match her personal best. Yarbrough also posted a 9.800 on that event against Illinois and at the tri-meet with Ball State and Central Michigan.
WELCOME BACK
Senior Christy Linder returned to the Spartan lineup after a long absence due to a back injury and made it seem as though she had never left. In her only event, Linder posted a 9.900 on the vault, the highest score of the season by any member of the team. In was also the highest vault score of the day, as Linder won the event.
SPARTANS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT SPARTAN INVITATIONAL
Michigan State captured the 2003 Spartan Invitational, presented by Country Markett, for the fourth consecutive year, defeating Illinois, 194.900-193.600, on Saturday (Feb. 22) in Jenison Field House.
DEVATY NAMED CO-BIG TEN GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Senior co-captain Julie Devaty was 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.
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.
Players Mentioned
