Michigan State University Athletics
No. 23 Spartans Take on UAA
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Feb. 23, 2006
Notes vs. UAA
Download Free Acrobat Reader
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State gymnastics team will host its second home meet in a row this weekend against MPSF opponent Alaska Anchorage. The Spartans come into the weekend following a season-high 193.875 win over the New Hampshire Wildcats last weekend at Jenison Fieldhouse. The Seawolves come into the weekend following two wins over Wisconsin-Whitewater. Competition is scheduled to begin at Jenison Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
In addition, the Spartan gymnastics squad has teamed up with the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for this Fridays' contest against UAA. Any Spartan fan that wears a pink breast cancer bracelet to the arena will receive free admission to the meet. Those fans without a bracelet, have the option to buy a bracelet for a $5 donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation and receive free admission to the meet, or simply buy a ticket to the meet for $5. All the proceeds sold from the bracelets will go to the Greater Lansing Susan B. Komen Foundation.
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW... Michigan State never trailed, and improved its record to 9-4 on the season, with a 193.875-192.425 victory over the University of New Hampshire Saturday night from Jenison Fieldhouse. The Spartans received individual titles on the vault from junior Victoria Iakounina (9.875) and on the bars from junior Kristen Coleman (9.800), en route to setting team season-high scores on both events.
THE WEEK AHEAD... For the second week in a row the Spartan gymnastics team will compete in front of a home crowd in East Lansing. The meet against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves will take place at Jenison Field House on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves have a 4-5 record coming into this weekend's match up against the Spartans. The Seawolves current team average is a 187.814 with a high score of 189.825 on Jan. 22 at Sacramento State. UAA is coming off two wins over Wisconsin-Whitewater last weekend. In the first meet last weekend sophomore Jessica Portlock broke career highs in the all-around competition (38.675) and on the vault (9.750), followed by a career-high on floor (9.825) the next night. Portlock and freshman Lauren Agostino lead UAA with individual season-highs; Portlock has the team's season-high on bars, beam, floor, and is tied for the all-around high score with Agostino; Agostino also holds the team season-high on the vault.
FIRST TIME VS. UAA For the first time in school history, the Michigan State Spartans will compete against Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves, part of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, have two gymnasts (Lauren Agostino and Jessica Portlock) who have been named MPSF gymnast of the week in 2006.
SPARTANS WORK THEIR WAY UP An overall team score of 193.875 last weekend against the University of New Hampshire lands the Spartans back in the top 25 nationally at No. 23. MSU was able to defeat UNH on three of four events, only scoring lower than the Wildcats on the balance beam. The Green and White currently have a team average of 192.745 for the season.
VAULTING TO THE TOP With a score of 48.975 on the vault against New Hampshire, the 2006 squad has tied at No. 11 for the Michigan State team all-time high score on vault, while also setting a team season-high for the event. Junior Victoria Iakounina led the Spartans on vault with a score of 9.875 followed by Chayla Hill with a 9.825. Iakounina tied for first, while Hill placed fourth. As a team MSU did not have any gymnast score below a 9.725 on vault.
BOUNCING BACK Senior Sara Alexander continues to work her way back up to the top, posting a season -high 9.650 on the balance beam, in addition to a 9.725 on vault last weekend vs. UNH. Junior Kristen Coleman was back in action against the Wildcats, following a week off due to injury. Coleman placed third in the all-around with a 38.800, and her 9.800 on the bars tied her for first with UNH's Maria Pena Trestini.
