The MSU gymnastics team performed a valiant effort at the Big Ten Championships at Jenison Field House Saturday keeping alive an opportunity to continue on to the NCAA Regionals next month.
MSU posted a 195.45 during the championships, placing seventh at the event, which included eight teams. Nebraska took first place with a score of 197.8.
MSU will have to wait until Monday at 2 p.m. to find out whether or not the season will continue on to the NCAA Regionals.
Heading into the meet, MSU Women’s Gymnastics Head Coach Kathie Klages said she wanted the team to record a 196 score but still is happy with the team’s efforts.
“I’m really excited about how the team performed today,” Klages said. “I thought they did an awesome job and left it all out there on the floor today so I couldn’t be prouder.”
MSU scored highest in the Vault discipline with a team score of 48.95 and placed sixth. Senior Captain Taira Neal lead the team with a team high 9.9 on vault and placed eighth in the event.
MSU also experienced success in the Uneven Bars event behind Freshman Lisa Burt’s 9.9, matching her career high, with the team posting an overall 48.9. Burt placed the highest of any Spartan against the field, tying for second place in the event. The team score was the second highest in the discipline on the season.
“The most success we had tonight was probably on bars because that is our weaker event and they performed like troopers on that event so that would be the event that I would probably be most proudest of,” Klages said.
Spartans registered 48.825 and 48.775 in the Floor Exercise and Balance Beam disciplines. Junior Dani Levy lead the team with a 9.825 on the Floor exercise and Neal boasted the top Balance Beam score for the Spartans at 9.85.
MSU Sophomore Alina Cartwright ranked 11th against the competition in all around with a score of 39.125. Cartwright’s best discipline was Vault where she put up a 9.825 score.
Neal and Burt were recoginized for their strong efforts at the Big Ten Championship meet and were selected as All-Championship Team members.
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