Klages 'not nervous' about meet with No. 6 U-M

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Trust in your preparation. Compete with your heart. Assistant gymnastics coach Katie Teft said she hopes her team can keep this mantra in mind as her athletes compete against U-M at 6 p.m. Saturday at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.

Approaching the match, the team’s coaches have mixed feelings. While confident their team has what it takes to beat No. 6 U-M, they hope they can bring their full talent to the floor.

“U of M has dominated the Big Ten for the last 13 out of 15 years,” MSU head coach Kathie Klages said. “It’s the team my team looks forward to competing against the most and they really bring a fire to the competition.”

Although the team loves to compete against U-M, Klages said this weekend is more about improving overall performances and not focusing on the opponent.

One positive change to this weekend’s lineup will be the return of Rochelle Robinson to the balance beam. Klages said so far, Robinson has only competed on the vault and uneven bars.

However, as a whole, Klages feels the team has yet to show what they’re made of this year. Although the athletes have been scoring high on the uneven bars, Klages said the team’s usual strong point, the balance beam, has given them trouble. She feels nerves have played a big factor thus far.

“We can’t tackle better than them or steal the ball more than them. What we concentrate on, is doing better overall as a team,” Klages said.

Teft later added that 90 percent of gymnastics is about your state of mind.

Facing a rival like U-M doesn’t worry Klages. While she is anxious to see how her team can compete against such a highly ranked school, she also sees this event as a preparation for those meets still to come at Crisler.

“I’m not nervous or worried. This will be a positive experience because Big Ten tournaments are at U-M, so this is like our warm up,” said Klages, adding that she looks forward to the challenge this competition will present for the team.

Teft said the team’s motivation is what will ultimately land them a win this weekend.

“They have the ability to keep the energy alive throughout the competition and remain positive,” she said. “They’ve got the heart to do what they’re doing. They just need to do it.”

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