The perfect meet, 36 hits.

That's the goal for the men's gymnastics team, to send out nine guys and hit all 36 routines in a meet. So far this goal has been far away for a team that in its best meet this year, had seven major breaks.

The Lions, ranked fifth in the nation, close out their dual-meet season this weekend when they host Michigan State at 8 tomorrow night in Rec Hall. Coming off last weekend's visit with gymnastics powers Oklahoma, UCLA and Stanford, the team is ready for a little confidence boost.

"It would be a good mental boost if we could hit this weekend and I think its vital that we do that," team captain Jamie Downer said. "We have the hardware and we could be compared to any team in the country if we hit our routines."

Team practices have now switched from adding new moves to refining the routines. With nearly five weeks until the NCAAs, the team will now concentrate on getting rid of the falls and breaks that have been present all year.

Michigan State is currently ranked fourth in the Eastern region, which would be good enough to qualify them for nationals.

"They are only two or three points behind us and it's possible that they could knock us off if we're not concentrating," Coach Karl Schier said. "So far, we haven't had anywhere near an excellent meet score."

The Lions will be going for a nine-man lineup and hopefully their best score of the year. Mike Reichenbach is still suffering from a sprained ankle that will probably keep him from the floor and vault. Rich Briggs, a specialist on the rings, is also listed as doubtful because of a shoulder injury.

The spring break trip out West left the team a little worn out and with some little bumps and bruises. Despite this and the team's finish, it also provided some optimism.

"This was the first time we got to view the top teams before nationals," assistant coach Randy Jepson said. "It was disappointing that we didn't hit better, but encouraging that we can improve.

"This team is not too far from the top teams, and we know where are problems lie," Jepson said.

A strong performance tomorrow could be a key in the improvement of the team. Throughout the season individuals have stepped up to perform well at certain meets yet they have been unable to maintain consistency and hit as a team.