WCGA, Big Ten Announce Preseason Gymnastics Honors
12/16/2025 5:00:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State gymnastics landed at No. 6 in the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) and No. 2 in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Polls, while seniors Nikki Smith and Olivia Zsarmani were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch, both organizations announced Tuesday.Â
MSU's No. 6 ranking in the WCGA Coaches' Poll is its highest-ever preseason ranking. The Spartans ended the 2025 season at No. 6 in the final RoadtoNationals rankings after finishing their season in the NCAA Semifinals, MSU's first appearance at the national championships since 1988 and just the second appearance in program history. Â
The Spartans earned their fourth-straight top two ranking in the B1G Preseason Coaches' Poll. UCLA was picked to finish first, while Michigan was selected third and Minnesota and Ohio State were picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.Â
Smith enters her senior season as the reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, just one of three MSU gymnasts in program history to collect the honor. She is MSU's all-around record holder (39.775) and has scored a pair of 10.00s on vault and the only MSU perfect 10.000 on floor during her career. Smith is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and two-time WCGA Regular Season All-American on vault.Â
Zsarmani is a 2025 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree and earned NCAA Second All-America honors on vault and bars at the NCAA Championships last season, while also earning a WCGA Regular Season All-America nod on vault. She won the Big Ten vault title and set career highs on all four events and in the all-around last season.Â
MSU opens the season at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah, against California, Kentucky and Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. The meet will be broadcast on ESPN2.
2026 WCGA Preseason Coaches' PollÂ
1. Oklahoma (1960 points, 39 first place votes)
2. LSU (1859 points, 5 first place votes)
3. Florida (1804 points, 4 first place votes)
4. UCLA (1784 points, 4 first place votes)
5. Utah (1751 points, 1 first place vote)
6. Michigan State (1638)
7. Missouri (1589 points, 2 first place votes)
8. Alabama (1518)
9. Kentucky (1434)
10. Arkansas (1433)
11. Auburn (1367)
12. Georgia (1332)
13. Stanford (1256)
14. Michigan (1200)
15. Minnesota (1199)
16. Denver (1132)
17. Oregon State (1004)
18. Arizona (990)
19. Clemson (985)
20. California (880)
21. Ohio State (871)
22. Iowa (779)
23. North Carolina State (739)
24. North Carolina (634)
25. Arizona State (627)
26. Penn State (627)
27. Nebraska (598)
28. Maryland (567)
29. Southern Utah (532)
30. BYU (443)
31. Illinois (429)
32. Boise State (354)
33. Utah State (248)
34. Washington (240)
35. West Virginia (145)
36. Rutgers (131)
2026 Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. UCLA
2. Michigan State
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Nebraska
8. Penn State
9. Maryland
10. Illinois
11. Washington
12. Rutgers
2026 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch
Chloe Cho, So., Illinois
Summer Rusky, Fr., Illinois
JerQuavia Henderson, 5th-Yr., Iowa
Sydney Turner, So., Iowa
Madeline Komoroski, Sr., Maryland
Taylor Rech, Sr., Maryland
Sophia Diaz, So., Michigan
Ava Jordan, Jr., Michigan
Nikki Smith, Sr., Michigan State
Olivia Zsarmani, Sr., Michigan State
Gianna Gerdes, Gr., Minnesota
Jordyn Lyden, Jr., Minnesota
Whitney Jencks, Jr., Nebraska
Isabel Sikon, Jr., Nebraska
JJ Coleman, So., Ohio State
Tory Vetter, Sr., Ohio State
Dani Latronica, So., Penn State
Elizabeth Leary, So., Penn State
Gabrielle Dildy, Sr., Rutgers
Emily Leese, Gr., Rutgers
Jordan Chiles, Sr., UCLA
Tiana Sumanasekera, Fr., UCLA
Mary McDonough, Jr., Washington
Lilly Tubbs, Sr., Washington
Players Mentioned
