Gymnastics Hosts UIC in Season Opener on Friday

Jan. 5, 2017

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State gymnastics team opens up its season on Friday at home vs. the University of Illinois-Chicago. The meet is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET in Jenison Fieldhouse. The meet will be streamed live on BTN Plus and livestats can be found on msuspartans.com.

"The team has been fired up since the return from the holidays," said head coach Kathie Klages. "After a four month preseason, they are ready to get into a competition and show the gymnastics world how their hard work has paid off. Though we have a few injuries that will sideline a couple of gymnasts, we have gymnasts that are ready to step in and make the most of their opportunities. The team is ready to show Spartan Nation what we are made of this season!"

MSU looks to pick up where it left off after a strong finish to the 2016 season in which the Spartans were the 28th-ranked team in the final national poll. The Spartans finished the 2016 regular season 10-10 overall and 4-5 in the conference, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships at the University of Georgia. MSU's 195.350 team score at the NCAA Regional was its second-highest score ever at an NCAA Regional, just shy of 2015's score of 195.375. MSU had improved throughout the season, as MSU's 196.300 team score at the Big Five meet was tied for sixth-best score in program history.

"We are looking for energy on the competition floor with confident, consistent performances, and a great foundation to build upon for the rest of the season," said Klages heading into Friday's season opener. "The benefits of opening at home are that we will have our home crowd on hand to cheer us on."

Klages begins her 27th season at the helm of the Spartan program and is the longest-tenured head coach in the Spartan athletic department. Assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Rowe is in his third year with the program after coaching for nine years at the University of Pittsburgh, while assistant coach Nicole Curler is also in her fourth year with the program after a standout career as a Spartan gymnast.

Senior Kira Frederick and junior Anna Gamelo have both been named as the Spartans' Gymnasts to Watch in the Big Ten, while the team has been picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll.

Frederick missed three meets in 2016 as she battled injuries, but still was able to contribute to MSU' s success, particularly on floor exercise where she owned an RQS that ranked 10th in the Big Ten. The Academic All-Big Ten selection placed fourth on floor at the Big Ten Championships.

At the end of last season, the program announced its leadership council for the upcoming year, consisting of seniors Kira Frederick, Elena Lagoski and Holly Ryan, along with junior Anna Gamelo, sophomore Jessica Ling, and incoming freshman Gabriella Douglas.

At the Big Ten Championships last season, Lagoski (floor) and sophomore Hailee Westney (bars) each earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Championship Team with top-three finishes.

Lagoski has been the Spartans' anchor on floor throughout her career. She was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection and with her second-place finish, was named to the All-Championship team at the B1G Championships. With a floor RQS that ranked fourth regionally and 24th nationally, Lagoski owns five of the top 15 floor scores in Spartan history.

Sophomore Hailee Westney is a bars specialist who also contributed on beam last season. Her career-best 9.900 on bars at the Big Ten Championships earned her not only a third-place finish, but also a spot on the B1G All-Championship team.

Up next, Michigan State travels to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in Iowa City.