No. 18 Michigan State Gymnastics Hosts Illinois In Weekend Action

Feb. 15, 2007

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Spartan gymnastics team is ranked No. 18 in the most recent GymInfo Top 25 Poll that was released on Feb. 12, following a first-place finish (194.000) at the Fox Run Invitational, hosted by the University of New Hampshire on Feb. 12. Freshman tumbler Rochelle Robinson turned in the first perfect 10.0 score in Spartan gymnastics history on vault at the Fox Run Invitational, earning Co-Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors for her efforts on Feb. 14. Michigan State continues the 2007 regular season this Saturday when it plays host to fellow Big Ten competitor, Illinois, at Jenison Field House at 7 p.m. The Spartans hold a 27-13 lead in the all-time series with the Illini.

Fox Run Invitational Recap
Behind Rochelle Robinson's perfect 10.0 on vault, MSU won its second straight meet with a team score of 194.000 at the Fox Run Invitational. Robinson's flawless score was the first perfect 10 in Spartan gymnastics history. Host New Hampshire took second with a 193.925, followed by No. 22 West Virginia (193.075) and Brown (184.500).

Scouting The Illini
Illinois most recently fell to No. 6 Nebraska and No. 8 Michigan in a tri-meet hosted by the Wolverines on Feb. 9. The Fighting Illini posted a 192.525, while the Wolverines and Cornhuskers posted scores of 195.825 and 195.350, respectively. Freshman Nicole Coward led the Illini with three fourth-place finishes at the event, while sophomore Julie Crall posted a career-best 9.850 to finish fifth on the vault.

History Maker
Rochelle Robinson's perfect 10.0 on vault at the Fox Run Invitational marks the first flawless score ever recorded by a Spartan gymnast. The Chesapeake, Va., native now holds the top three spots all-time on the vault. She set the previous Spartan benchmark with a 9.950 at the Flip For the Cure Meet on Jan. 27. Nationally, just three gymnasts have been awarded perfect scores this season.

National Spotlight
In the Feb. 12 individual national rankings, senior Kristen Coleman ranks 19th in the all-around competition with an average score of 39.235, tied for 14th on the uneven bars with a 9.870 and 12th on the balance beam with an average mark of 9.840 through the first five meets of the season. Freshman Rochelle Robinson continues to impress during her rookie campaign. She currently ranks seventh on the vault with an average of 9.890.

Kudos "All-Around"
For the first time this season Michigan State swept the top three spots in the all-around competition when Kristen Coleman won her third straight all-around title with a 39.375, while Robinson (38.875) and Katlyn Roggensack (38.775) finished second and third, respectively.

Freshman Rochelle Robinson turned in the first perfect 10.0 score in MSU history on Feb. 12.

Did You Know?
Through the first five meets of the 2007 season, the freshmen class has accounted for 13 first-place individual event finishes and one top score in the all-around competition.

RQS
Michigan State does not currently hold a RQS - regional qualifying score - due to a lack of away meets thus far in 2007. A RQS is based on a team's top six regular-season scores, with three scores coming from away meets. To obtain the RQS, the team's or gymnast's highest score is dropped and the remaining five scores are averaged. Among league opponents, only Michigan ranks higher (No. 9) with a season average of 196.125, compared to MSU's 194.370 at the No. 18 position.

Big Ten Gymnasts Of The Week
After not receiving a Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honoree since the 2005 season, Michigan State has earned the honor four times thus far in 2007.

Freshman Rochelle Robinson earned her second Gymnast of the Week accolade after becoming the first gymnast in Michigan State history to record a perfect score, when she posted a 10.0 on vault at the Fox Run Invitational on Feb. 10. Robinson is just one of three gymnasts in the nation who have recorded a flawless score this season. The Chesapeake, Va., native, also claimed second place in the all-around competition with a 38.875. Robinson currently holds the top three scores on the MSU all-time record chart. She shared the Feb. 14 weekly honor with Michigan's Tatjana Thuenor-Rego

Robinson garnered her first career Gymnast of the Week honor on Feb. 7 for her outstanding performance at the State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 3. She claimed top honors on the vault and floor exercise with a pair of 9.925 scores, and also matched teammate Kristen Coleman's first-place finish on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.825. Robinson helped the Spartans claim the State of Michigan Classic team title, their first since the 2003 season.

Kristen Coleman won the award on Jan. 31 for her record-breaking performance at the Jan. 27 Flip For The Cure Meet. Coleman set a new Spartan benchmark with a 39.525 in the all-around competition, adding first-place finishes on the bars (9.950) and beam (9.850), while she tied with teammate Nicole Curler for first place on the floor exercise (9.850).

