MSU’s squad by no means is the same as the “fierce five” that competed in London, but there are more similarities between the two than many realize.

For the Spartans, the only senior on the team, Taira Neal, has been around the program for the past 5 years.

Her leadership style is atypical — she’s quiet and isn’t going to get in a teammate’s face if they do something wrong. Instead, she will simply tell them the best way to fix the problem.

She has turned into the most recognizable gymnast on the team and the one MSU must count on if they are to succeed.

Neal is the quarterback, the director, the floor general. She’s the one in charge the same way Gabby Douglas was for the Americans in London, where she won the all-around gold medal.

Without necessarily wanting or craving the limelight, both Neal and Douglas morphed into the faces of their respective teams.

Spartan gymnastics and Team USA also have another key comparison, both teams are young and, in some ways, rebuilding.

The Olympic team had just one gymnast over 20, and of the 17 athletes on the roster for the Spartans, 12 are underclassmen, including eight freshmen.

Former Olympians Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin wrapped up their careers in 2008, and the Spartans lost 4 seniors who had key roles in the Spartan rotation a season ago.

For MSU to emerge from the depths of the Big Ten after they finished in last place in 2012, the freshmen will need to step up. The new pool of gymnasts is headlined by 2 freshmen who were named to the Big Ten gymnasts to watch list, Lisa Burt and Nicola Deans.

Burt will be a competitor in the all-around competition this season, and much like Aly Raisman from the USA Olympic team, she is particularly skilled at floor exercise and balance beam.

Raisman won gold in the floor exercise and bronze on the balance beam, and Burt won both events the first time she put her talents on display in a Spartan costume at the Green and White Scrimmage in November.

Deans is skilled in the floor exercise and beam, but is also excellent at vault, like USA’s McKayla Maroney.

Although Maroney might not be impressed with the comparison, Deans was one of the best in Canada at the discipline.

Though the bar is not set quite as high for MSU as it was for its Olympic counterpart, the Spartans have the talent to surprise some people this season.