Michigan State University
Michigan
No. 14 Michigan State Hosts No. 3 Michigan Sunday in B1G Opener
1/21/2023 12:21:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
Sunday's meet will air on Big Ten Network
TITLE IX/ALUMNI NIGHT
Sunday's meet will serve as the Spartans' Title IX Celebration Meet. Gymnasts will wear a commemorative Title IX 50th Anniversary t-shirt during the meet, while head coach Mike Rowe will wear a custom-designed pair of Michigan State Title IX shoes. Spartan gymnastics alumni will be recognized on the floor at the conclusion of the meet.
THE MATCHUP
MSU enters Sunday's matchup with a 1-1 record after posting a 196.400-196.375 win over NC State on Jan. 14. The Spartans rank 14th in the most recent Road to Nationals rankings with an average score of 196.475. Michigan (4-1), ranked third nationally, most recently earned the highest score in the country this season with a 198.125 in a tri-meet with Denver and Fisk on Jan. 13.
The Wolverines, the reigning Big Ten Champions, are led by 34th-year head coach Bev Plocki. Michigan won its first NCAA gymnastics title in 2021.
Michigan ranks first in the country on vault (49.525 average) and floor (49.550 average) this season. Individually, graduate student Natalie Wojcik ranks first on bars with an average score of 9.975, while senior Sierra Brooks ranks second on vault (9.950). A pair of Wolverines - senior Gabby Wilson (7th, 39.600) and graduate student Abby Heiskell (9th, 39.563) rank in the top 10 nationally in the all-around.
Michigan earned a 197.925-196.775 in last year's edition of the meet on Jan. 30 in Ann Arbor.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU earned a 196.400-196.375 comeback victory over NC State on Jan. 14 in its second-straight road meet. Trailing after the first two rotations, the Spartans used a season-high 49.400 in the third rotation on floor to take the lead. MSU also posted a season-high 49.200 on beam and finished with a 49.200 on vault, narrowly behind its season- high of 49.300 set at Alabama on Jan. 6.
Individually, four Spartans earned event titles at NC State. Sophomore Gabi Stephen (9.900, vault) and junior Baleigh Garcia (beam, 9.900) collected event titles for the second week in a row, while freshman Olivia Zsarmani and junior Delanie Harkness tied for the bars title with 9.900s. Harkness tied her career-high on floor with a 9.925 for her second event title of the night.
FAN INFO
Doors for Sunday's meet open at 5:30 p.m. Parking is free in the Jenison Field House and IM West lots. Tickets are available HERE.
UP NEXT
MSU travels to College Park, Maryland for 1 p.m. meet on Sunday, Jan. 29 at Maryland. The meet will air on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
