EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State gymnastics junior duo Sage Kellerman and Nikki Smith earned two of the first three Big Ten's weekly gymnastics awards of the 2025 season, as announced by the conference Tuesday. Kellerman was named Specialist of the Week, while Smith earned the Gymnast of the Week nod.
The pair helped Michigan State to a 196.850-194.675 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 4 in the Spartans' season opener. MSU's 196.850 was its highest-ever season-opening score and was the third-best score in the NCAA last weekend. The Spartans also boast the second-highest team vault score (49.400) and rank seventh as a team on vault (49.150), sixth on beam (49.100) and third on floor (49.200).
Kellerman competed on vault and bars in MSU's opener, scoring a 9.925 and 9.850, respectively, to finish second on both events. The award is her fourth career B1G Specialist of the Week award.
Smith captured three titles against Western Michigan, earning the vault (9.950), bars (9.875) and all-around (39.475) titles. She also finished in a tie for second on beam with a 9.850 and scored a 9.800 on floor. Her 9.950 on vault is tied for the best score in the NCAA so far this season. Tuesday's honor is the third B1G Gymnast of the Week award of Smith's career and 12th conference weekly award overall.
Minnesota's Ava Stewart earned the conference's Freshman of the Week award.
Third-ranked MSU travels to Gainesville, Florida, to take on preseason No. 3 Florida, No. 23 Nebraska and Northern Illinois on Friday, Jan. 10 at 6:45 p.m. The meet will stream on SECN+.
Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.
