It is safe to say that the past week has been nothing short of thrilling for the Michigan State women’s gymnastics team.
The Spartans clinched their first Big Ten Regular Season Championship in program history on Monday night, defeating Illinois in Champaign 197.450-196.425. On top of their title, they also secured the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Gymnastics Championships, and will compete in the evening sessions on March 18.
Individual performances were also recognized this past week for MSU. Sophomore Gabrielle Stephen and freshman Nikki Smith earned Big Ten weekly honors.
The recognition by the conference and the performances that have been displayed all season long are motivating as the Spartans inch ever so closer to the most important time of the season.
MSU head gymnastics coach Mike Rowe expressed his excitement in the heart of the moment they learned they were officially champions.
“We were going crazy and we were excited,” Rowe said. “That celebration just kept going, we could have stayed on the gym floor forever. But then we got on the bus and it kind of just kept going all the way home.”
Stephen shared her own feelings during the team's exciting meet as well.
"It is so exciting,” Stephen said. “There is a video of me from when we got the trophy just jumping so high in the air above everyone else and I think that’s the perfect way to explain how the moment felt for me.”
Rowe also emphasized how an accomplished season helped build his team's confidence and the win against Michigan early in the season helped build momentum quickly to realize how good the team could be.
“The season kept building on that and it really did help build their confidence,” Rowe said. “With that, the gymnastics looks easier so the scores look higher…Fortunately with our win over Michigan, we had the tie with one loss each, and thought hey, if we clean up at big fives we are putting ourselves right in place.”
The Spartans have fought minor injury concerns throughout the season, though the clinching of the Big Ten Regular Season Championship has helped Coach Rowe allow other gymnasts to step up when needed.
“We’ve kept them on a certain path to keep them healthy,” Rowe said. “Little boo-boos that kind of creep up every once in a while become a little chronic. We’re going to probably be resting a couple people at Eastern Michigan tomorrow, and other people will be stepping up to take their spot, so we’ll see how that plays out.”
Rowe finally touched on the importance of obtaining the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Gymnastics Championship and what they need to do to bring their best.
“We gotta bring it, that’s all there is to it,” said Rowe.
Rowe explained that the gymnasts know all the excitement surrounding them and wants to not let up as there are important meets still to be handled.
Stephen was honored to win Big Ten Gymnast of the week on top of her team’s celebration.
“That’s a goal that I have set for myself since last year,” Stephen said. “It was really exciting to finally get it. This was my first time getting the gymnast of the week so it was just great.”
Stephen also noted that posting the highest team score at the big fives meet this past weekend shows how resilient they are, especially knowing they have a tough stretch in the season coming up.
The Spartans will look to extend their four-meet winning streak as they travel to Ypsilanti to take on Eastern Michigan and Long Island University in a dual meet Friday, March 3. The meet starts at 1 p.m.
