Michigan State University
Oklahoma
No. 11 Michigan State Opens Season in Las Vegas at Super 16
1/4/2024 12:58:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
LAS VEGAS – No. 11 Michigan State gymnastics opens the 2024 season against a trio of top-10 opponents at the Super 16 in Las Vegas' Orleans Arena on Friday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The Spartans will face No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 6 Michigan and No. 11 Kentucky in the second of four sessions. Â
Live results (Virtius) and streaming (YouTube) links will be available on MSUSpartans.com.
FLIPPING INTO 2024Â
MSU enters Friday's season opener ranked 11th in the WCGA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Spartans return every routine from the 2023 squad, including NCAA individual qualifiers and First-Team All-Big selections Delanie Harkness and Gabrielle Stephen, while Big Ten Freshman of the Year Nikki Smith is back for her sophomore season in the Green and White. The Spartans also return 2023 Big Ten vault champion Sage Kellerman, 2022 All-American Skyla Schulte and two-time All-Big Ten honoree Baleigh Garcia.Â
After breaking numerous records in 2022, the Spartans picked up right where they left off in 2023, setting program records on vault (49.575), bars (49.725) and beam (49.600) while eclipsing the 198.000 overall mark for the first time in program history with a 198.225. MSU also notched a pair of perfect 10.000s from Nikki Smith (vault) and Jori Jackard (bars).Â
The Spartans ended the 2023 season ranked No. 11 after advancing to their second-straight NCAA Regional final, finishing third behind Cal and eventual NCAA runner-up Florida.Â
MSU was picked to finish second in the Big Ten by the league's coaches in 2024. Last season, MSU placed second at the Big Ten Championships after capturing its first regular season Big Ten title.Â
THE MATCHUPÂ
The Spartans will take on the last three national champions in Oklahoma (2022, 2023) and Michigan (2021) on Friday. Kentucky finished the 2023 season ranked sixth in the NCAA after advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships in April.Â
Individually, the Sooners return six All-Americans from 2023, while Michigan's Sierra Brooks, recipient of the 2023 AAI Award, is back for a fifth season. 2023 All-American Raena Worley also returns for a fifth season with Kentucky.Â
Friday's matchup with Michigan will be the first of three for the Spartans this season, followed by an away dual on Feb. 4 and the Big Ten Championships in March. Before taking second to the Wolverines at the 2023 Big Ten Championships, MSU defeated then-No. 3 Michigan for the first time since 2007 with a 197.200-196.975 victory at Jenison Field House on Jan. 22, 2023.Â
The Spartans and Wildcats last met during the 2022 season, where Kentucky secured narrow 197.650-197.500 victory in Lexington on March 11. MSU will face Oklahoma for the first time in 13 years on Friday, its last meeting with the Sooners resulting in a 196.875-194.800 for Oklahoma in Norman.Â
RECORD WATCHÂ
MSU will look to break its season-opening high score for the fourth-straight year on Friday. The Spartans set the current highest season-opening score last season at Alabama with a 196.550, breaking the previous mark of 195.875 set in 2022 by nearly a point. MSU also broke the record in the 2021 season (195.775).Â
UP NEXTÂ
The Spartans will make their second-straight west coast road trip of the season at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah, on Saturday, Jan. 13. MSU will face BYU, NC State and Cal at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT.Â
Players Mentioned
