By Levern Johnson (@inkedjournalist) – Gymnastics Beat Reporter
Coach Joanne Bowers has high hopes for the SJSU gymnastics (6-1, 5-0 MPSF) as the team prepare for Friday’s final conference matchup against the UC Davis Aggies.
The Spartans are the 2022 champions of the Mountain Pacific Federation Sports after a successful conference sweep, led by the dynamic coaching of Joanne Bowers.
Tomorrow, they take on the UC Davis Aggies at the Provident Credit One Event Center to finish conference play, hoping to finish undefeated for two consecutive seasons.
However, Coach Bowers doesn’t focus on the end-game results, but on the development of the team.
“We try not to stress over wins and losses,” Coach Bowers said. “The scores are what really matter and if we can improve upon those scores each meet, then that’s a sign of improvement for us.”
Her philosophy compliments the team’s depth, as she never focuses on the opponent they’re facing, only on the well-being of her athletes.
Levern Johnson – The Spear
“It’s never the mindset to beat the opposing team,” Coach Bowers stressed. “We just want our girls to do their best, and sometimes, they still don’t get the scores they deserve, but as long as they’re trying we can live with that.”
Spartans gymnastics are one win away from consecutive MPSF titles as they take on UC Davis
As Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference play comes to an end, SJSU gymnastics currently sits on an 11-game MPSF conference win streak as they host the UC Davis Aggies this Friday.
The Spartans are having a great season, as various athletes shined throughout the season.
Senior Emma Milne is having a highlight year collecting a team-high eight first-place finishes, two of which came against the Aggies in their previous meet. Last week she broke the school beam record by collecting a 9.950.
In the past weeks, Lauren Macpherson found her groove as she increased her record all-around scores in back-to-back meets, earning herself the MPSF gymnast of the week.
As for the Aggies, they are coming off a second-place finish in a tri-meet that featured the University of Denver (197.650) and Air Force (195.125), with a final score of 195.300.
The Aggies struggled to collect a first-place win, but saw positive signs with Thea Michovsky as she scored a 9.875 on the bars, earning a nomination for MPSF specialist of the week.
The Spartans look to collect another consecutive MPSF regular season as they host the Aggies this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.