Michigan State Falls to Michigan After Earning Season-Best Team Score 195.425
Spartans Notch Season-Highs On Vault And Bars In Posting Team-Best Outing
ANN ARBOR, Mich., -- Michigan State gymnastics fell to No. 3/1 Michigan, 197.225-195.425 on Sunday, after collecting their highest team score of the season. The Spartans notched two season-high team scores with a 48.800 on vault and 48.825 on bars, to add to their total team score.
Freshman Hailee Westney set a career-high on bars with a 9.825 and senior Brittany Holmes notched a career-high 9.750 on vault and set a season-high on beam with a 9.775.
“I was proud of the team today,” MSU head coach Kathie Klages said. “We had to fight through some unusual circumstances throughout the meet, but the team had each other’s back and we did not have to count a fall. We have some landing issues to work on this week before our Senior Night meet on Friday.”
Michigan State started off on bars, where Westney impressed with a career-high score (9.825) that senior Lisa Burt matched. The pair tied for third overall in the event. Sophomore Anna Gamelo competed for the first time this season on bars, notching a season-high 9.750 in her debut.
Moving to the vault, the Spartans earned two career-highs and two season-highs on the event. Gamelo notched a season-high 9.775 to place sixth overall, while Burt just missed her season-high of 9.775 with her 9.750. Holmes officially competed for the first time this season on the vault, capturing a career-high 9.750. Freshman Drew Hendershot also had an impressive score with a career-high 9.750.
Floor was the Spartans’ strongest event of the night where junior Kira Frederick led the team, placing second overall with a season-high 9.875, just missing her career-high of 9.900. Hendershot earned her second career-high of the meet, notching a 9.850 to tie for third. Burt earned a 9.825, just below her season-high 9.850.
Beam proved to be a difficult event for the Spartans on the night, but Holmes led the team with a strong 9.775 for a new season-high. Burt and senior Ashley Noll both just missed their season-highs for the event, earning a 9.825 and a 9.750, respectively.
The Spartans had impressive outings in the all-around competition, where junior Elena Lagoski earned a career-high all-around score of 38.950, crushing her previous high score of 38.400 earned at Arizona in the season-opener. Burt garnered a 39.225 to secure third place on the night.
The Spartans will return home to Jenison Field House to take on Big Ten opponent Illinois on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 at 7 p.m. The meet will serve as Senior Night, where the Spartans will honor Lisa Burt, Nicola Deans, Brittany Holmes, Ashley Noll, Haley Sedgewick, undergraduate student coach Kate Filosi and manager Kelsey Thomas, as they take part in their last home meet at Michigan State.