Looking back to the beginning of the season, Klages said she’s impressed with the team’s growth, moving from a 191.850 score in the first meet up to earning a 195.450 toward the end.

“The team was actually doing what we knew they were capable of doing,” Klages said. “As you get more competitions under your belt, you get more confident and more relaxed and prepared in a competitive situation.”

A balancing act
Prior to Mahoney’s accident, Klages said she would have pegged the balance beam as the team’s strongest event, but after, she found it to be the weakest.

Even the tiniest mistake can cost a gymnast a fall.

“If you step up on the balance beam and all you’re thinking is, ‘Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall,’ obviously you’re going to fall,” Klages said. “If you step up and really focus in on what you need to do in the routine … you’re going to have much more success.”

Trying to balance on a beam that’s only four inches wide, the Spartans struggled with the mental aspect of their routines, having as many as four falls in one meet. As the season progressed and they gained experience and confidence, Klages said that number was reduced to zero falls.

Some of the improvements could have been the result of senior gymnast Kelsey Morley’s return to the lineup after suffering a concussion early in the season.

“She had a lot of experience and confidence with her beam routine,” senior gymnast Nicole Argiros said. “Everyone else saw her get up there with confidence and experience and use it to her advantage … so that gave everyone else confidence.”

Flying high
Despite anticipating the uneven bars to be one of the Spartans’ weaker events, Klages said she was pleasantly surprised when the team earned high marks. MSU also expected Mahoney to perform in this event, and her injury created another gap for the team to fill.

However, Argiros and junior gymnasts Jackie Berg and Daneen Haba stepped up, always leading the Spartans and consistently performing.

With consistent improvements, Berg finished in third place at the Big Ten Championships on March 19 in Minneapolis.

“(Berg’s) performance is flawless,” sophomore gymnast Shanthi Teike said. “You can always count on her to hit no matter what.”

Hitting the mark
When Mahoney’s fracture occurred while practicing on the vault, Klages said it was the event that probably affected the team the most.

Always striving for solid landings and perfect position, MSU remained inconsistent all season. Because of minor injuries, the team was unable to have constant repetition in practice, which Klages said resulted in everyone struggling to stick their vaults.

Despite the obstacles, Argiros said she still has high hopes for the team living up to its potential at regionals.

“Vault’s obviously the quickest event, and it shows all of your power,” she said. “So if you use the power to your advantage, you’ll come out on top.”