Spartan Gymnastics Celebrates Season
5/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
May 21, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - In a conclusion to the 2009 season, the Michigan State gymnastics team, coaches, support staff and loyal followers gathered at the Spartan Stadium Tower for team's postseason banquet to celebrate the year's accomplishments and recognize the team's award winners.
In the awards voted on by the team, senior Katlyn Roggensack was selected as the Most Valuable Gymnast, Megan Bergland was the Spirit Award winner and sophomore Kathryn Mahoney was tabbed as Most Improved. Team manager Amy Labadie was the recipient of the Coaches' Award, which was chosen by the coaching staff.
A four-year letterwinner, Roggensack competed in all 13 meets, including participating in the all-around in six. She finished the season ranked eighth in the Big Ten on vault and recorded 11 top-three finishes, including four first place. Roggensack set a career-high on vault with a 9.925 at the Chicago Style Invitational and notched a career-high 9.875 on floor exercise against Florida. She went on to tie her career high on floor at the Big Ten Championships, tying for 11th overall, and finished in a tie for eighth on vault with a 9.850 at the NCAA Central Regional.
Bergland was forced to retire from gymnastics this season due to injury, but remains a part of the Spartan program as a student coach.
"Megan was selected by her teammates for this award, which I feel speaks volumes," said head coach Kathie Klages. "She had the difficult task of transforming from an active participant to a student coach due to a back injury this season. At first Megan struggled to find her comfort zone, but within a few months she realized how much help she could be from the sideline and became quite an asset to the team."
Mahoney continued competition on balance beam and floor exercise this season and performed on beam in all 13 meets. She tallied three top-three finishes, all on floor exercise and earned the team's top score on floor exercise with a 9.925. Mahoney's success came together in a tri-meet with California and Ball State, where she registered a season-high 9.775 on balance beam and posted a career-high 9.925 on floor exercise, earning top honors for the first time in her career. She also performed on balance beam and floor exercise at the Big Ten Championships, recording a team-high 9.875 on floor and tied for seventh on floor exercise at the NCAA Central Regional.
Labadie is in her second season with the Spartans as the team's manager.
"As a coaching staff, team manager, Amy Labadie, seemed to jump off the page," said Klages. "She was such a driving force with the team and forever helpful to the coaching staff, so it seemed to be the perfect choice for the 2009 Coaches Award."
The Spartans finished the season No. 22 in the final GymInfo national ranking after placing fourth at the NCAA Central Regional. MSU also placed three gymnasts on All-Big Ten teams, marking the sixth time three Spartans have received the honors in a season and the third straight year. Junior Rochelle Robinson was a first team selection, while classmate Nicole Curler and sophomore Kelsey Morley were named to the second team. Morley was a success on balance beam, finishing the year ranked third nationally in the event and first in the Big Ten.
Players Mentioned
