Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's gymnastics team, ranked 11th nationally, is set to begin its 2025 season with a home meet against Western Michigan. The event will take place on Saturday, January 4, at Jenison Field House and will be available for streaming on B1G+.

The Spartans enter the new season maintaining their 11th position in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Preseason Poll for the second year running. They return all but one routine from last year's squad that went undefeated in Big Ten competitions and claimed both the regular-season title and their first-ever Big Ten Championships title.

Key returning athletes include Skyla Schulte, the 2024 Big Ten all-around champion and two-time NCAA All-American; Nikki Smith, an NCAA beam qualifier; Sage Kellerman, a WCGA All-American; along with Delanie Harkness and Gabrielle Stephen, who are both All-Big Ten honorees. Last season saw the Spartans achieve notable scores, including surpassing the 198.000 team score mark twice.

Michigan State concluded its previous season ranked No. 14 after advancing to the NCAA Regional Finals for a third consecutive year. For the first time in history, MSU has been picked to finish first in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll. Schulte and Smith have been highlighted as gymnasts to watch this season.

Their opponents, Western Michigan Broncos, are also reigning conference champions after securing last year's MAC Championships title. They finished with a national qualifying score of 196.075 and an overall record of 18-7 for 2024.

Senior Cassie St. Clair from Western Michigan claimed a share of last year's MAC floor title and advanced to NCAA Regionals in that category under head coach Penny Jernigan's leadership.

The teams previously met on March 5, 2022, where Michigan State emerged victorious with scores of 197.575-196.725—a record-setting performance for both teams at that time.

Looking ahead, Michigan State aims to surpass its previous bests in season-opening scores when they compete this Saturday. Following this meet, they will travel to Gainesville for a quad meet against Florida, Nebraska, and Northern Illinois on January 10.