Michigan State University Athletics
Gymnastics Face Top-Ranking Opponents in Quad-Meet
1/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 20, 2012
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State gymnastics team will participate in a tough quad-meet against No. 5 Alabama, No. 9 Penn State and Cornell on Saturday (Jan. 21). Competition will begin at 7 p.m. at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa.
"The rotation for a quad-meet is different than a dual, so we've been trying to practice the way the meet will be set up," said head coach Kathie Klages. "We practiced really well but the last two meets we've had uncharacteristic falls on the beam and uneven bars. I think that's because of nerves, so we've been focusing on the mental aspect of competition as well."
The Spartans enter the weekend with a team average score of 191.025 for 40th overall in the nation. MSU's highest team score is on the vault, where an average mark of 48.688 ties the Green and White for 27th nationally.
Individually, redshirt sophomore Taira Neal is the top Spartan. She is tied for 14th in the country and is fourth in the region on the vault with an average score of 9.888. Freshman Ashley Noll and senior Jackie Berg are tied for 18th in the region in the floor exercise, with scores of 9.750 each. In the all-around, Dani Levy's 38.188 average is good enough for 11th regionally.
Last weekend, Michigan State (0-2 overall, 0-1Big Ten) fell to No. 25 Iowa, but not before Neal and Noll each tallied career-best scores. The duo took first and second place on the vault with Neal posting a 9.925 and Noll a 9.825 score. Noll also scored a 9.825 in the floor exercise and finished first in the event.
"We know how good this team really is, we just haven't seen it on the competition floor yet. We need to be at our best so we can show the gymnastics world that Michigan State can stack up against top schools," said Klages.
No. 13 Penn State enters the competition with an average team score of 195.950 after defeating New Hampshire last week. Junior Sharaya Musser leads the Nittany Lions in three individual events and the all-around. She owns team-best average scores on the vault (9.925), the balance beam (9.900), the uneven bars (9.825) and the all-around (39.463).
Defending National Champion, Alabama, is currently ranked No. 5 in the country and is coming off a 196.475-196.325 win over rival Georgia last week. The Crimson Tide is posting a team average score of 196.475 and is in the Top Ten nationally on the vault (No. 2), the balance beam (No. 5) and the floor exercise (No. 5). Geralen Stack-Eaton sits atop the national vault rankings and was named the SEC Gymnast of the Week after scoring a perfect 10.0 on the vault against Georgia.
Cornell opened the 2012 season with a 188.950 to finish fourth at George Washington's Lindsey Ferris Invitational. Melanie Standridge led the Big Red with her 9.800 mark and first place finish on the balance beam.
The Spartan gymnasts return to East Lansing next Saturday (Jan. 28) to host Illinois State in the sixth annual Jan Howard Memorial Flip for a Cure Meet. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in the Jenison Field House.
