Spartan Gymnastics Opens 2008 Season on Friday Night
1/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 10, 2008
Head Coach Kathie Klages' Weekly Press Conference
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State University gymnastics team begins the 2008 season on Friday night in Jenison Field House, as the Spartans welcome Western Michigan. The night's events are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
MSU, ranked No. 21 ranking in 2008 GymInfo Preseason Coaches poll, has not lost to the Broncos in their 45 all-time meetings.
The Spartans return nine letterwinners from last year's team that finished No. 17 in the country. Despite losing 2007 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, Kristen Coleman, the Spartans welcome back two All-Big Ten First team members - sophomores Nicole Curler and Rochelle Robinson, a solid core of experienced upperclassmen and six talented freshmen.
"The team is focused on moving this program to the next level," said Head Coach Kathie Klages, who is entering her 18th season at the helm of the Green and White. "They are doing whatever it takes to improve their difficulty level, consistency, and confidence. The desire to improve upon last year's No. 17 national ranking is very strong."
The Spartans return three seniors, only two however that will compete during the 2008 season. Rhiannon Banda-Scott is determined to have her best collegiate season in her final year. She has recovered fully from her shoulder injury and looks more powerful that ever on the vault and the floor. Bethany Little is recovering from a foot injury but is focused on competing on bars for her senor year. She is training hard and will be a major player on that event. Megan McNally has been fighting a shoulder injury during her entire MSU career and was forced to retire this offseason.
"This class has had to fight to continue with the sport they love," said Klages. "The end of their careers is in sight and they want to help take this team to the next level. The loss of Megan will hurt us on the beam and the floor, but her leadership on the sidelines will be important to the growth of the 2008 team."
Katlyn Roggensack is the leader of this program and spearheads the crusade to take it to the next level. She has two years of experience and has worked very hard to improve her gymnastics. She is expected to again be a strong all-arounder this season. The lone other junior, Dani Fanning brings depth to the bar, beam and floor exercise events. With the experience she has gained over the two years of collegiate gymnastics, she is a valuable asset to the program.
"The junior class has experience and leadership to help this team reach its goals this season," said Klages. "With 12 freshmen and sophomores, Katlyn and Dani will be relied upon to help the seniors guide this team into the national spotlight."
The MSU roster includes six sophomores, most of which played a major role in the success of the 2007 team in only their first season in East Lansing.
Nicole Curler had a taste of success last season and is eager for more. She was a First Team All-Big Ten honoree and will be a strong all-arounder for the Spartans again this season. Her strengths include her competitiveness and her desire to help the program rise to the national level. Rochelle Robinson had a stellar freshman year capped with a appearance in the NCAA Championships and a selection to the All-Big Ten First Team. Robinson, who scored the first perfect 10.0 in the history of MSU gymnastics, brings NCAA experience to the team and reminds them that she does not want to go back alone this season.
Megan Bergland is recovering from a back injury and is slowly returning to her outstanding gymnastics form. She is a steady performer with beautiful lines, and bars are her strongest event. Kelly Moffitt suffered a knee injury in the second meet of the season and was unable to return to action. She only had a glimpse of the excitement of collegiate competition and is eager to return to the competitive arena. She is expected to compete on vault, beam and floor. Emily Lopatofsky struggled last season with an ankle injury, causing some missed competition time. She is now ready to compete in all four events. Melanie Hunt did not see action in the lineup in 2007, but did compete in the exhibition position last season. She had an outstanding summer of training and will add depth to the lineup on bars and floor.
"The sophomore class has gained a year of valuable experience," said Klages. "They bring knowledge of the long collegiate competitive season, confidence with their performances and the desire to improve upon last season's success."
Six newcomers were added to the Spartan roster this summer. Nikki Argiros, a two-time Region V national team member, suffered a knee injury her senior year and is working her way back into shape in all four events. Argiros is expected to excel on vault and floor, while also bringing some much-needed depth to bars. Kathryn Mahoney finished the 2007 Junior Olympics National Championships in seventh place in the all-around. She is a consistent performer and will see all-around action this season. Nicole Heikkila was a late addition to the team, signing her NLI in June. She competed in the Senior Open Category at the 2007 Canadian National Gymnastics meet and finished fifth in the all-around. She has unique skills that will impress the judges on bars and beam, while she also has a great presence on floor and will add depth to their vault lineup. Kelsey Morley was the hardest-working and most improved gymnast this fall. She has made major improvements in her technique, difficulty and consistency, making her a potential all-arounder this season. Elise Craig is training on the beam and vault for the Spartans. She is a tall girl with long, beautiful lines, who will add depth on the beam and vault. Kristyn Moskal has been sidelined this fall due to a back injury. She expects to begin training this winter to try to regain her excellent bars and vault skills.
"The freshmen class is filled with talent that will make an immediate impact on the team this season," said Klages. "We expect to see these young faces in many competitions throughout the season."
Players Mentioned
