LAS VEGAS – Sophomore Sage Kellerman scored a perfect 10.000 on vault to lead No. 11 Michigan State gymnastics to a third-place 196.300 finish at the Super 16 Friday night in Las Vegas in the Spartans' season opener.
No. 1 Oklahoma, the defending back-to-back national champions, took the win with a 197.850, while No. 11 Kentucky posted a 196.775 to secure second. No. 6 Michigan finished fourth with a 195.875.
"I'm really proud of them for coming back from where they did and how they finished," said head coach Mike Rowe. "Knowing we could still make it up on vault and bars, it came together in the end."
The Spartans opened the meet on beam with a 48.800. Juniors Skyla Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen posted the top two scores for MSU with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively. Senior Giana Kalefe posted a 9.750 in the leadoff spot, while sophomore Nikki Smith scored a 9.700 and senior Delanie Harkness earned a 9.625.
Making her first appearance in the floor lineup since the 2023 Big Ten Championships, sophomore Elle Beaufait led the Spartans to a 48.800 on floor with a team-high 9.800 in the leadoff spot. Schulte posted a 9.775 in the anchor position, while Smith and Stephen earned matching 9.750s. Freshman MaKayla Tucker scored a 9.775 in her collegiate debut and Harkness earned a 9.725.
Debuting a full 10.00 start value lineup, MSU earned its second-best event score of the night on vault with a 49.200. Tucker earned a 9.750 in her second debut of the night, while freshman Gabi Ortiz made the second collegiate debut for the Spartans on Friday with a 9.775. Sophomore Olivia Zsarmani (9.875) and Stephen (9.725) debuted upgraded vaults for MSU and Smith scored a 9.800 in the anchor spot. In the No. 5 spot, Kellerman took the event title with the first vault 10.000 in the NCAA this season and second 10.000 overall, following Maile O'Keefe's (Utah) 10.000 on beam earlier Friday night. Her perfect score is the fourth on vault and fifth overall for MSU.
MSU ended the night with its best event score of the meet on bars, scoring a 49.450 for the second-best team score on the event behind Oklahoma. The Spartans posted five scores of 9.850 or higher, led by a runner-up finish in the anchor spot from Harkness who scored a 9.950. Smith capped off her night with a 9.925 in the No. 5 spot and Zsarmani and Kellerman posted matching 9.850s. Stephen scored a 9.875 to end the night.
In the all-around, Stephen placed ninth with a 39.200 and Smith finished in 10th with a 39.175.
Up next, the Spartans stay on the west coast to compete in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. MT.
Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.
No. 1 Oklahoma, the defending back-to-back national champions, took the win with a 197.850, while No. 11 Kentucky posted a 196.775 to secure second. No. 6 Michigan finished fourth with a 195.875.
"I'm really proud of them for coming back from where they did and how they finished," said head coach Mike Rowe. "Knowing we could still make it up on vault and bars, it came together in the end."
The Spartans opened the meet on beam with a 48.800. Juniors Skyla Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen posted the top two scores for MSU with a 9.875 and 9.850, respectively. Senior Giana Kalefe posted a 9.750 in the leadoff spot, while sophomore Nikki Smith scored a 9.700 and senior Delanie Harkness earned a 9.625.
Making her first appearance in the floor lineup since the 2023 Big Ten Championships, sophomore Elle Beaufait led the Spartans to a 48.800 on floor with a team-high 9.800 in the leadoff spot. Schulte posted a 9.775 in the anchor position, while Smith and Stephen earned matching 9.750s. Freshman MaKayla Tucker scored a 9.775 in her collegiate debut and Harkness earned a 9.725.
Debuting a full 10.00 start value lineup, MSU earned its second-best event score of the night on vault with a 49.200. Tucker earned a 9.750 in her second debut of the night, while freshman Gabi Ortiz made the second collegiate debut for the Spartans on Friday with a 9.775. Sophomore Olivia Zsarmani (9.875) and Stephen (9.725) debuted upgraded vaults for MSU and Smith scored a 9.800 in the anchor spot. In the No. 5 spot, Kellerman took the event title with the first vault 10.000 in the NCAA this season and second 10.000 overall, following Maile O'Keefe's (Utah) 10.000 on beam earlier Friday night. Her perfect score is the fourth on vault and fifth overall for MSU.
MSU ended the night with its best event score of the meet on bars, scoring a 49.450 for the second-best team score on the event behind Oklahoma. The Spartans posted five scores of 9.850 or higher, led by a runner-up finish in the anchor spot from Harkness who scored a 9.950. Smith capped off her night with a 9.925 in the No. 5 spot and Zsarmani and Kellerman posted matching 9.850s. Stephen scored a 9.875 to end the night.
In the all-around, Stephen placed ninth with a 39.200 and Smith finished in 10th with a 39.175.
Up next, the Spartans stay on the west coast to compete in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. MT.
Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.
