Sunday, March 5
East Lansing, Mich.
1 p.m.
Michigan State University
vs
Bowling Green
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
No. 13 Michigan State Hosts Bowling Green, LIU in Pink Meet Sunday
3/4/2023 1:08:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. -Â No. 13 Michigan State returns to Jenison Field House for the first time since Feb. 4 on Sunday, March 5, hosting Bowling Green and LIU in a tri-meet at 1 p.m. Live results will be available on MSUSpartans.com with streaming on B1G+.Â
Sunday will be MSU's fourth meet in nine days, following its wins at the Big Five Meet (2/25), at Illinois (2/27) and a tri-meet at Eastern Michigan with LIU (3/3).Â
Sunday's meet will also serve as the Spartans' annual Jan Howard Breast Cancer Awarness Meet. Presented by Sparrow Health Systems, the meet is dedicated in memory of Jan Howard, mother of alumni gymnast (1990-1995) and current Director of Student-Athlete Development with MSU Athletics Student-Athlete Support Services, Angela Montie. Fans who wear pink or bring an item for breast cancer support kits (fuzzy socks, tumbler, tea, unscented lotion, lip balm, lemon candy) recieve free admission.
THE MATCHUP
The Spartans enter Sunday's meet at 11-2 (8-1 B1G) following a dominant win over Eastern Michigan and LIU on Friday, March 3 in Ypsilanti. MSU scored its second-highest team score of the season with a 197.500, winning the meet by nearly three points (Eastern Michigan - 2nd, 194.900, LIU - 3rd, 194.625). The Spartans also set a new program record on bars with a 49.525, topping its previous best of 49.500 set on March 11, 2022 at Kentucky. After Friday's meet, MSU's national qualifying score sits at 197.310.
Bowling Green (3-12, 0-5 MAC) is coming off a 196.375-196.000 loss to Ball State on Friday, March 3. The Falcons, whose 196.000 was their fifth-best team score in program history and best score since 2018, Â post an NQS of 194.525.
LIU posts a 195.235 NQS. Freshman Syd Morris placed second in the all-around at the EMU tri-meet on March 3 with a 38.900 and holds LIU's program record in the all-around with a 39.300.
LIU head coach Randy Lane is a former MSU assistant coach, serving as an associate head coach from 2007-11. During his time with the Spartans, Lane coached current MSU associate coach Nicole (Curler) Jones, who was a gymnast for MSU from 2007-10.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU swept the individual event titles and won all four events in Ypsilanti, scoring a 49.325 on vault, program-record 49.525 on bars, 49.225 on beam and 49.425 on floor.Â
Resting its usual all-around trio of Gabi Stephen, Skyla Schulte and Nikki Smith, MSU did not have any athletes compete in the all-around at EMU. Stephen won the vault (9.950) and beam (9.925) titles, while Nikki Smith collected her third bars title of the season with a 9.975. Schulte and senior Nyah Smith tied for the floor title with matching 9.925s. Freshman Elle Beaufait made her Spartan debut, scoring a 9.825 on floor.
PERFECTION IN YPSILANTI
The Spartans earned three perfect scores from at least one judge at EMU on Friday. Gabi Stephen's 9.950 on vault was the highest possible score for her vault, marking the second time in her career with a perfect score on the event (last vs. Iowa on Jan. 22, 2022). Nikki Smith's bars earned a 10.00/9.950 split from the judges for a 9.975 and Skyla Schulte earned a 10.00/9.900 split for a 9.950 on bars. Friday also marked Smith's second-straight meet with a 10.00 from one judge, last earning a perfect score from one judge on floor at Illinois on Feb. 27.
UP NEXT
MSU hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday, March 11 for Senior Night at Jenison Field House at 7 p.m.
Sunday will be MSU's fourth meet in nine days, following its wins at the Big Five Meet (2/25), at Illinois (2/27) and a tri-meet at Eastern Michigan with LIU (3/3).Â
Sunday's meet will also serve as the Spartans' annual Jan Howard Breast Cancer Awarness Meet. Presented by Sparrow Health Systems, the meet is dedicated in memory of Jan Howard, mother of alumni gymnast (1990-1995) and current Director of Student-Athlete Development with MSU Athletics Student-Athlete Support Services, Angela Montie. Fans who wear pink or bring an item for breast cancer support kits (fuzzy socks, tumbler, tea, unscented lotion, lip balm, lemon candy) recieve free admission.
THE MATCHUP
The Spartans enter Sunday's meet at 11-2 (8-1 B1G) following a dominant win over Eastern Michigan and LIU on Friday, March 3 in Ypsilanti. MSU scored its second-highest team score of the season with a 197.500, winning the meet by nearly three points (Eastern Michigan - 2nd, 194.900, LIU - 3rd, 194.625). The Spartans also set a new program record on bars with a 49.525, topping its previous best of 49.500 set on March 11, 2022 at Kentucky. After Friday's meet, MSU's national qualifying score sits at 197.310.
Bowling Green (3-12, 0-5 MAC) is coming off a 196.375-196.000 loss to Ball State on Friday, March 3. The Falcons, whose 196.000 was their fifth-best team score in program history and best score since 2018, Â post an NQS of 194.525.
LIU posts a 195.235 NQS. Freshman Syd Morris placed second in the all-around at the EMU tri-meet on March 3 with a 38.900 and holds LIU's program record in the all-around with a 39.300.
LIU head coach Randy Lane is a former MSU assistant coach, serving as an associate head coach from 2007-11. During his time with the Spartans, Lane coached current MSU associate coach Nicole (Curler) Jones, who was a gymnast for MSU from 2007-10.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU swept the individual event titles and won all four events in Ypsilanti, scoring a 49.325 on vault, program-record 49.525 on bars, 49.225 on beam and 49.425 on floor.Â
Resting its usual all-around trio of Gabi Stephen, Skyla Schulte and Nikki Smith, MSU did not have any athletes compete in the all-around at EMU. Stephen won the vault (9.950) and beam (9.925) titles, while Nikki Smith collected her third bars title of the season with a 9.975. Schulte and senior Nyah Smith tied for the floor title with matching 9.925s. Freshman Elle Beaufait made her Spartan debut, scoring a 9.825 on floor.
PERFECTION IN YPSILANTI
The Spartans earned three perfect scores from at least one judge at EMU on Friday. Gabi Stephen's 9.950 on vault was the highest possible score for her vault, marking the second time in her career with a perfect score on the event (last vs. Iowa on Jan. 22, 2022). Nikki Smith's bars earned a 10.00/9.950 split from the judges for a 9.975 and Skyla Schulte earned a 10.00/9.900 split for a 9.950 on bars. Friday also marked Smith's second-straight meet with a 10.00 from one judge, last earning a perfect score from one judge on floor at Illinois on Feb. 27.
UP NEXT
MSU hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday, March 11 for Senior Night at Jenison Field House at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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