Michigan State University
Tri-Meet with UC Davis & Sacramento State
Spartan Gymnastics Opens Season with Victory over UC Davis and Sacramento State
1/9/2022 9:12:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
DAVIS, Calif. - Michigan State gymnastics opened the 2022 season with a tri-meet victory on the road, posting a 195.875 in the three-team meet with host UC Davis and Sacramento State in Davis, California.
The team's final score of 195.875 is the highest season-opening score in program history for the second year in a row, topping last season's first meet score of 195.775 from January 30. It marks the best opening score for head coach Mike Rowe and ties the No. 24 spot on the Spartans' team score list. Among other meets this weekend, the score was the 11th-best in the NCAA as of Sunday afternoon, in a tie with Alabama and Utah State.
"It was great being on the road again, especially out on the West Coast where Davis was the first meet we cancelled in 2020 due to COVID concerns," MSU head coach Mike Rowe said. "Our Spartans were hungry and aggressive, and are starting to believe more in themselves and their capabilities. It definitely showed once again tonight as we broke our season-opener program record with the 195.875."
Host UC Davis was second with a 195.625, followed by a final score of 190.925 posted by Sacramento State. Sunday was the first official competition for the Spartans since February 2021, when the season was cut short due to COVID-19 and injury complications. Â
Michigan State won outright or shared the top spot in all four individual events and posted the two best all-around scores, led by sophomore Delanie Harkness with a 39.175. Freshman Skyla Schulte came in second overall with a 39.125, while fellow freshman Gabi Stephen was in fourth with a 38.550, as Schulte and Stephen were making their college gymnastics debuts.Â
The Spartans shared the top score on beam with UC Davis, as both teams had two gymnasts each score a 9.900. In the first event of the day for the Spartans, it proved to be the strongest as well as the squad finished with an individual event-high of 49.200. Michigan State had the best event score of any team in all but the beam apparatus. Â
"Overall, we came out of the gates pretty strong and are happy for the wins, as well as getting the opportunity to compete with other teams, even out of the Big Ten," Rowe said. "We will be back in the gym on Tuesday addressing a few of the issues that we need to and will be working hard to get ready for next Saturday's home opener with Bowling Green and Illinois State."
Each event was dominated by a different member of the Green & White on Sunday. Sophomore Giana Kalefe, in her Spartan debut, posted a 9.900 on beam, tying with fellow sophomore Baleigh Garcia. Garcia tied her career-best beam score, which also remains the 24th all-time beam score for MSU, a mark Kalefe will now also share. Additionally on beam, Harkness tied her career-best score with a 9.875, good for second place overall following the four-way tie. Â
Schulte led the Spartans to a first-place finish on vault with a 9.875. In her first meet as a Spartan, she landed in second in all-around, third on floor, fourth on bars, and 12th on beam. Harkness performed on vault for the first time, scoring a 9.775. Â
Senior Ashley Hofelich wowed the judges with her floor routine, securing a first-place spot for the Spartans in the event with a 9.875. Schulte was close behind with a 9.825, while senior Sydney Ewing scored a 9.8. Senior Alyssa Wiedeman made her official debut on floor, posting a 9.750. Â
Harkness shone again during the uneven bars event, posting a 9.9 and tying her career-best showing. Jori Jackard came in second for Michigan State with a 9.775. Â
Kalefe, Stephen and Schulte were three of five Spartans who made debuts for MSU on Sunday, along with freshman Lauren Hsu and junior Tori Loomis.Â
"We're so proud of everyone as even with a few mistakes, our line-ups stepped up aggressively, helping to get us back on track," Rowe said.
Michigan State is back in action at home this week. The Spartans host Bowling Green and Illinois State for a tri-meet inside Jenison Field House on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m., under Michigan State's Vaccination Policy for Spectators.
Players Mentioned
