EAST LANSING, Mich. - After a three-meet road stretch to start the season, No. 14 Michigan State gymnastics (4-3, 1-0 B1G) hosts No. 20 Iowa (2-1, 0-1 B1G) in its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. in Jenison Field House. Sunday's meet will serve as the Spartans' Alumni Day and 50th Anniversary Celebration.
The meet will stream on B1G+ will live scoring on MSUSpartans.com.
NOTABLES
MSU enters Sunday's meet undefeated in the Big Ten after defeating Penn State, 197.475-195.950, on Jan. 19, posting season-high scores on vault (49.300), beam (49.450) and team overall score (197.475). MSU has faced five ranked opponents, including four top-10 opponents, through its first three meets of the season. Iowa will be the sixth ranked foe for the Spartans in 2024.
After earning 48.800 team scores on beam in the first two meets of the season, the Spartans' 49.450 on beam at Penn State tied for the highest team score on any event for MSU this season. The Spartans also continued their impressive starts to the season on vault and bars (49.400) at Penn State and currently rank 12th and sixth nationally, respectively, on those events.
Individually, junior Skyla Schulte had a spectacular night at Penn State, competing in the all-around for the first time in 2024 and capturing the title with a 39.600. She also won shares of the bars (9.900) and beam (9.950) titles, posting season highs in both events, while winning the floor title outright with a 9.900. Schulte collected Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors earlier in the week after her performance at Penn State.
Freshman Gabi Ortiz joined Schulte in this week's Big Ten weekly awards, earning her first-career Freshman of the Week honor after making her debut in the MSU beam lineup at Penn State and scoring a 9.875.
THE MATCHUP
Sunday's meet will be the third in a seven-day stretch for the Hawkeyes, who fell to Minnesota, 196.850-196.150, in their Big Ten opener on Monday before defeating Southern Utah at home, 195.800-195.425 on Friday. Iowa holds a season average of 196.117 and a season-high 196.400 from its first meet of the season.
The Spartans and Hawkeyes last faced each other in dual meet action on Feb. 11 last season in Iowa City, with Iowa earning a 196.150-195.725 victory. Iowa finished eighth at last year's Big Ten Championships. MSU will look to secure its first regular-season win over Iowa since a tri-meet victory (195.625-194.425) on Jan. 18, 2015 on the road. The Spartans' last home victory over the Hawkeyes came in a 194.150-193.750 win on Feb. 7, 2014.
Iowa head coach Larissa Libby is in her 20th season leading the Hawkeyes.
RAISING THE BAR
MSU has had a stellar start on bars in 2024, earning a spot in the top 10 on the event in each week so far this season in the national rankings. The Spartans currently rank sixth (49.392) in the NCAA after earning No. 5 (Week 1) and No. 6 (Week 2) rankings in the first two weeks of the season. Individually, defending Big Ten bars champion Delanie Harkness ranks 13th in the NCAA with an average of 9.908. The Spartans have not counted a score lower than 9.825 on bars this season.
UP NEXT
MSU travels to Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. The meet air nationally on Big Ten Network.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
The meet will stream on B1G+ will live scoring on MSUSpartans.com.
NOTABLES
MSU enters Sunday's meet undefeated in the Big Ten after defeating Penn State, 197.475-195.950, on Jan. 19, posting season-high scores on vault (49.300), beam (49.450) and team overall score (197.475). MSU has faced five ranked opponents, including four top-10 opponents, through its first three meets of the season. Iowa will be the sixth ranked foe for the Spartans in 2024.
After earning 48.800 team scores on beam in the first two meets of the season, the Spartans' 49.450 on beam at Penn State tied for the highest team score on any event for MSU this season. The Spartans also continued their impressive starts to the season on vault and bars (49.400) at Penn State and currently rank 12th and sixth nationally, respectively, on those events.
Individually, junior Skyla Schulte had a spectacular night at Penn State, competing in the all-around for the first time in 2024 and capturing the title with a 39.600. She also won shares of the bars (9.900) and beam (9.950) titles, posting season highs in both events, while winning the floor title outright with a 9.900. Schulte collected Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors earlier in the week after her performance at Penn State.
Freshman Gabi Ortiz joined Schulte in this week's Big Ten weekly awards, earning her first-career Freshman of the Week honor after making her debut in the MSU beam lineup at Penn State and scoring a 9.875.
THE MATCHUP
Sunday's meet will be the third in a seven-day stretch for the Hawkeyes, who fell to Minnesota, 196.850-196.150, in their Big Ten opener on Monday before defeating Southern Utah at home, 195.800-195.425 on Friday. Iowa holds a season average of 196.117 and a season-high 196.400 from its first meet of the season.
The Spartans and Hawkeyes last faced each other in dual meet action on Feb. 11 last season in Iowa City, with Iowa earning a 196.150-195.725 victory. Iowa finished eighth at last year's Big Ten Championships. MSU will look to secure its first regular-season win over Iowa since a tri-meet victory (195.625-194.425) on Jan. 18, 2015 on the road. The Spartans' last home victory over the Hawkeyes came in a 194.150-193.750 win on Feb. 7, 2014.
Iowa head coach Larissa Libby is in her 20th season leading the Hawkeyes.
RAISING THE BAR
MSU has had a stellar start on bars in 2024, earning a spot in the top 10 on the event in each week so far this season in the national rankings. The Spartans currently rank sixth (49.392) in the NCAA after earning No. 5 (Week 1) and No. 6 (Week 2) rankings in the first two weeks of the season. Individually, defending Big Ten bars champion Delanie Harkness ranks 13th in the NCAA with an average of 9.908. The Spartans have not counted a score lower than 9.825 on bars this season.
UP NEXT
MSU travels to Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. The meet air nationally on Big Ten Network.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
