Schulte Receives Gymnast, Freshman of the Week Honors

EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the second-straight week and the fourth time in her Spartan career, Michigan State gymnast Skyla Schulte was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, as well as Gymnast of the Week, by the Big Ten conference. The awards were announced Tuesday afternoon, with the Gymnast of the Week award ending in a three-way tie between Schulte, Michigan senior Natalie Wojcik, and Minnesota senior Ona Loper.

This is the first Gymnast of the Week nod for the Spartans since Rhiannon Banda-Scott received the honor on March 11, 2008.

On Saturday against Western Michigan, Schulte broke the Michigan State all-around record when she wrapped up the meet with a final score of 39.675 over four events. Schulte bested then-senior Kristen Coleman's all-around record of 39.625 set in 2007, also against Western Michigan. En route to her fourth all-around title of the season, Schulte also won or shared the crown on two individual events, boasting new career-highs on vault, beam and floor.

The Bolingbrook, Ill. native started out the night with a 9.900 on vault, which would go on to be the highest vault score of the night and hand Schulte the crown, as well as a new personal-best score on the event. Schulte followed up the performance with a 9.875 on bars, tying for third overall.

Schulte earned two-straight scores of 9.950 in the final two events of the night. Her beam performance tied for first-place with Western Michigan's Amanda Gruber, and was a personal best for Schulte on the apparatus. The score also ties for the second-highest beam score in MSU history, the tenth time a 9.950 has ever been achieved in the event by a Spartan.

Schulte took to the floor on the final event, earning a 9.950 with her solid routine. She earned a spot at second place, as senior Ashley Hofelich took the title with a 9.975 in another of MSU's record setting numbers on the night. Schulte's score was another personal best and tied for the second-highest floor score in program history.

Thanks to the performances of Schulte, Hofelich and the rest of the Spartan squad, MSU recorded its highest team score in school history. The team's final score of 197.575 broke the school record set earlier this season when MSU earned a 197.425 at home against Illinois on Feb. 13. The record was secured by another school high when the Spartans ended the meet with a 49.675 on floor. The previous school record was 49.575, which also came in the same Feb. 13 meet.

Michigan State takes to the road for its final regular-season meet, a nonconference dual with Kentucky on Friday, March 11. The Spartans face off against the Wildcats starting at 7 p.m. inside Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky.

Michigan State University Athletics

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Ashley Hofelich

Skyla Schulte

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