Spartan Gymnastics Competes in Tri-Meet, Televised Conference Dual this Weekend

MICHIGAN STATE (5-2, 1-2 B1G) Tri-Meet at Central Michigan (1-2, 1-1 MAC) with Western Michigan (5-2, 3-0 MAC)

DATE	Friday, Feb. 11, 2022
TIME	7 p.m. ET
LOCATION	Mount Pleasant, Mich. • McGuirk Arena
TICKETS	Tickets
STREAMING	ESPN+
ROSTERS	Michigan State \| Central Michigan \| Western Michigan
RESULTS	Live Results
MEET NOTES	Michigan State
SOCIAL MEDIA	@MSU_gymnastics \| MichiganStateUniversityGymnastics \| @msu_gymnastics

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 15 Michigan State gymnastics prepares for a packed weekend as they travel to Central Michigan for a tri-meet with Western Michigan on Friday (Feb. 11), before hosting Illinois in a televised conference dual on Sunday (Feb. 13).

Friday's meet starts at 7 p.m. in Mount Pleasant, and Sunday marks MSU's second appearance on national television this season, with the meet airing on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. Fans are also welcome to attend the meet inside Jenison Field House under MSU's vaccination policy for spectators.

The Spartans look to earn their second win in conference action and to continue to improve upon their many accomplishments this season. Michigan State has been ranked within the top 15 in the nation since January 10, and have set program-best team scores in their last two straight meets.

LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State topped Maryland, 196.875-195.950 on February 5 inside Jenison Field House, picking up their first conference win of the season. It was the second meet in a row that the Spartans put up the second-highest score in program history, following up the previous week's 196.775 showing at Michigan.

The Spartans swept the podium and took second place all-around, led by a pair of wins by senior Ashley Hofelich. Hofelich earned the vault and floor titles, setting a new career-best 9.925 score on the vault and tying her career-high, also a 9.925, on her floor routine.

Freshman Gabrielle Stephen matched a tie for the second-highest beam score in MSU history when she finished her event with a 9.950, earning the first beam title of her Spartan career. Junior Jori Jackard rounded out the awards for the Spartans, putting up a 9.925 on bars to land first on the podium, also setting a new career-high.

TOP FOUR IN THE B1G
The Spartans rank in the top four or better amongst Big Ten teams in all four individual events as well as all-around. MSU holds the third-highest averages in the conference on vault and beam, averaging a 49.000 or better in both events. Their all-around average of 196.470 is good for third in the Big Ten and No. 15 in the nation, while they rank fourth on bars and the floor exercise.

QUOTING COACH ROWE
'We only get to travel or compete out of the conference three or four times a year and both Central Michigan and Western Michigan have traditionally been great competitors, and this year is proving no different. It's another opportunity to put up a great road score to add to our National Qualifying Score, which the ranking system will switch over to next weekend.
We're looking forward to not only competing against Illinois on Sunday but initiating our inaugural 'Erase Hate!' meet, acknowledging and celebrating everyone's individual and unique differences, providing inclusivity and equality for all."

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Michigan State will meet Western Michigan and Central Michigan for the first time since 2020 this weekend in Mount Pleasant. The Spartans look to turn things around after a loss to Western in Kalamazoo in January of 2020, and a second-place showing behind Central Michigan in a tri-meet with the Chips and Illinois State the same month.

Western Michigan holds a 5-2 record this season with wins over Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan and UW-Oshkosh. The Broncos broke out for a program-best 196.225 in their win against Ball State on January 23. Most recently, they suffered a tough loss on February 4 in a tri-meet with Alabama and North Carolina.

Central Michigan is 1-2 on the season, picking up their first win on January 21 against Bowling Green. They are ranked No. 49 in the nation in the RoadtoNationals rankings, while their Bronco counterparts are No. 23.

No. 20 Illinois will mark the fourth conference opponent for the Spartans so far. The Illini are 2-2 and are coming off a 195.725-197.125 loss to Big Ten foe Minnesota on February 6.

SPARTAN FRESHMEN DUO COLLECTS B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS
Skyla Schulte earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week Honors earlier on February 1 for her impressive performance in against Michigan on January 30. It was the second Freshman of the Week Award given to Schulte and the third awarded to the Spartans this season.

Schulte placed third overall in the all-around at the meet with No. 1 Michigan, posting a personal-best 39.350. Schulte has competed all-around in every meet so far for the Green & White, scoring a 39.000 or higher each time.

Gabrielle Stephen was also named Freshman of the Week on January 8. In just her second meet as a member of the MSU gymnastics team, she won the all-around and earned the vault title at the Jan. 15 tri-meet with Bowling Green and Illinois State. Stephen posted a 39.425 all-around, tied for seventh in MSU history with Sarah Alexander, who achieved the feat twice in 2003.

UP NEXT
The Spartans are gearing up for big competition next weekend at the Big Five: Elevate the Stage meet in Toledo, Ohio. Michigan State faces off against Nebraska, Rutgers, Minnesota and Penn State at the annual meet in a precursor to the Big Ten Championships in March. Competition for the second session begins inside the Huntington Center in Toledo on Saturday, February 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found here.