MSU gymnastics falls just short of return trip to NCAA Championships, finishing third in regional final
· Yahoo Sports
Michigan State’s gymnastics team fell short of a return trip to the NCAA Championships, finishing third Saturday in the NCAA Tempe Regional at Arizona State.
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The 11th-seeded Spartans scored a 197.000 in the four-team regional final, behind third-seeded Florida, which won the meet with a score of 198.050, and No. 6 Georgia, which took second with a 197.750, grabbing the other spot at the NCAA Championships. No. 14 California took fourth, scoring a 196.975.
It was MSU’s fifth straight regional final appearance, one year after the Spartans made the NCAA Championships for the first time in 37 years. MSU finishes the season with a 24-8 record and nine team scores of 197.000 or better.
MSU opened the meet with a 49.375 on floor to sit in a tie for second with Florida and behind Georgia (49.525, bars) after one rotation. Senior Nikki Smith anchored the lineup with a team-leading 9.950 in the anchor spot, her 11th score of 9.925 or better on floor this season, while junior MaKayla Tucker added a 9.900 in the fifth spot. Junior Gabi Ortiz and freshman Korynne Marquart scored 9.850s, and senior Stephanie Lebster led off with a 9.825.
The Spartans scored a 49.325 on vault to sit less than tenth of a point behind second-place Georgia (98.775) at the halfway point with a 98.700. Florida led after two rotations with a 98.950. MSU was led by a pair of 9.900s in the fifth and anchor spots from Smith and senior Sage Kellerman. Sophomore Cady Duplissis and Marquart scored 9.850s.
MSU remained in third place after three rotations (148.075) behind Florida (148.500) and Georgia (148.325) with a 49.375 on bars. Smith led the Spartans with a career-high-tying 9.975 in the fifth spot, earning 10.000s from two of the four judges. Kellerman added her second 9.900 of the day in the anchor spot.
The Spartans concluded the meet with a 48.925 on beam to finish in third place. Smith earned the highest score of the rotation with a 9.900, her fourth score of 9.900 or better on the day, while Tucker scored a 9.850 and Abney led off with a 9.825.
Smith recorded the highest all-around score of the meet with 39.725, tying her season high, which also tied the third-highest all-around score in program history. Tucker finished in a tie for fourth in the all-around with a 39.350.
Individual qualifiers for the NCAA Championships will be announced on Monday, April 5. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for April 16 and 18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
— MSU Athletic Communications
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU gymnastics falls short of return trip to NCAA Championships