Chloe Bellmore, from DeWitt, Michigan, has had a knack for gymnastics since she was a little girl. She would set up the couches to make vault-like platforms to do front-handsprings over them, and she used her bed as a trampoline to do back-tucks on.

Her mom, Courtney Bellmore, put her in a gymnastics class early.

“(My coach) kind of favored me a little bit. ... He really helped build that passion, and I loved going every day,” Bellmore said. “I would come in an hour early just to get extra stuff done.”

Prior to her commitment to MSU, Bellmore trained for six years as a level 10 competitor.

Her first season as an official Spartan, however, has been a challenge. 

“This past summer, I had two surgeries,” Bellmore said. “Coming back is not easy at all.”

But with the help of MSU’s coaching staff, she has made her mark this season.

“They have definitely helped the process, helped me see my full potential and how far I could be pushed mentally and physically,” Bellmore said. “I keep growing every day, and I hope to keep showing that.”

Her first semester as both an athlete and a student took a toll on her, but she has since been able to find her groove — to “chill,” as she put it.

Bellmore recently received big honors on vault at a meet against the University of Iowa on Feb. 1, posting a career-best score of 9.775.

“(This score) makes me feel like, each and every meet, I can keep improving,” she said. “I hope to keep ... upping the scores.”

For the remainder of her first season, and her career wearing the green and white leotard, Chloe Bellmore has one big hope: “To just have fun with it all,” she said.

JORI JACKARD

Jori Jackard, from Haslett, Michigan, picked up the sport of gymnastics when she was 2 years old, immediately falling in love.

“I liked how I had to keep pushing myself to get to the next level,” Jackard said.

Jackard, alongside Bellmore, trained as a six-year, level 10 competitor before joining MSU’s team.

Her first season as an official Spartan has been “different,” Jackard said. 

“Compared to club, I can tell how, mentally, I’ve changed things.”

Jackard said in club there would be days where she would hit the gym for practice, only to just “go through the motions.”

But here at Michigan State, and under coach Mike Rowe’s leadership, she said she feels a lot more motivated. 

“I want to get in, make corrections, and do everything to the best of my ability,” Jackard said.

This mentality has definitely paid off for the freshman.

During a meet against Nebraska on Jan. 26, Jackard not only posted a career-high of 9.900 on bars, but the highest official score on the bars by a Spartan this season.

“I was waiting for it,” Jackard said. “I’ve been working very hard for it. It was mostly just piecing everything together.” 

Jackard said the enthusiasm from Rowe helps a lot at the meets, adding extra excitement. This is a big difference to her past coaches, she said, who were very strict and by-the-book people.

The way Rowe is constantly up with the girls also helps when they feel they aren’t performing up to par.

Jackard said she learned a new skill pretty late in the season, making for a rough start to her career as she missed it twice in her first two competitions.

For the remainder of her first season, Jackard said she hopes the team as a whole will do well. 

“(I hope) that we reach all our goals that we’ve been working really hard for every day,” she said.

NYAH SMITH

Nyah Smith, from West Bloomfield, Michigan, also picked up the sport of gymnastics when she was 2 years old.

“I would be flipping off of all of my furniture at home,” Smith said. “My mom was like, ‘Nope, we’re not doing that anymore.’”

Her mother put her in a gymnastics class and she quickly found her calling. 

“I was able to flip and do other stuff that people can’t do,” Smith said. “It was fun.”

Her first season as a Spartan has provided her with a different environment than where she came from, she said.

“I feel like I have become more successful and a better gymnast over my time being here,” Smith said.

Smith had set expectations for her collegiate start. 

“My goal was to become a better gymnast,” she said. “Looking at other college gymnasts, I saw that their form was always good. ... And it has progressed. I’m getting there.”

Smith said Rowe has been a huge helping hand in the success of her athletics, providing her with detail-oriented feedback. 

“(The past) wasn’t so based on drills and form, it was just getting the skills done,” Smith said. “Now it’s more focused ... and has been better for me.”

Smith said  that the aide Rowe offers has helped her  to work through her challenges with consistency and form, pushing her to stay on track and to shape everything to fit the best of her skill level.

Smith was able to reach big honors during their meet against Nebraska on Jan. 26, first tallying a career-high of 9.850 on floor before she accepted the rose for her career-high all-around score of 39.225.

Rowe said he has immense pride in his trio of freshman girls. 

“We recruited this class for just that reason: Because they would be a big impact class for this team and helping the program change down the line,” he said.

He said he holds his rookies in high regard. 

“Experimenting, sometimes, you take risks ... and, obviously, we don’t throw kids in who we don’t think are ready,” Rowe said. “So, getting those kids ready and being ready to come in and substitute not only for the person who’s resting, but substitute for the score that we may be lacking without them. We’re getting there.”