Gymnastics Earns Runner-Up Finish at Big Ten Championships

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - No. 9 Michigan State gymnastics scored a season-high 198.150 to finish second at the 2025 Big Ten Championships Saturday evening at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

Top-seeded UCLA won the meet with a 198.450, while Minnesota finished third, scoring a 197.425. MSU moved to 24-4 overall this season and earned its fourth-straight top-two finish at the Big Ten Championships.

In a thrilling meet from start to finish, MSU scored season highs on its first two events, beam and floor, and led the meet through three rotations. The Spartans' 198.150 is their highest score at a Big Ten Championships in program history, highest road score in program history and ties the second-best MSU team score overall.

Senior Gabrielle made her final conference meet one to remember with a perfect 10.000 on beam in the first rotation to earn a share of her first Big Ten title. She also finished second in the all-around with a season-high 39.675. Junior Olivia Zsarmani joined Stephen as Big Ten champion on Saturday night, scoring a 9.975 to win the vault title, while junior Sage Kellerman posted a pair of runner-up finishes on vault and bars and senior Skyla Schulte tied a career-high 9.975 to collect bronze on floor. Junior Nikki Smith tallied three scores of 9.900 en route to a fifth-place 39.550 finish in the all-around.

Kellerman and Smith were also honored with two of the conference's four major awards, as voted on by the league's coaches, following the meet. Kellerman was named the conference's first-ever Specialist of the Year after a spectacular season competing on both vault and bars and Smith was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, becoming the third gymnast in program history to win the award (Kim Hartwick – 1989, Kristen Coleman – 2007) and first since 2007.

UCLA's Janelle McDonald was named Coach of the Year and Illinois' Chloe Cho earned Freshman of the Year honors.

Kellerman, Schulte, Stephen and Zsarmani were also named to the All-Championships Team at the conclusion of the meet.

MSU opened the meet on beam with a season-high 49.500, the sixth-best score in program history, to take a 0.025 over second-place Minnesota. A 49.350 on vault put UCLA in third after the first rotation, while Michigan sat close behind after a 49.325 on bars. Leading off for the first time this season, Schulte opened the meet with a 9.900 before a career-high 9.925 for freshman Cady Duplissis in the second spot. Sophomore Emma Misenheimer followed with a career-high-tying 9.850. In the fourth spot, fifth-year senior Delanie Harkness made her season debut on the event with a 9.800, while Smith followed with a 9.825. Stephen's perfect 10.000 came in the anchor spot, which was the first-ever 10.000 on beam and the ninth all-time perfect score for MSU. She tied UCLA's Ciena Alipio for the top spot on the event.

The Spartans put up another season high in the second rotation with a 49.600 on floor to take a 99.100-98.900 lead over UCLA. Schulte's 9.975 was scored in the anchor spot, tying her career high on the event set in 2024. MSU added three more scores of 9.900 or better, with junior Elle Beaufait scoring a 9.900 and Smith and Stephen each scoring 9.925s. In the leadoff spot, Harkness scored a 9.875 and sophomore MaKayla Tucker posted a 9.850 in the No. 2 spot.

MSU maintained a small lead over UCLA, 148.675-148.650, after a 49.575 on vault in the third rotation. Zsarmani tied a career-high 9.975 to earn the outright title with a stuck vault in the third spot. Tucker tied a season-high 9.900 in the leadoff spot, freshman Amy Doyle posted a 9.850, Smith scored a 9.900 and Stephen scored a 9.850. In the anchor spot, Kellerman scored a 9.950 to finish in third and capture her third podium finish on the event in the last three seasons.

The Spartans wrapped up the night on bars with a 49.475. Kellerman led the Spartans with her second 9.950 of the night to secure a second runner-up finish. Stephen and Smith scored matching 9.900s, Doyle earned a 9.875, Harkness scored a 9.850 and Zsarmani posted a 9.825. Despite another strong rotation from MSU, a 49.800 from UCLA on floor helped the Bruins take a three-tenth lead to clinch the meet.

The NCAA Regional Selection Show will air on ESPNU on Monday, March 24 at noon on ESPNU. NCAA Regionals are scheduled for April 2-6 at Penn State, Alabama, Washington and Utah.