Michigan State University
#23 Illinois
Spartan Gymnastics Hosts No. 23 Illinois on Sunday for Alumni Day
2/15/2020 9:56:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
MSU hosts its second ranked opponent of the season at Jenison Field House Sunday at 2 p.m.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State gymnastics returns home to East Lansing following a two-meet road swing, hosting No. 23 Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 16. The meet featuring the Spartans and Fighting Illini is set to begin at 2 p.m. at Jenison Field House.
Sunday's meet will be streamed on BTN+ and live results will be posted on MSUSpartans.com.
After the meet, Michigan State will honor the program's alumni for Alumni Day celebrations.
SPARTAN NOTES ...
- Michigan State won its second Big Ten dual of the season at Rutgers on Feb. 2. MSU is now tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings with three other teams standing at 2-2.
- Junior Lea Mitchell won her fourth all-around title of the season and second-consecutive title, posting a score of 39.300 at Rutgers.
- Mitchell earned score of 9.900 on floor exercise, marking her third score of 9.900 or higher this season and fourth floor title.
- Freshman Jori Jackard continues to show her dominance as an uneven bars specialist, as she posted her fourth-consecutive 9.800 or higher at Rutgers, with a 9.850 to place second among all bars competitors.
- The Spartans' season-best team score of 196.550 on Jan. 26 was the fifth-best score in program history. The mark was led by the Spartans tying its program-best floor score of 49.475 which was last reached at the 2017 Big Ten Championships.
- Sunday's meet against No. 23 Illinois will be MSU's second top-25 dual opponent of the season. MSU fell to then-ranked No. 16 Nebraska at home on Jan. 26.
LAST TIME OUT ...
Michigan State reached its second-best team score of the season at Rutgers on Feb. 8, tallying a 195.675. This was the best team road score of the season.
MSU also scored above 49.000 on floor for the first time on the road this season, notching a score of 49.050.
The Spartans won or earned a share of three event titles, led by Mitchell who won the all-around with a score of 39.300 and top honors on floor exercise, with a 9.900.
Senior Gabirella Douglas and freshman Nyah Smith earned a share of top honors on vault, tying with Rutgers' Kaitlyn Hall with matching 9.825's.
LEAVING IT ALL ON THE FLOORÂ . . .
The Spartan floor squad continues to shine as they are ranked 17th in the nation and third in the conference, averaging a 49.083.
Douglas, Mitchell and sophomore Ashley Hofelich have been the most consistent Spartans on floor, with all three posting at least one score of 9.900 or higher.
SPARTANS REIGN ON BEAM . . .
Michigan State ranks 15th in the nation and third in the conference, averaging a score of 48.967.
Douglas ranks sixth in the Big Ten, averaging a 9.858. She captured a career-best 9.950 in a tri-meet with Central Michigan and Illinois State on Jan. 11 to tie for the second-best individual beam score in program history.
ROOKIES IN THE LINEUPÂ . . .
Three freshmen have become fixtures in the Spartan rotation this season, including Chloe Bellmore (DeWitt, Mich.) on vault, beam and floor, Jori Jackard (Haslett, Mich.) on bars and Nyah Smith (West Bloomfield, Mich.) in the all-around competition.
Jackard won her first event title as a Spartan as she posted a 9.900 on bars vs. No. 16 Nebraska on Jan. 26, she then earned her second bars title at Iowa on Feb. 1, tying for top honors with Mitchell.
Jackard's 9.900 in the dual against No. 16 Nebraska was the first 9.900 or higher for the Spartans on bars this season.
O CAPTAINS! OUR CAPTAINS! . . .
Senior Gabriella Douglas and junior Lea Mitchell will serve as the co-captains for the 2020 season.
Douglas and Mitchell are serving as co-captains for the second-straight season. The duo were both named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and gathered Big Ten All-Championships Team accolades in 2019. Also, the co-captains both competed at the NCAA Regionals in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last season.
"Ella and Lea have once again been designated as the Spartan Gymnastics Team Captains for the 2019-20 season by their teammates and coaches," Rowe said. "When it comes to leadership in the classroom and out, and especially in the arena, they complement each other by setting the standards that exemplify the values, philosophies and long-range goals of our program."
FIGHTING ILLINI NOTESÂ . . .
After facing three-consecutive top-20 opponents to begin its Big Ten slate, No. 23 Illinois edged Penn State, 195.725-195.425 on Friday, Feb. 7 for the team's first conference win of the season.
After being down in each of the first three rotations, the Fighting Illini rallied to a comeback victory over the Nittany Lions, tallying a score of 49.125 on floor in the last rotation.
The 49.125 was the team's second-best floor score of the season and was led by five scores of 9.800 or better.
Head coach Nadalie Walsh is in her third season at the helm of the Illinois gymnastics program. In each of her first two seasons, Walsh's team qualified to NCAA Regionals.
LAST MEETING WITH ILLINOIS . . .
In the last dual between the two programs, the Fighting Illini bested the Spartans, 195.100-194.575 in Champaign.
TANGLING WITH RANKED OPPONENTS . . .
The Spartans face a strong competition field this season as seven 2020 opponents are currently ranked in the top-25 of the Road to Nationals poll.
This week's meet with No. 23 Illinois marks the Spartans' second ranked opponent of the season, with the first against No. 16 Nebraska on Jan. 26.
MSU will face three ranked Big Ten foes next week at the Elevate the Stage event in No. 24 Maryland, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Minnesota. Penn State sits just out of the top-25 at No. 28, while the Spartans come in at No. 32.
UP NEXTÂ . . .
Michigan State gymnastics will compete at the Big Five - Elevate the Stage meet next weekend at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. MSU will take the stage on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. with No. 24 Maryland, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Minnesota and Penn State.
Players Mentioned
