The spring break forecast for the No. 24 MSU gymnastics team looks similar to that of many students: sun, breeze and maybe some beach.
But unlike regular MSU students, the team has serious business to attend to as it prepares for meets against Cal State Fullerton and No. 3 UCLA on March 12 and 14, respectively, as it looks to get back on track after losing last weekend against No. 2 Oklahoma.
With several players nursing injuries, MSU will use the break to get healthy and pick up momentum as the season winds down.
“It’s really the last leg before the Big Ten (Championships),” associate head coach Randy Lane said. “The Big Tens are really crucial for us. We know we have to fine-tune in the next few weeks, so we’re hoping that California will be that next step in looking the way we want to look for the postseason.”
The Spartans felt the effects of having two players out nursing injuries and several others not at full strength as their last two meet scores dropped below the team’s average.
Nevertheless, the team still maintained respectable performances in a Feb. 20 win against New Hampshire and a Feb. 26 loss against No. 2 Oklahoma.
Now, the Spartans are expecting their players to return in time for the stretch run.
The floor exercise and uneven bar routines are the areas hardest hit by injury. The Spartans recorded a season-low 47.550 on bars in the loss against Oklahoma, and still have yet to match their season-opening score of 49.050 on the floor exercise.
Despite already having competed in their final home meet at Jenison Field House, the team has more than a month before the season’s end and should have plenty of time to increase its scores.
The Spartans (9-5 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) visit Cal State Fullerton on March 12 before traveling to No. 3 UCLA for a tri-meet with both the Bruins and Cal State Fullerton on March 14.
MSU then concludes regular season play with a March 20 meet against Pittsburgh at IM Sports-West, before the Spartans compete in the Big Ten Championships on March 27 in Columbus, Ohio.
Additionally, MSU will have a rare weekend off this weekend, which it will use to get healthy.
“This is the first time we’ve had a weekend off during competition,” junior Kelsey Morley said.
“In the gym we’ve been cleaning up our skills and working on our cardio so we can tackle the rest of the season the best that we can.”
Injury update
As the Spartans prepare to travel to California, they’re expecting juniors Nicole Argiros and Kathryn Mahoney to return to the rotation at some point on the trip.
Argiros is one of the team’s leaders on the vault, bars and floor exercise, but has missed the past two meets because of a knee injury.
Mahoney, meanwhile, suffered an injury prior to the season and hasn’t competed yet this year.
Mahoney had three top-three finishes on the floor exercise last season and should help the team achieve higher scores on the floor if she can return to form.
Having Argiros back and an off week to heal especially should help the Spartans on the vault, where they’ve dealt with injuries but still have managed to keep it their second-best event.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
“I think we really need this week off,” Mahoney said. “Because of injuries, there’s been people in the lineup week after week and they’re tired and need a break. This week we have a chance to get people healthy again, and we’ll be ready to attack the rest of the season.”
