EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State gymnastics juniors Sage Kellerman and Nikki Smith were named Big Ten Specialist of the Week and Gymnast of the Week, respectively, the conference announced Tuesday.
Tuesday marks the second time this season that both gymnasts have won their respective weekly awards. Smith's Gymnast of the Week award is the fourth of her career, while Kellerman earns her fifth-career Specialist of the Week nod.
Kellerman competed on vault and bars in MSU's narrow 197.300-197.200 loss at then-No. 6 UCLA last weekend, winning titles on both events. She tied a season-high 9.925 on bars to win the event title outright and posted a season-high 9.950 on vault to earn a share of the event title with Smith and teammate Olivia Zsarmani. Kellerman ranks fourth nationally on vault (9.900 average) and 11th on bars (9.890 average).
Smith won her third all-around title of the season at UCLA with a 39.425, scoring a 9.950 on vault, 9.700 on bars, 9.875 on beam and 9.900 on floor. Her vault score was her fourth 9.950 of the season on the event in five meets, helping her earn the No. 1 vault ranking in the country through five weeks of the 2025 season with a 9.925 average. She also ranks 16th nationally in the all-around (39.395). Smith shares this week's Gymnast of the Week award with UCLA's Jordan Chiles.
The pair helped MSU to a program-high team score of 49.600 on vault at UCLA, which was the best score of the season on the event by any team in the country this season.
Illinois' Chloe Cho won the conference's Freshman of the Week award.
MSU returns home after a two-meet road stint this Saturday, Feb. 8, against No. 16 Minnesota at 7 p.m. inside Jenison Field House. The meet will stream on B1G+.
Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.
