Feb. 24, 2008

Results

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 19 Michigan State gymnastics team finished second in a tri-meet at Iowa this afternoon. The Spartans totaled 194.875, their second best score of the season, while host and No. 24 Iowa placed first with 195.575 and No. 21 Illinois rounded out the field with 194.150.

Sophomore Rochelle Robinson continued her collegiate dominance on the vault, winning the event for the fourth time in seven meets this season, and for the 11th time in her short MSU career. Robinson scored a 9.875 to finish ahead of senior Rhiannon Banda-Scott and Illinois' Allison Buckley, who each scored a 9.825. Sophomore Nicole Curler was among four in a tie for fourth with a 9.725. As a team, MSU topped the other two Big Ten foes with a 48.700.

Robinson was also the top Spartan finisher on the bars, finishing in a tie for fourth with a 9.775. Katie Burke of Iowa took the individual title with a 9.850. MSU totaled 48.500 on the bars.

On the beam, junior Katlyn Roggensack set a new career-high with a 9.875 to tie Iowa's Houry Gebeshian for the high score on the event. It was Roggensack's first beam title of the season, but her second career title on the apparatus. Robinson, who tied her season-high, and freshman Kelsey Morley tied for sixth at 9.800. On the night, the Spartans scored 48.925 on the beam.

Sophomore Emily Lopatofsky led the Spartans on the floor, tying for third with a career-high 9.825. It is her fourth top-three finish in the event in the season's seven meets. Iowa's Jenifer Simbhudas won the floor with a 9.925. MSU scored 48.750 on the floor, tying for the second-best mark of the season.

The Spartans are scheduled for two meets this upcoming weekend, beginning with a road contest at No. 5 LSU on Friday night at 7 p.m. and concluding with a home tri-meet against Ball State and Western Michigan. The home contest has been changed to 5 p.m. in Jenison Field House.