Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's gymnastics team has been ranked first in the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll, marking a historic achievement for the program. This announcement was made by the league on Tuesday. Senior Skyla Schulte and junior Nikki Smith have been highlighted as Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch.

This is the first time MSU has secured the top position in the preseason poll since its inception in 2010. The Spartans previously reached their highest ranking of No. 2 in both 2023 and 2024. UCLA, a new addition to the conference, is predicted to finish second, followed by Michigan in third place, with Ohio State and Minnesota rounding out the fourth and fifth spots.

The Spartans are coming off a successful season where they won their second consecutive regular-season championship and their first Big Ten Championship title in 2024. They return nearly all routines from last year's squad that advanced to the NCAA Gainesville Regional Final and surpassed a team score of 198.000 twice. A record seven Spartans were named All-Big Ten.

Skyla Schulte begins her senior year as the reigning Big Ten all-around champion. Last season, she competed at the NCAA Championships on floor exercise and became MSU's first two-time NCAA All-American. Schulte, from Bolingbrook, Illinois, holds impressive career-high scores across various events and is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection.

Nikki Smith holds MSU's all-around record with a score of 39.775 and is also a two-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree. In 2024, she was recognized as a WCGA Regular Season All-American on vault. Smith qualified for the NCAA Championships on beam last season and shared the NCAA Gainesville Regional all-around title. The West Bloomfield, Michigan native has achieved perfect scores of 10.000 on both vault and floor during her career.

MSU will commence its season on Saturday, January 4th with a dual meet against Western Michigan at Jenison Field House.