Freshman tumbler Nicole Curler earned her first-career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor on Jan. 17. Curler picked up the weekly honor after winning both the balance beam (9.925) and floor exercise (9.875), while also tying for first in the all-around against No. 16 Arizona on Jan. 12. The Bay City, Mich., native tied with teammate Kristen Coleman in the all-around competition, tallying a mark of 39.400. Curler helped MSU achieve its highest team mark on the uneven bars since the 2000 season and the third-highest in Spartan history (49.325).

Career Performances
Several Spartans have posted career highs in 2007, including senior Kristen Coleman, who has set four this season. Her 9.950 on the uneven bars at the Flip For the Cure Meet (1/27), her balance beam routine that scored a 9.950 at the Fox Run Invitational (2/8) and her floor exercise score of 9.900 at the State of Michigan Classic (2/3) were all career-bests for the Cornwall, Ontario, native. In addition, her all-around mark of 39.525 at the Flip For The Cure Meet set a new Spartan benchmark in that category.

State Of Michigan Classic Recap
Michigan State won its first State of Michigan Classic since the 2003 season on Feb. 3 at Jenison Field House, posting a season-best team score of 196.350. State defeated No. 9 Michigan, who finished second with a score of 195.775, followed by Central Michigan in third (193.475), Eastern Michigan in fourth (193.125) and Western Michigan (191.975) in fifth. Spartan tumbler Kristen Coleman claimed her second consecutive all-around crown with a mark of 39.450, while MSU's Nicole Curler finished second with a score of 39.350.

Three Strong
Freshman Rochelle Robinson claimed three individual titles at the prestigious State of Michigan Classic on Feb. 3. The Chesapeake, Va., native claimed top honors on the vault and floor exercise with a pair of 9.925's, while matching teammate Kristen Coleman for first place on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.825.

Flip For The Cure Meet Recap
Despite a school-record performance of 39.525 by Kristen Coleman in the all-around competition, the Michigan State gymnastics team suffered a 194.850-194.425 defeat to Ohio State on Jan. 27. UIC also competed in the Flip For The Cure Meet, which benefited the American Cancer Society Strides For Breast Cancer cause, finishing third with an overall score of 190.125. Coleman took first-place honors on the uneven bars (9.950) and balance beam (9.850), and finished tied for first on the floor exercise with teammate Nicole Curler with a mark of 9.850, while her all-around mark was the meet's top performance. Coleman's all-around tally was the highest Spartan mark since the 1996 season.

Looking Back
The Spartans ended the 2006 season with a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship Meet at Jenison Field House and a trip to the NCAA Central Regionals held on the campus of Louisiana State University. The Big Ten finish was the highest since 1996, and the regional meet appearance was the 15th in Spartan history, and eighth under Klages. Kristen Coleman was the Spartans' top scorer on all-four events at the Regional Championship, as the Green and White wrapped up its season with a fifth-place finish and a score of 193.575. In addition to her third-place finish in the all-around (39.125), Coleman added a sixth-place finish on the uneven bars, scoring a 9.800 to clinch her spot at the national meet and prolong her season as an individual competitor.

Conference Honors
Prior to the 2006 conference championship meet, junior Kristen Coleman and classmate Victoria Iakounina were named to the All-Big Ten First and Second Teams, respectively. The honor was Coleman's first All-Big Ten selection, while Iakounina also earned second-team honors and was named Freshman of the Year in 2004. Senior Sarah Alexander was also recognized as Michigan State's sportsmanship award honoree. In addition, Spartan head coach Kathie Klages was named the 2006 Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year, at a post-championship awards ceremony. It was the third-such honor, and the second in three seasons, for Coach Klages.

Head Coach Kathie Klages
Kathie Klages is in her 17th season at the helm of the Michigan State gymnastics program in 2007. She is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year award winner, and has been named Central Region Coach of the Year four times. Klages' teams have been consistently successful, as she has posted a winning record in each of her previous 16 seasons leading the Green and White. In 2006, Klages guided MSU to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship Meet, mentored the 10th Big Ten individual event champion in school history (Chayla Hill, vault) and led State to its 15th appearance in NCAA Regional competition.

Scoring Rundown
Unlike other collegiate athletic rankings, collegiate gymnastic rankings are not based on wins and losses or votes. Gymnastic teams are ranked by their meet scores alone. Teams are ranked by their highest score during the opening portion of the season and are then ranked by their total season average. The teams finish the dual-meet season ranked by their Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). A RQS is based on a team's top six regular-season scores, with three scores coming from away meets. To obtain the RQS, the team's or gymnast's highest score is dropped and the remaining five scores are averaged.

Spartan Gymnastics Signs Two For 2008
Two gymnasts have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Michigan State, beginning with the 2007 fall semester. Nicole Argiros (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson High School/Michigan Academy of Gymnastics) and Kathryn Mahoney (Western Spring, Ill./Lyons Township High School/Illinois Gymnastics Institute) will don the Green and White for the 2008 season.