Gymnastics Finishes Second at NCAA Regional Final, Advances to First NCAA Championships Since 1988

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Michigan State gymnastics used a 198.000 to finish second at the NCAA University Park Regional Final and advance to the program's second-ever NCAA Championships Saturday night at Penn State's Rec Hall.

MSU's second-place finish is its best regional final finish in the current regional format introduced in 2019. The Spartans will make their first since appearance at the NCAA Championships since 1988.

Top-seeded LSU won the regional final with a 198.050. No. 9 Kentucky scored a 197.625 to finish third and No. 16 Arkansas finished fourth with a 197.375.

MSU maintained its second-place position throughout the entire meet and came up just short of knocking off the defending national champion Tigers. The Spartans' 198.000 is the fifth-best team score in program history and marked the second time in the last two seasons that MSU eclipsed the 198.000 team score mark twice in the same season. MSU moved to 29-5 with its second-place finish Saturday night, tying its program-best win total set last season.

The first rotation proved to be tight with just half of a tenth separating first-place LSU (49.450, bars) and third-place Arkansas (49.400, beam). MSU sat in second following the opening rotation after posting a 49.425 on floor. The Spartans earned two scores of 9.900 or better, with Senior Skyla Schulte leading in the anchor spot with a 9.950 and senior Gabi Stephen scoring a 9.900 in the fourth spot. Sophomore MaKayla Tucker scored a 9.875 and fifth-year senior Delanie Harkness and Nikki Smith posted 9.850s. Schulte's 9.950 was the second-highest score on the event of the night.

MSU broke its vault record for the second time this season with a 49.650 in the second rotation to maintain its second-place standing behind LSU, 99.125-99.075. The Spartans counted five scores of 9.900 or better and stuck three vaults, led by junior Sage Kellerman in the anchor spot and Smith in the fourth spot with a 9.950s. In the leadoff position, Tucker tied a career-high 9.925 and was matched by junior Olivia Zsarmani in the third spot. Stephen scored a 9.900 and freshman Amy Doyle posted a 9.850. MSU's 49.650 is the second-best vault score in the country this season.

A 49.575 on bars, the second-best bars score in program history, helped MSU increase its second-place lead over Kentucky to just under half of a point and put the Spartans just 0.05 behind the first-place Tigers. Smith led MSU with a near-perfect, career-high-tying 9.975 in the fourth spot. Stephen posted her second 9.950 in as many meets on the event, while Kellerman scored a 9.925 in the anchor spot and Zsarmani scored a career-high-tying 9.900. In the leadoff position, Doyle scored a 9.825 and was matched by Harkness in the fifth spot.

The Spartans secured their second-place finish with 49.350 on beam in the final rotation. Schulte and freshman Cady Duplissis opened with 9.900s, respectively. Sophomore Emma Misenheimer scored a 9.775 and was followed by another 9.900 for the Spartans from Harkness, who tied a career high. Smith scored a 9.850.

Smith posted the best all-around total of the meet with a season-high 39.650, good for the seventh-best all-around score in program history. Stephen scored a 39.050 to finish seventh.

MSU and LSU were the first two teams to advance to the 2025 NCAA Championships semifinals. UCLA and Utah joined the Spartans and Tigers on Saturday night after advancing out of the Salt Lake City regional. The two remaining regional semifinals - Tuscaloosa, featuring California, Alabama, Florida and Oregon State and Seattle, featuring Oklahoma, Missouri, Auburn and Arizona - will take place on Sunday, April 6, with the top two teams from each regional advancing to the NCAA Championships to complete the eight-team field.

The NCAA Championships semifinals are scheduled for April 17 in Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena. Both semifinals will air on ESPN2. The top two teams from each semifinal will advance to a four-team final on April 19 at 4 p.m. ET. on ABC.