Schulte Earns Second-Straight B1G Gymnast of the Week Award, Smith Named Specialist of the Week
1/30/2024 3:30:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
ROSEMONT, Ill. - For the second-straight week, Michigan State gymnastics' Skyla Schulte was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, while sophomore Nikki Smith earned the conference's Specialist of the Week honor, as announced by the conference Tuesday.Â
Schulte collects her third-career Gymnast of the Week award after winning her second-straight all-around title in MSU's 197.400-195.700 win over then-No. 20 Iowa on Jan. 28. The Bolingbrook, Illinois, native tied a season-high 39.600 in the all-around while also capturing the bars (9.900) and beam (9.900s) for the second time in as many weeks. She now holds a team-high seven event titles after four weeks of competition.Â
The junior also placed second on floor with a season-high 9.950 and finished fifth on vault with a 9.875.Â
Smith, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times and Gymnast of the Week twice in 2023, collects her first-career Specialist of the Week honor and first conference weekly award of the season. The West Bloomfield, Michigan, native made history against Iowa, scoring MSU's first perfect 10.000 on floor to become the only Spartan gymnast in program history to score multiple 10.000s. She shares this week's Specialist of the Week award with Minnesota's Mya Hooten.Â
Schulte and Stephen helped MSU to a season-high 49.625, the highest event score on any event by the Spartans this season, which also ranks in a tie for second all-time at MSU and ties for the fifth-best floor score in the NCAA this season.Â
MSU travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face No. 13 Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. on Big Ten Network.Â
Players Mentioned
