Friday, January 19
University Park, Pa.
6 PM
Michigan State University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Donovan Kelly/BYU
16th-Ranked Spartans Open B1G Season at Penn State Friday
1/18/2024 11:33:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 16 Michigan State gymnastics travels to University Park, Pennsylvania for its third-straight road meet to start the season, taking on Penn State on Friday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. in Rec Hall. The meet will be the Spartans' Big Ten opener.
The meet will stream on B1G+ with live results available at MSUSpartans.com.
NOTABLES
The Spartans enter Friday's meet at 3-3 (0-0 B1G) after earning runner-up honors at last weekend's Sprouts Farmers MarketCollegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah with a season-high 196.725. MSU defeated then-No. 19 BYU (196.100) and NC State (195.675) while falling to then-No. 6 Cal (197.875). MSU has faced five ranked opponents, including four top-10 opponents, through its first two meets of the season.
MSU continued its impressive starts to the season on vault (49.150) and bars (49.325) in Utah, while also posting a season-high 49.450 on floor. Through two weeks in the NCAA season, the Spartans rank 13th on vault (49.175 average) and sixth on bars (49.388 average) in the national rankings. Individually, sophomore Sage Kellerman ranks in a tie for first nationally on vault (9.963 average) and sophomore Nikki Smith sits in a tie for eighth (9.925 average) on bars.
Smith earned her second-straight 9.925 on bars at the Collegiate Quad to win a share of the event title. In addition to Smith's bars, four additional scores of 9.900 or higher were posted by the Spartans at the Collegiate Quad, including a 9.925 for Kellerman on vault and three for MSU on floor (9.900 - Elle Beaufait, 9.900 - Smith, 9.925 - Skyla Schulte).
THE MATCHUPÂ
The Nittany Lions (4-0) rank 30th in the Week 2 Road to Nationals rankings with an average of 195.675. Last week, Penn State defeated then-No. 21 Iowa State, 196.625-196.150, at home with its best score of the 2024 season thus far. MSU and PSU last went head-to-head in dual action on Feb. 4, 2023, in East Lansing. The Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions 197.450-195.475, posting their first197.000-plus team score of the 2023 season.Â
Penn State finished seventh at last year's Big Ten Championships and advanced as a team to the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional Second Round. Ava Piedrahita (vault) and Cassidy Rushlow (bars) advanced as inviduals to the NCAA Championships.
Penn State head coach Sarah Brown is in her seventh year leading the Nittany Lions in 2024.
UP NEXT
MSU hosts Iowa in its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. in Jenison Field House. The meet will serve as the Spartans' Alumni Day and 50th Anniversary Celebration.
The meet will stream on B1G+ with live results available at MSUSpartans.com.
NOTABLES
The Spartans enter Friday's meet at 3-3 (0-0 B1G) after earning runner-up honors at last weekend's Sprouts Farmers MarketCollegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah with a season-high 196.725. MSU defeated then-No. 19 BYU (196.100) and NC State (195.675) while falling to then-No. 6 Cal (197.875). MSU has faced five ranked opponents, including four top-10 opponents, through its first two meets of the season.
MSU continued its impressive starts to the season on vault (49.150) and bars (49.325) in Utah, while also posting a season-high 49.450 on floor. Through two weeks in the NCAA season, the Spartans rank 13th on vault (49.175 average) and sixth on bars (49.388 average) in the national rankings. Individually, sophomore Sage Kellerman ranks in a tie for first nationally on vault (9.963 average) and sophomore Nikki Smith sits in a tie for eighth (9.925 average) on bars.
Smith earned her second-straight 9.925 on bars at the Collegiate Quad to win a share of the event title. In addition to Smith's bars, four additional scores of 9.900 or higher were posted by the Spartans at the Collegiate Quad, including a 9.925 for Kellerman on vault and three for MSU on floor (9.900 - Elle Beaufait, 9.900 - Smith, 9.925 - Skyla Schulte).
THE MATCHUPÂ
The Nittany Lions (4-0) rank 30th in the Week 2 Road to Nationals rankings with an average of 195.675. Last week, Penn State defeated then-No. 21 Iowa State, 196.625-196.150, at home with its best score of the 2024 season thus far. MSU and PSU last went head-to-head in dual action on Feb. 4, 2023, in East Lansing. The Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions 197.450-195.475, posting their first197.000-plus team score of the 2023 season.Â
Penn State finished seventh at last year's Big Ten Championships and advanced as a team to the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional Second Round. Ava Piedrahita (vault) and Cassidy Rushlow (bars) advanced as inviduals to the NCAA Championships.
Penn State head coach Sarah Brown is in her seventh year leading the Nittany Lions in 2024.
UP NEXT
MSU hosts Iowa in its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. in Jenison Field House. The meet will serve as the Spartans' Alumni Day and 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Players Mentioned
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