Jones and Wright Named WCGA Region Four Assistants of the Year
4/3/2023 3:00:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the second-straight year, the Michigan State gymnastics assistant coaching staff has been recognized as the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Region Four Assistants of the Year, as announced by the organization Monday.Â
Spartan associate head coach Nicole Jones and first-year assistant coach Devin Wright share the honor with Kentucky's Rachel Garrison and Chad West as well as Ball State's Cassandra Winger and Scott Wilson. The awards mark the sixth WCGA Assistant Coach of the Year honors in Spartan history.Â
MSU wrapped up another record-breaking season under Jones' and Wright's guidance, breaking the team overall record twice and setting new team records on vault, bars and beam. The Spartans ended the season in the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional final, marking MSU's second-straight appearance in an NCAA Regional Final. Â
The Spartans finished the season with a record of 25-6, their highest win total since a 27-3 mark in 1996. MSU also captured the Big Ten Regular Season title for the first time in school history.Â
Jones earns her second Assistant of the Year award after collecting the same honor in 2022. The Spartans' beam coach, Jones led MSU to three of the top team five beam scores in program history in 2023, highlighted by a program-record 49.600 in a tri-meet against Bowling Green and LIU on April 5. MSU ended the regular season ranked 12th on the event with a national qualifying score of 49.385. Three gymnasts – Baleigh Garcia, Skyla Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen – scored 9.950s on the event during the season. Jones also coached Stephen to an NCAA Championships individual qualifying spot on beam.Â
Wright collects her first Assistant of the Year award in her first season as a collegiate coach, leading the Spartans on vault and floor. MSU broke the vault record twice, posting the current record of 49.575 vs. Bowling Green and LIU, and tied the floor program record of 49.675 in a dual with Northern Illinois on March 11. MSU ended the regular season ranked eighth on vault (49.380 NQS) and ninth on floor (49.500 NQS). Wright also led Delanie Harkness to the NCAA Championships as an individual on floor and coached Nikki Smith to a 10.000 on vault on March 5, the third-ever 10.000 on vault in school history and first since 2008.Â
Jones is in her 13th season with the Spartan coaching staff and sixth as an associate head coach. Wright is in her first season with MSU, joining the Spartans after spending five years as a club coach at Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy.Â
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