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Published Jan 17, 2025
In front of record crowd, the MSU gymnastics team handily defeated Michigan
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David Harns  •  Spartans Illustrated
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There were 6,251 fans inside Breslin Center Friday night, and - for the first time ever - they were watching the Michigan State gymnastics team perform.

The Spartan gymnasts did their part to make the historic night even better, by defeating their rival, the Michigan Wolverines, 197.500-196.975.

The Spartans are now 4-1 overall this season (1-0 in the Big Ten), while the Wolverines are 3-2 (0-1).

Michigan State continued their recent domination in the in-state series, winning their third straight dual meet and improving to 5-1 in the last six meetings of the two teams.

Spartan head coach Mike Rowe was ecstatic after the meet.

"We have to be so proud of what we did today," said Rowe. "We just kept taking it one event at a time. That was fun to see because we know that is what we are capable of doing, we do it in the gym every day."

The Spartans took the top two spots in the all-around: junior Nikki Smith scored a 39.525 while senior Gabrielle Stephen came in second with 39.450. Michigan's Jahzara Ranger was third (39.325).

The Spartans never trailed.

After the first rotation, MSU's lead was tight at 0.075 with the Spartans putting up a 49.350 on vault as compared to the Wolverines 49.275 on bars. Smith won vault with a 9.950, tying her season high.

In the second rotation, MSU widened its lead to 98.675-94.450 with a 49.325 on bars. Sage Kellerman shared the event title with a pair of Wolverines by scoring a 9.900.

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After the third rotation was in the books, MSU's lead grew once again, to the delight of the program-record crowd, to 148.000-147.600. Leading the team's 49.325 on beam were four Spartans – Giana Kalefe, Zsarmani, Smith and Stephen - earning a share of third place on the event.

Finishing up on floor meant it really was just a matter of time before the victory was secured for the Spartans, and the gymnasts in green and white went out with a bang, putting up their highest score on any event as team this season: a tremendous 49.500.

Skyla Schulte returned to the lineup for the first time this season to the delight of the crowd, sharing the event title with Smith with matching 9.925 scores to put an exclamation point on the night.

It was everything Rowe had hoped for - and then some.

"Seriously, a couple times, I got teary eyed," said Rowe. "They weren't going to open the curtains up in the upper deck and then I saw they had half of them open (to accommodate the fans). By the end of the meet, (the curtains were) all open."

Rowe was excited for his team, for gymnastics as a whole in mid-Michigan, and for Michigan State as a university and as a gymnastics program.

"The crowd was very responsive, it was electric in there and we just fed off that," said Rowe. "It just helps us bump it up another notch."

The Spartans travel to Ohio State next Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. to try to keep up their winning ways. The meet will stream on B1G+.

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