GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 3 Michigan State gymnastics (1-0) hits the road for its second meet of the season on Friday, Jan. 10, taking on Florida (0-0), No. 23 Nebraska (0-3) and Northern Illinois (0-0) in a quad meet at 6:45 p.m. inside Florida's Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Friday's meet will stream on SEC Network+.
ROTATION ORDER: Floor - Vault - Bars - Beam
NOTABLES
The Spartans enter Friday's meet at 1-0 after a season-opening 196.850-194.675 victory over Western Michigan in East Lansing on Jan. 4. MSU's 196.850 was its highest-ever season-opening team score and was the third-best score of the NCAA opening weekend behind preseason No. 1 Oklahoma and defending NCAA champion LSU. The Spartans' No. 3 ranking is a program best.
MSU won four out of five possible titles in its season opener. Junior Nikki Smith captured three titles against the Broncos, earning the all-around title with a 39.475 while also winning the vault (9.950) and bars (9.875) titles. She also finished in a tie for second on beam (9.850) and scored a 9.800 on floor. Smith was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week earlier this week for her performance against Western Michigan, collecting her third-career B1G Gymnast of the Week award and 12th conference weekly award overall.
Junior teammate Sage Kellerman joined Smith in the first weekly conference awards of the season, earning the fourth B1G Specialist of the Week award of her career after a pair of runner-up finishes against the Broncos, scoring a 9.925 on vault and 9.850 on bars.
Senior Gabrielle Stephen earned the floor title against Western Michigan with a 9.875. It was the first floor title for Stephen since March 11, 2023.
Smith and Kellerman rank first and fourth, respectively, in the NCAA on vault. As a team, MSU ranks second on vault (49.400), seventh on bars (49.150), sixth on beam (49.100) and third on floor (49.200) in the Week One RoadtoNationals standings. The Spartans also have a pair of gymnasts in the NCAA top 15 all-around standings - Smith (39.475) and junior Olivia Zsarmani (39.200), who made her collegiate all-around debut against the Broncos.
THE MATCHUP
Florida is unranked in the Week One RoadtoNationals standings having not competed last weekend, but landed at No. 3 in the WCGA Preseason Poll. No. 23 Nebraska put up a 194.475 in its season opener to finish fourth behind Oklahoma, Auburn and BYU at the American Gold Classic. Northern Illinois is also making its season debut on Friday.
The Spartans and Gators will meet for the third time in as many seasons on Friday, having met in their last two NCAA Regional Final appearances. Florida narrowly edged MSU, 197.800-197.650, to earn the final NCAA Championships qualifying spot in the Pittsburgh Regional Final in 2023, while the Gators finished first in their home regional last year. Friday will be the first regular-season meeting between MSU and Florida since Feb. 14, 2009, which was a 196.850-194.775 victory for the Gators in East Lansing.
The Gators return eight All-Americans with 50 All-America honors and return all 24 routines from its NCAA Championship Final appearance.
MSU and Nebraska met twice last season, once at the Big Five Meet and once at the conference championships. The Huskers last topped the Spartans in a dual meet in East Lansing on Jan. 26, 2020, 197.100-196.550. Senior Emma Spence finished seventh in Nebraska's season opener with a 39.175, which sits in a tie for 17th nationally.
Northern Illinois set its program record last season with a 196.400 on Jan. 19. Junior Kiera O'Shea qualified for NCAA Regionals on vault and won the MAC title on the event. MSU and NIU last met on March 11, 2023 in East Lansing, with MSU earning a 197.800-195.225 win.
UP NEXT
MSU returns home to open conference action, hosting Michigan on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. inside the Breslin Center. The meet will stream on B1G+.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
