MSU gymnastics seniors Nicola Deans and Kira Frederick earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time in their careers as they have been named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, the conference announced Monday.
Deans had a career-best year this season as the 5-foot-5 senior set career highs in the vault with a score of 9.900, floor with 9.950 and the all-around competition with 39.375.
Congratulations to Senior @nickydeans for being named All-Big Ten Second Team! #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/YukUOdv4xo
— MSU Gymnastics (@MSUgymnastics) March 13, 2017
Deans, a native of Canada, has won five floor exercise titles and is the ninth best all-arounder in the Big Ten with a Regional Qualifying Score, or RQS, of 39.135. She has also won the vault at five meets this season and is No. 12 in the Big Ten with a RQS of 9.830.
“Nicola is having the most consistent season of her career and you could see it taking form throughout her pre-season training,” interim head coach Mike Rowe said in an MSU press release. “I believe her confidence has grown immensely, as she now believes in her own capabilities towards being successful without training the numbers that she was accustomed to in the past."
Frederick, a 5-foot-3 senior from Orange Park, Fla., has tallied three floor event titles this season and owns a RQS of 9.865, which is tied for No. 12 in the conference.
Congratulations to Senior @xkirabagheera for being named All-Big Ten Second Team! #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/kTgVW59fHd
— MSU Gymnastics (@MSUgymnastics) March 13, 2017
On Feb. 25, Frederick scored a career-high 9.925 on the floor exercise against No. 21 Arkansas.
“Kira has been a machine this year and has demonstrated great leadership, along with an amazing work ethic that makes her the one that you can always rely on,” Rowe said in the release. “Not only extremely athletic, Kira is known for her beautiful lines and presentation which has led to her consistency and high-achievement on floor."
MSU will now go on the road to Piscataway, N.J. as Rutgers hosts the Big Ten Championships on March 18. The Spartans will compete in the noon session of the meet.
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