Michigan State University Athletics
Sunday, March 1
Minneapolis, Minn.
4 PM ET/3 PM CT
Michigan State University
at
Minnesota
Photo by: Kelly Branigan
No. 11 Spartans Close B1G Action at Big Four Meet Sunday
2/26/2026 2:08:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS -Â No. 11 Michigan State gymnastics wraps up conference action on Sunday, March 1 at the Big Four Meet, facing host and 13th-ranked Minnesota, Illinois and Rutgers at 4 p.m. ET inside Maturi Pavillion. The Spartans will start on bars and finish on vault.
Sunday's meet will air nationally on the Big Ten Network with Dean Linke (play-by-play) and Olivia Karas (analyst) on the call.
The Spartans are ranked 11th for the fourth-straight week in the Week 8 RoadtoNationals rankings with a national qualifying score (NQS) of 196.960. MSU is on a four-meet Big Ten winning streak after defeating then-No. 21 Ohio State, 197.300-196.850, last weekend at home. It was the Spartans' second-highest score of the season, highest home score of the season and fourth score over the 197.000 mark in as many weeks.
MSU also set season team highs on both bars and floor for the second-consecutive week against the Buckeyes with a 49.400 on bars and 49.600 on floor. The Spartans' 49.600 on floor is their highest team event ranking on any event in 2026, becoming just one of six schools in the country to score a 49.600 or higher on the event this season.
In the team event rankings, MSU ranks ninth on vault (49.245 NQS), 16th on bars (49.165), 14th on beam (49.185) and ninth on floor (49.375). Individually, senior Sage Kellerman is ranked in the top 20 nationally on both vault (T-15th, 9.880 NQS) and bars (16th, 9.895) and senior Nikki Smith is third in the NCAA on floor with a 9.935 on the event. Smith also ranks 15th nationally in the all-around (39.320) and junior MaKayla Tucker ranks 22nd (39.285).
Smith and Tucker shared the bars title against Ohio State with 9.900s, while Smith also captured her fourth floor title of the season with a season-high 9.975. Making her return to the vault lineup for the first time since Feb. 1, senior Olivia Zsarmani won the vault title with a season-high 9.950 to earn this week's Big Ten Specialist of the Week award from the conference. The award is the second of her career and first since March 19, 2024.
MSU AT THE BIG FOUR MEET
The Spartans have won their session of the Big Four/Big Five Meet over each of the last four seasons. Last season, MSU defeated Iowa, Penn State and Washington at Iowa to win the Big Four Meet, and in 2024, the Spartans won their second-consecutive Big Ten regular season title with wins over Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Rutgers.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota is 13th in this week's RoadtoNationals rankings with an NQS of 196.746. The Gophers most recently defeated Washington on the road, 196.950-196.300, last weekend and have posted four scores of 197.000 or better this season. Minnesota's season high is a 197.275 against UCLA on Feb. 7 at home.
Saturday will be MSU's first trip to Maturi Pavillion since Feb. 2, 2019. The Spartans have won their last four regular-season contests against the Gophers, dating back to the 2022 season.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois holds an NQS of 195.029 and is 4-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference this season. The Illini are coming off of a 197.675-195.475 home loss to UCLA on Feb. 22.
MSU has not dropped a contest to the Illini since falling in a tri-meet during the 2021 season at Ohio State.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers is 5-5 overall and 1-5 in conference action this season. The Scarlet Knights rank 40th in the country with an NQS of 195.071 and most recently dropped a contest to then-No. 9 Michigan, 197.100-195.675, on the road last weekend. Rutgers holds a season-high score of 196.175.
MSU has dropped only one contest to Rutgers all-time, finishing second behind the Scarlet Knights in a quad meet in Piscataway on Jan. 28, 2017.
UP NEXT
MSU travels to Auburn, Alabama to face Auburn on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET. The meet will stream on SEC Network+.
Sunday's meet will air nationally on the Big Ten Network with Dean Linke (play-by-play) and Olivia Karas (analyst) on the call.
The Spartans are ranked 11th for the fourth-straight week in the Week 8 RoadtoNationals rankings with a national qualifying score (NQS) of 196.960. MSU is on a four-meet Big Ten winning streak after defeating then-No. 21 Ohio State, 197.300-196.850, last weekend at home. It was the Spartans' second-highest score of the season, highest home score of the season and fourth score over the 197.000 mark in as many weeks.
MSU also set season team highs on both bars and floor for the second-consecutive week against the Buckeyes with a 49.400 on bars and 49.600 on floor. The Spartans' 49.600 on floor is their highest team event ranking on any event in 2026, becoming just one of six schools in the country to score a 49.600 or higher on the event this season.
In the team event rankings, MSU ranks ninth on vault (49.245 NQS), 16th on bars (49.165), 14th on beam (49.185) and ninth on floor (49.375). Individually, senior Sage Kellerman is ranked in the top 20 nationally on both vault (T-15th, 9.880 NQS) and bars (16th, 9.895) and senior Nikki Smith is third in the NCAA on floor with a 9.935 on the event. Smith also ranks 15th nationally in the all-around (39.320) and junior MaKayla Tucker ranks 22nd (39.285).
Smith and Tucker shared the bars title against Ohio State with 9.900s, while Smith also captured her fourth floor title of the season with a season-high 9.975. Making her return to the vault lineup for the first time since Feb. 1, senior Olivia Zsarmani won the vault title with a season-high 9.950 to earn this week's Big Ten Specialist of the Week award from the conference. The award is the second of her career and first since March 19, 2024.
MSU AT THE BIG FOUR MEET
The Spartans have won their session of the Big Four/Big Five Meet over each of the last four seasons. Last season, MSU defeated Iowa, Penn State and Washington at Iowa to win the Big Four Meet, and in 2024, the Spartans won their second-consecutive Big Ten regular season title with wins over Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Rutgers.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota is 13th in this week's RoadtoNationals rankings with an NQS of 196.746. The Gophers most recently defeated Washington on the road, 196.950-196.300, last weekend and have posted four scores of 197.000 or better this season. Minnesota's season high is a 197.275 against UCLA on Feb. 7 at home.
Saturday will be MSU's first trip to Maturi Pavillion since Feb. 2, 2019. The Spartans have won their last four regular-season contests against the Gophers, dating back to the 2022 season.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois holds an NQS of 195.029 and is 4-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference this season. The Illini are coming off of a 197.675-195.475 home loss to UCLA on Feb. 22.
MSU has not dropped a contest to the Illini since falling in a tri-meet during the 2021 season at Ohio State.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers is 5-5 overall and 1-5 in conference action this season. The Scarlet Knights rank 40th in the country with an NQS of 195.071 and most recently dropped a contest to then-No. 9 Michigan, 197.100-195.675, on the road last weekend. Rutgers holds a season-high score of 196.175.
MSU has dropped only one contest to Rutgers all-time, finishing second behind the Scarlet Knights in a quad meet in Piscataway on Jan. 28, 2017.
UP NEXT
MSU travels to Auburn, Alabama to face Auburn on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET. The meet will stream on SEC Network+.
Players Mentioned
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