Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Head to Iowa, Take on Hawkeyes and BSU
1/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
| Michigan State at Iowa with Ball State | |
| Dates | Sunday, January 18, 2015 Iowa City, Iowa | Carver Hawkeye Arena |
| Video Stream | None |
| Live Scoring | http://www.hawkeyesports.com/ |
| Download Game Notes | Michigan State | Iowa | Ball State |
| Social Media | @MSUgymnastics  | Facebook  |
SERIES NOTES
• To begin the Big Ten competition, Michigan State will travel to Iowa City, Iowa to face the University of Iowa as well as Ball State University on Sunday, Jan. 18. Competition will begin at 2 p.m. in the UI Fieldhouse.
• The Spartans, Hawkeyes, and Cardinals are all in search for their first win of the 2015 season.
• Michigan State has faced Iowa 55 times, resulting in a 36-19 all-time series edge in favor of the Spartans. Under head coach Kathie Klages, MSU holds a 24-19 record over the Hawkeyes. In the most recent meeting between the two schools, the Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes 194.150-193.750 on February 7, 2014.
• MSU holds a perfect 20-0 record against the Ball State. The last time the two schools met was in East Lansing on Feb. 24, 2012, where the Spartans outscored the Cardinals 195.025-193.300.
TEAM NOTES
• Last week, MSU fell to Bowling Green by a score of 194.775-194.075. The Hawkeyes also fell in their season-opener, losing to LSU 197.123-193.00(1/9/15). Ball State opened up the 2015 season facing Florida, which resulted in a 196.925-193.700 loss for the Cardinals (1/11/15).
• Last time out, Lisa Burt tied for first place with BGSU's Alyssa Nocella in all-around competition, earning a score of 39.025. This crown marks Burt's third career all-around title as a Spartan. Competing on beam for the first time in her career against BGSU, Kira Frederick earned a first place finish with an impressive score of 9.850, helping MSU capture the event win by a 48.675-48.600 margin .
• Michigan State added three freshmen to the roster for the 2015 season: Hailee Westney, Anna Gamelo, and Tori Huehn.
• Three Spartans represented Michigan State at the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships. Alina Cartwright led the Spartans and tied for fifth in all-around competition with a score of 39.325. Lisa Burt followed Cartwright and tied for seventh in all-around competition, notching a score of 39.200. In her first appearance at the regional meet, Elena Lagoski earned a score of 9.875 to place ninth overall on the floor exercise.
• Cartwright is coming off of a successful 2014 season, being named First Team All-Big Ten. She is the first Spartan to be named First Team All-Big Ten since assistant coach Nicole Curler accomplished this in the 2010 season. Cartwright was voted the program's Outstanding Gymnast by her teammates in 2014.
• Kathie Klages is in her 25th season as head coach of the MSU gymnastics program. She is the longest-tenured coach in the athletic department. The Spartans welcome assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Rowe to the program after coaching nine years at the University of Pittsburgh. Both Rowe and assistant coach Nicole Curler are MSU alumni.
• Michigan State is closing in on its 500th win as a program with an all-time record of 497-253-4 in its 40 years as a varsity program. Head coach Kathie Klages has been at the head of the program for 318 of those wins.
• The Spartans had seven gymnasts receive Academic All-Big Ten honors in the 2013-2014 school year. Klages has had 136 Academic All-Big Ten selections over her 25 years at the helm of MSU, as well as 115 student-athletes on the NACGC/W Scholar-Americans list.
• Cartwright and Burt have been selected as Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch for the 2015 season, as announced by the conference office in December.
• Later this season, the Spartans will look to make a difference at the annual Jan Howard Memorial Breast Cancer Awareness Meet that will take place on Saturday, January 24, as well as the Autism Awareness Meet that will be held on Sunday, February 15. Both meets will be in East Lansing at Jenison Fieldhouse.
• Up next, the Spartans will host Minnesota in their 2015 home opener on Saturday, Jan. 24. Competition will begin at 4 p.m. at Jenison Fieldhouse. This meet will serve as the annual Jan Howard Memorial Breast Cancer Awareness Meet.
