April 25, 2007

Robinson Meet Notes
National Championship Website/Livestats

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Spartan freshman Rochelle Robinson prepares as one of 12 all-around competitors, not on an automatically qualifying team, to compete at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships this week at the University of Utah's Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Robinson marks the eighth non-alternate individual qualifier in MSU history, and will rotate with No. 1 Florida during the opening session on Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.

Robinson will begin the competition with a first-rotation bye, before advancing to floor for the second rotation and vault during the third. After a fourth-rotation bye, she will compete on the uneven bars and balance beam during the meet's final rotations.

The women's gymnastics Championships consist of 12 teams and 12 all-around competitors (who are not on a qualifying team) and individual event specialists. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors from each regional received automatic berths to the National Championships. In addition, the event winners at the Regional Championships advance to the National Championships (in their specific event) if they were not part of a qualifying team or the all-around qualifiers.

Preliminary team and all-around competition will be conducted in two sessions Thursday at 3 p.m. EST and 9 p.m. EST. The top three teams from each session will advance to the Super Six Competition on Friday at 9 p.m. EST. The top four individuals from each session in each event (plus ties) from the preliminary team and all-around competition will compete in the individual-event competition on Saturday at 9 p.m. EST.

The University of Michigan was the only team to advance past regional competition from the Big Ten Conference, however, Robinson, Penn State standout Brandi Personett (all-around) and Ohio State's Kaylan Clevinger (bars) all advanced as individual competitors.

Below are a few notes on Robinson's achievements this season:

• First Team All-Big Ten.
• Honored as the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Feb. 7), and Co-Gymnast of the Week (Feb. 14) during freshman season.
• Finished tied for second on vault (9.875) at the Big Ten Championship Meet.
• Tied for second on floor (9.900), and tied for eighth in the all-around (39.225) at the Central Regional Championships.
• Competed in 12 meets, including 10 times as an all-around competitor.
• Won or shared first-place honors five times on vault, once on the uneven bars and twice on the floor exercise.
• Became the first gymnast in the history of the MSU gymnastics program, and one of five gymnasts from across the country this season, to score a perfect 10.000 on vault (Feb. 10).
• Holds the top two scores in Michigan State history on vault (10.000, 9.950).
• Entered the championship portion of the season ranked eighth in the nation (third in the Central Region) and was the top-ranked vaulter in the Big Ten Conference with a season RQS of 9.905.