Spartans Head To Rutgers For Quad Meet

Jan. 29, 2015

Michigan State at Rutgers with Brown and Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Dates	Saturday, January 31, 2015 Piscataway, N.J. \| Livingston Rec Center
Video Stream	None
Live Scoring	http://www.scarletknights.com/sports/w-gym/rutu-w-gym-body.html
Download Game Notes	Michigan State \| Rutgers \| Brown \| Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Social Media	@MSUgymnastics \| Facebook

SERIES NOTES

• Michigan State will travel to Piscataway, N.J. on Saturday, January 31 to face Rutgers, Brown and UW Oshkosh in the team's first quad meet of the season.

• As of January 26th, the Spartans are ranked 21st nationally while moving to sixth in the Big Ten after a 196.875-195.750 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, January 25. The team is tied for 13th in the nation on beam, while ranking 16th on floor.

• The Spartans hold a perfect 3-0 record against Rutgers all-time. The last meeting between MSU and Rutgers took place on March 8, 2003 when the Spartans defeated the Scarlet Knights by a score of 195.450-193.700. MSU currently holds the sixth spot in the Big Ten, while Rutgers ranks ninth.

• MSU holds a 3-0 all-time series mark against Brown University. February 12, 2011 was the last meeting between the two schools, where the Spartans took a 193.425-191.500 edge over the Bears. Nationally, the Bears are ranked 54th.

• Saturday will mark the first meeting between Michigan State and Wisconsin-Oshkosh. UW Oshkosh is ranked 78th in the national poll and holds a season-high 183.375 as a team.

TEAM NOTES

• Against Minnesota, the Spartans posted a season-best team score of 195.750. MSU has increased its team score in each of the first three meets despite injuries to top all-arounders Ashley Noll and Alina Cartwright.

• In the last two meets (at Iowa and vs. Minnesota) the Spartans have posted a total of 21 career highs during the four events and in all-around competition.

• All six Spartans marked career-bests on vault against Minnesota (Katie Richter, Tori Huehn, Elena Lagoski, Lisa Burt, Anna Gamelo, Nicola Deans).

• Sophomore Richter made her debut as a Spartan in the 2015 home opener, scoring a 9.550 on vault.

• Both Burt and Deans earned career highs in all-around competition against Minnesota. Burt, who recorded first place all-around finishes in the first two meets of the season, notched a 39.475 and placed second overall. Deans, who hit all four routines for the first time since a season-ending injury in 2014, placed fourth with a score of 39.175.

• Michigan State is closing in on its 500th win as a program with an all-time record of 499-253-4 in its 40 varsity seasons. Head coach Kathie Klages has been at the head of the program for 320 of those wins.

• Klages is in her 25th season as head coach of the MSU gymnastics program. She is the longest-tenured head 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Up next, the Spartans travel to State College, Pa. on February 7 to compete in what will be the fourth Big Ten matchup of the season. Both Penn State and Michigan State currently sit at 1-1 in the Big Ten.

• Mark your calendars! The Spartans will return home on Friday, February 13 to compete against in-state rival University of Michigan. This meet will serve as the annual alumni meet. All alumni are asked to contact Nicole Curler (curlerni@ath.msu.edu) if interested in participating.

• Just two days later (Feb. 15) the Spartans will host Pittsburgh in what will serve as the annual Autism Awareness Meet.