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Michigan State Gymnastics Soars to Victory Over Michigan with Record-Breaking Performance
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Michigan State UniversityS gymnastics team delivered a stunning performance on Sunday, February 2nd, defeating rival University of Michigan 197.525-197.425 in Ann Arbor. The Spartans achieved a season-high team score and secured their fourth consecutive dual meet win against the Wolverines, marking a critically important turning point in their season.
Spartans Overcome Early Season Challenges
MSU’s overall record now stands at 2-4, with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten conference, while Michigan falls to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Head Coach Lisa Barnhill expressed her satisfaction with the team’s resilience, stating, “We had a rough start to the season, but we never lost faith in our abilities. We’ve been working hard in the gym, focusing on consistency and confidence. Today,it all came together. We’ve still got more fuel in the tank, so we’re happy it happened like it did. Our motto for this week of practice was to be undeniable and they carried it through with them to every event. I’m so proud of them.”
Dominance Across All Events
The Spartans set team season highs on every event throughout the competition, demonstrating consistent excellence. They also earned at least a share of three out of four individual event titles, showcasing the depth of talent within the program. A standout performance came from junior MaKayla Tucker, who captured her first-career all-around title with a score of 39.500.
Bars Set the Stage
Michigan State began the meet with a season-high 49.275 on bars, positioning themselves competitively despite trailing Michigan by a mere 0.05 points after the first rotation. Sage Kellerman, a senior, anchored the event with a remarkable 9.925, tying Michigan’s Ava Jordan for the event title. Senior Olivia Zsarmani contributed a season-high 9.900, finishing third, while senior Nikki Smith achieved a season-best 9.850. Additional scores came from junior MaKayla Tucker (9.825),senior Naya Howard,and freshman Lilia Cosman,both scoring 9.775.
Vault propels Spartans to the Led
MSU continued its momentum with a second consecutive season-high event score of 49.425 on vault, taking a 98.700-98.450 lead. Kellerman continued her impressive performance,securing her second event title of the day with a near-perfect 9.975, earning a 10.000 from one judge. Zsarmani added another season-high, scoring 9.925 to finish second. Freshman Korynne Marquart achieved a career-high score, alongside Tucker, both posting 9.850s, while Smith contributed a 9.825.
Floor Exercise Extends the Advantage
A third season-high event score of 49.475 on floor helped the Spartans maintain a 148.175-147.875 lead after three rotations. The team showcased exceptional skill, with four scores of 9.900 or better – all representing either career or season highs. Smith anchored the event with a season-high 9.950, earning a 9.900/10.000 split from the judges for runner-up honors.Tucker tied her career-high with a 9.925, while sophomore Cady Duplissis and junior Gabi Ortiz each posted career-high 9.900s. Cosman added a 9.800.
Beam Seals the Victory
Michigan State sealed the victory in the final rotation, achieving a final season-high score of 49.350 on beam. Tucker and Zsarmani tied Michigan’s Carly Bauman and Kayli Boozer with 9.900s to share the event title, each achieving a season-high on the event. This marked the first event title on beam for both Tucker and Zsarmani. Junior kendall Abney, competing in the lead-off position for the first time in her career, scored a 9.850 alongside teammates Smith, Cosman, and junior Isabella Trostel.
Senior Nikki Smith
