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  No. 19 MSU Gymnastics Sets Season-High; Falls at No. 8 LSU
 
Spartans total 196.200, behind Clare-Kearney's two perfect 10s, the Tigers score 197.775.
 
 
Sophomore Nicole Curler set a new career high in the all-around tonight with a 39.525 to place second.
 
Sophomore Nicole Curler set a new career high in the all-around tonight with a 39.525 to place second.
 
 

Feb. 29, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In its best performance of the season, the No. 19 Michigan State gymnastics team set three event season highs, en route to a score of 196.200. The Spartans, however, fell to No. 8 LSU tonight at the Maravich Center, as the Tigers posted a team score of 197.775.

Michigan State began on the bars and scored a season-high 48.900. Sophomore Nicole Curler was the top Spartan with a season-best 9.875 to place in third. junior Katlyn Roggensack also had a season high, tying her mark with a 9.800 to place seventh. LSU's Summer Hubbard and Staci Schwitkis shared the individual title with a pair of 9.950s.

The vault featured some impressive performances by both schools, highlighted by a perfect 10 by LSU's Ashleigh Clare-Kearney to win the event. Senior Rhiannon Banda-Scott had a career best effort of her own, placing second for the second-straight meet with a 9.950. Her score is the highest for the Spartans this season and ties for the second-best mark in program history. Curler tied her season-high with a 9.850 to tie for sixth and Roggensack posted a career-high with a 9.800, tying freshman Kelsey Morley. As a team, the Spartans scored a 49.100, their second highest total of the season and the eighth best score in MSU history.

Like their opening routine on the bars, the Spartans closed the night with season-highs on both the floor and beam. On the floor, the season mark of 48.975 was paced by a season-high 9.875 by Curler to place her fifth and a career-high 9.850 by sophomore Kelly Moffitt to finish her in sixth. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney earned her second perfect 10 of the night to take the floor title.

 

 

On beam, Curler tied her career-high with a 9.925, but still could not top Clare-Kearney, who won her third individual title of the night with a 9.950. Roggensack tied for fourth with a 9.850 and Banda-Scott and freshman Kathryn Mahoney set new career-highs both with 9.825s, to tie for sixth. The team total of 49.225 was the season high and sixth best score in program history.

Ashleigh Clare-Kearney's pair of perfect 10s helped her win the all-around with an impressive 39.800. However, both Curler and Roggensack set new career marks in the all-around to place second and third with scores of 39.525 and 39.100, respectively. Curler's score ties for the second best score in MSU history.

Michigan State has a quick return to competition, as they travel home to host Ball State and Western Michigan on Sunday at 5 p.m. in Jenison Field House.