Record-Breaking 197.500 Elevates No. 6 MSU Gymnastics Over No. 20 Michigan in Breslin Showdown

EAST LANSING, Mich. – In front of a program-record attendance of 6,251, the No. 6 Michigan State gymnastics team made its Breslin Center debut with a victory against No. 20 Michigan, edging them with a score of 197.500-196.975 on Friday evening.

With this triumph, the Spartans enhance their record to 4-1 (1-0 B1G) overall this season, whereas the Wolverines drop to 3-2 (0-1 B1G). Michigan State has now conquered Michigan in three consecutive dual meets and boasts a 5-1 advantage in all encounters between the two squads since 2023. MSU’s 197.500 marks its highest-ever score in Week 3, surpassing last year’s record of 197.475 achieved at Penn State on Jan. 19, 2023.

“I’m overjoyed. I was just telling the team how proud we should be of our performance today,” stated head coach Mike Rowe. “Our floor squad is back. We just kept focusing on one event at a time. It was exhilarating to see because we understand that this is what we are capable of; we do it in practice every day and that will aid them here.”

The Spartans seized the top two positions in the all-around, with junior Nikki Smith achieving first place with a season-high score of 39.525, while senior Gabrielle Stephen secured second place with a season-high score of 39.450. Michigan’s Jahzara Ranger took third with a score of 39.325.

MSU commenced the meet with a score of 49.350 on vault, taking a slight 0.075 lead over the Wolverines after the initial rotation. Smith clinched the event title with a score of 9.950, matching her season high. Making her first appearance since MSU’s season opener on Jan. 4, sophomore MaKayla Tucker registered a season-high 9.900 to place second. Junior Sage Kellerman scored 9.850, while freshman Cady Duplissis, junior Olivia Zsarmani, and Stephen each tallied 9.825s.

With a 49.325 on bars, MSU led Michigan 98.675-94.450 at the midpoint of the meet. Sage Kellerman led the Spartans with a 9.900, sharing the event title with Michigan’s Sophia Diaz and Carly Bauman. Fifth-year senior Delanie Harkness and Stephen scored 9.875s, while freshman Amy Doyle equaled her career-high with a score of 9.850 and Zsarmani recorded a 9.825.

Continuing to extend their lead, MSU took a 148.000-147.600 advantage after the third rotation with a 49.325 on beam. Four Spartans—fifth-year senior Giana Kalefe, Zsarmani, Smith, and Stephen—earned a share of third place, while Duplissis contributed a score of 9.825. Kalefe and Smith achieved season highs with their scores.

MSU sealed the victory on floor with a season-high 49.500, which also marked the best team score on any event for the Spartans this season. Smith and returning Skyla Schulte shared the event title with matching scores of 9.925 in the fifth and sixth positions in the lineup. Junior Elle Beaufait achieved a season-high 9.900 to finish third, while Tucker, Harkness, and Stephen scored 9.875s. Five of MSU’s six floor scores were season bests.

“It’s exactly how I envisioned it, but multiplied by ten,” expressed Rowe. “You just look up there and honestly, a few times, I got emotional. They weren’t planning to open the curtains in the upper deck, and then I saw that half of them were opened. By the meet’s conclusion, they were fully open. It’s thrilling for us, the sport, the university, and the program. We had a fantastic turnout. The crowd was incredibly engaged, it was electric in there, and we just thrived on that. It truly helps elevate us to another level.”

The Spartans will continue their conference challenges on the road against Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. The meet will be available for streaming on B1G+.