The Michigan State women’s gymnastics team entered the 2023 Big Ten Championships with one goal in mind – to win the whole thing. But, despite putting up their sixth-highest score in program history, 197.550, the Spartans finished in second place for the second year in a row. The Spartans won two individual events – marking the first time since 2017 that MSU had won any event at the Big Ten Championships – and four Spartans were named to the All-Championship Team.
Freshman Sage Kellerman won the vault event by putting up a career-high 9.925, sharing the title with Minnesota's Mya Hooten and Michigan's Gabby Wilson. Junior Delanie Harkness won the bars event in a six-way tie with a 9.950. Kellerman's vault title was the first for a Spartan since Chayla Hill in 2006, while Harkness' bars title marked MSU's first bars title since Wendy Minch in 1996. MSU's last event titles came in a three-way tie between Nicola Deans, Kira Frederick and Elena Lagoski in 2017 on floor.
Kellerman and Harkness joined sophomore Skyla Schulte and junior Baleigh Garcia on the All-Championship Team.
MSU started off on floor and posted a 49.425, with Schulte scoring a 9.925 on the event, finishing in a tie for third. Freshman Nikki Smith scored a 9.900 for the Spartans, while sophomore Gabi Stephen and Harkness scored 9.875 and senior Nyah Smith and freshman Elle Beaufait scored 9.850.
On vault, MSU scored a 49.250 behind Kellerman's career-high. In addition, Schulte scored a 9.875, Stephen scored a 9.850, and Nyah Smith, Nikki Smith and Garcia all scored 9.800.
Harkness' bars title led the Spartans to a 49.350 with senior Jori Jackard and Schulte scoring 9.875 and Kellerman, Stephen and Nikki Smith putting up 9.825.
MSU shined in their final rotation with a 49.525 on beam. Garcia and Schulte scored 9.950 while junior Giana Kalefe scored 9.900, Harkness scored 9.875, and Stephen and Nikki Smith scored 9.850. The 49.525 score tied for the second-best team score on beam in program history.
Schulte finished second in the all-around with a season-high 39.625 behind winner Abby Heiskell (39.700) of Michigan, who posted a 10.000 on beam. Stephen scored a 39.400 and Nikki Smith scored a 39.375.
The Michigan Wolverines won the evening session – and the entire event – with a 198.000. MSU is now 23-3 overall this season.
The Big Ten also awarded its individual awards following the meet. Michigan State head coach Mike Rowe earned his second-straight and second overall Big Ten Coach of the Year award. Nikki Smith was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. This is the second-straight year a gymnast from Michigan State was named freshman of the year following Schulte in 2022. Smith is the fourth gymnast overall from MSU to be named freshman of the year.
Up next, MSU will await its 2023 NCAA Regional placement, set to be announced on the NCAA Gymnastics Selection Show at noon on Monday, March 20. UCLA, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Denver are this year's four host sites. The NCAA Regionals will run from March 29 to April 1.
