Although the gymnastics team posted its highest score of the season, the Spartans fell short to Western Michigan by 0.225, losing 195.00-194.775 on Friday in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Starting out on bars — the usual for the team at an away meet — the Spartans won the event with a season-best average score of 48.850. Senior Dani Levy improved her season-best score to a 9.850 and placed second on the event.
Followed by Levy, sophomore Lisa Burt placed third on bars, also with her season-best 9.825 score on the event. Junior Ashley Noll scored her career-best in the event, a 9.775, but placed fourth overall and missed the podium cut.
On vault, junior Alina Cartwright earned her second consecutive 9.900 score and won the event. With a 9.8 — her career-best on vault — freshman Elena Lagoski finished fourth.
The Broncos outscored the Spartans on vault 48.775-48.850.
Compared to the meet against Minnesota, where MSU struggled on floor, the meet against Western Michigan was not better. The team counted a fall in their team score and got a 48.225.
Burt tied for second place in the event, scoring a season-best 9.825. Cartwright got a 9.800 on floor, placing fourth, and senior Alex Pace tied her season-best score of 9.725 — putting her in fifth.
To end the meet on a better note, MSU posted its highest average beam score of the season, a 48.925 to win the event.
Placing first on beam, Burt scored a season-best total of 9.850. Closely following Burt, sophomore Brittany Holmes got a 9.825, a career-best score.
In the all-around competition, Burt placed first for the second time this season with a 39.250 — a season-best total. Cartwright and Holmes tied for third, posting a 38.750 — Holmes competed in the all-around competition for the first time Friday.
The team will compete against No. 18 Denver at 7 p.m. on Friday at Jenison Field House on senior night.
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