“I think I succeeded by not focusing on the outcome, focusing on each event individually,” Burt said. “What I’m doing, and what I need to do. Not focusing on the big picture, whether or not my score is good enough, whether I’m going to make it or not. Just enjoying the time with my team.”

The MSU gymnastics team achieved a sixth-place finish at the Athens Regional. They achieved a 195.350 score. The team’s top placer was Burt’s teammate, junior Elena Lagoski. Lagoski finished third in the floor event.

This year, the Spartans advanced to regionals for the second consecutive season. Burt, an All-Big Ten performer and one of the team’s four seniors, was one of the team’s leaders during the regular season. Burt said she sees a bright future for the gymnastics team.

“We have a lot of talent in our freshman class,” Burt said. “Even our incoming class. I think, if the upperclassmen lead the lowerclassmen, it will go nowhere but up.”

Burt will move on to the NCAA National Championships meet, which is to be held April 15-16 in Fort Worth, Texas. She will be the eleventh Spartan to ever compete at nationals, and the first since 2010, when Nicole Curler advanced to the national championship meet.

Curler is now an assistant coach for the MSU gymnastics team. Burt said she will look to Curler for advice in her two weeks of preparation for the competition.

“Once we get closer, she’ll clue me in about how it all works, and what worked for her,” Burt said.