Michigan State junior all-around gymnast Nikki Smith flips on the bars at Jenison Field House on Feb. 22, 2025.
In its final home match of Big Ten play, Michigan State University not only secured a victory but also made history. During the second rotation on bars, MSU posted a season-high score of 49.575, tying for the second-highest bars score in program history — behind only the 2023 Spartans' 49.725 against Northern Illinois.
“We started out strong and the bars were involved with that,” said head coach Mike Rowe. “That's what we need to do to get us to 198 and that's kind of the magic number for us.”
Bars proved to be MSU’s highest-scoring event of the day, giving the Spartans a 99.025-97.975 lead at the halfway mark. Sage Kellerman and Nikki Smith tied for the event title with matching 9.950s, with Smith earning a season-high and Kellerman tying her career best.
Smith’s title marked her fourth of the season, while Kellerman secured her fifth in MSU’s last six meets. Gabrielle Stephen added a season-high 9.925 for third place.
Freshman Amy Doyle and junior Olivia Zsarmani each scored 9.875s, while fifth-year senior Delanie Harkness contributed a 9.850. Doyle’s score matched her career high, and she competed in the leadoff spot for the first time this season.
MSU went on to defeat Rutgers 197.475-196.275, improving to 5-1 in Big Ten play and solidifying its position in second place.
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