EAST LANSING— No. 6 Michigan State took on No. 20 Michigan in a thrilling dual inside the Breslin Center marking history for the Spartans, as this is the first gymnastics meet that has ever taken place at the Breslin.
The Spartans took home the victory against their in-state rivals with a final score of 197.500 to 196.975.
“It was super amazing just looking up, seeing everything, especially before floor when the lights went off, and just soaking in the crowd,” senior Gabrielle Stephen said.
The Spartans began their first rotation on vault. Junior Nikki Smith led the squad with a score of 9.950.
On the other side of the gym, the Wolverines took on bars. Freshman Sophia Diaz and graduate student Carly Bauman led the Wolverines, each with a score of 9.900. After the first rotation, the Spartans held a narrow 49.350 lead against the Wolverines’ 49.275.
Moving into the second rotation, the Spartans shined on bars led by junior Sage Kellerman’s routine that earned a 9.900. Michigan took their turn on vault and was led by sophomore Ava Jordan and her score of 9.875.

The Spartans kept their narrow lead at the end of the second rotation, totaling 98.675. The Wolverines narrowly trailed behind with a total score of 98.450.
In an exciting third rotation, the Spartans had four gymnasts shine on the beam: fifth-year Giana Kalefe, junior Olivia Zsarmani, Smith and Stephen. Each gymnast scored a 9.875 on a difficult event.
The Wolverines gave it their all on the floor and were led by Bauman, who scored a 9.900 in her routine. The Spartans continued to lead with a score of 148.000, with the Wolverines slowly falling behind with a score of 147.600.
“The crowd was very responsive, it was electric in there, and we just feed off that,” MSU head coach Mike Rowe exclaimed. “It just helped us bump it up another notch.”
Concluding the meet, the Spartans brought all the energy to the floor. Smith and senior Skyla Schulte shined in their routines, each scoring 9.925, leading the Spartans on the floor.

Michigan struggled a little bit on the beam as freshman Audrey Sanger took a fall. Senior Jacey Vore and freshman Jahzara Ranger led the Wolverines on beam, each scoring a 9.900.
“I was really proud of how they handled the intensity to how close the meet was and not letting and not letting it affect the performance,” Rowe said. “They were still there, they were still engaged, they were still all about us.”
The Spartans return to competition on Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Columbus to face Ohio State.