Spartan Gymnastics Announces Captains for 2022 Season
12/20/2021 12:08:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State gymnastics head coach Mike Rowe announced a trio of captains for the 2022 season on Monday. Lea Mitchell, Ashley Hofelich and Alaina Raybon will lead the Spartans this year, backed by numerous years of experience with the squad.
"We decided to go with three team captains this year as our leadership has continually grown, especially with Lea, Alaina and Ashley, and their team wouldn't have had it any other way," Rowe commented. "They are leaders whether they are in the gym during practice, planning community outreach and other team activities, or just being a 'go-to' person for just about anything."
A fifth-year senior and native of Boynton Beach, Florida, Mitchell is serving as a co-captain of the Spartans for the third season. She is a three-time WCGA Scholastic All-American and Big Ten Gymnast to Watch, and has twice competed at NCAA Regionals. She was named to the All-Big Ten Second-Team in 2019 and garnered First-Team accolades in 2020. In addition, she was the 2021 recipient of the Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award. Mitchell posted a season-high 9.850 on bars and 9.875 on floor in the shortened 2021 season.
Hofelich, a native of Novi, Michigan, serves as a team captain for the first time in her Spartan career. She has twice been named Academic All-Big Ten and WCGA Scholastic All-America. In her junior season, Hofelich posted a season-high 9.775 on vault. She landed in a three-way tie for fifth place on floor with a 9.850 at the MSU Tri-Meet vs. Nebraska and Ohio State.
Raybon hails from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and is a senior gymnast for the Green & White. She is also a WCGA Scholastic All-American and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Raybon is coming off of setting a career-best in 2020 of 9.900 on bars, her first 9.900 on any event of her Spartan career. In 2020 she was a recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
"Lea, Alaina and Ashley bring an abundance of experience, enthusiasm and compassion which will help keep the team focused and on track to do great things this season," Rowe added. "We are extremely proud of their accomplishments throughout their collegiate careers as Spartans, and are anxiously anticipating their contributions and success of 2022!"
MSU gymnastics begins the regular season in the New Year, taking on UC Davis, UW Oshkosh and Sacramento State in a quad meet on January 9 in Davis, California.The Spartans' first home meet takes place on January 15 at 7 p.m. with a tri-meet with Bowling Green and Illinois State.
The full upcoming gymnastics schedule can be viewed HERE, and home meet tickets can be purchased online HERE.
"We decided to go with three team captains this year as our leadership has continually grown, especially with Lea, Alaina and Ashley, and their team wouldn't have had it any other way," Rowe commented. "They are leaders whether they are in the gym during practice, planning community outreach and other team activities, or just being a 'go-to' person for just about anything."
A fifth-year senior and native of Boynton Beach, Florida, Mitchell is serving as a co-captain of the Spartans for the third season. She is a three-time WCGA Scholastic All-American and Big Ten Gymnast to Watch, and has twice competed at NCAA Regionals. She was named to the All-Big Ten Second-Team in 2019 and garnered First-Team accolades in 2020. In addition, she was the 2021 recipient of the Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award. Mitchell posted a season-high 9.850 on bars and 9.875 on floor in the shortened 2021 season.
Hofelich, a native of Novi, Michigan, serves as a team captain for the first time in her Spartan career. She has twice been named Academic All-Big Ten and WCGA Scholastic All-America. In her junior season, Hofelich posted a season-high 9.775 on vault. She landed in a three-way tie for fifth place on floor with a 9.850 at the MSU Tri-Meet vs. Nebraska and Ohio State.
Raybon hails from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and is a senior gymnast for the Green & White. She is also a WCGA Scholastic All-American and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Raybon is coming off of setting a career-best in 2020 of 9.900 on bars, her first 9.900 on any event of her Spartan career. In 2020 she was a recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
"Lea, Alaina and Ashley bring an abundance of experience, enthusiasm and compassion which will help keep the team focused and on track to do great things this season," Rowe added. "We are extremely proud of their accomplishments throughout their collegiate careers as Spartans, and are anxiously anticipating their contributions and success of 2022!"
MSU gymnastics begins the regular season in the New Year, taking on UC Davis, UW Oshkosh and Sacramento State in a quad meet on January 9 in Davis, California.The Spartans' first home meet takes place on January 15 at 7 p.m. with a tri-meet with Bowling Green and Illinois State.
The full upcoming gymnastics schedule can be viewed HERE, and home meet tickets can be purchased online HERE.
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