MSU Gymastics Advance to Regional Final
Michigan State gymnastics finished second behind fifth-ranked Utah to advance to its third consecutive regional finals on Friday. The Spartans scored 197.475 in the NCAA Gainesville Regional Second Round at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center en route to the regional finals.
MSU improved to 29-4 on the season. Its 29 wins are the best win total MSU gymnastics has ever reached in program history. The win moves MSU coach Mike Rowe past 100 total career wins.
"Really happy with the results today," Rowe said. "We didn't need to be perfect today, but I think we did a good job of just doing what we needed to do to get it done and be ready for Sunday."
Utah edged out MSU with a 197.825 to win the session. Maryland finished third with a 196.350, and Towson finished fourth with a 195.050.
After an impressive performance, MSU sophomore Nikki Smith took the top all-around spot with a 39.675. It was only her third all-around performance of the entire season. It was her first since week three of the season in back in January.
Georgia's Lily Smith matched Smith’s 39.675 in the second session. Lilly Smith and Nikki Smith would finish tied for the regional all-around title.
With its strong performance on the beam, Utah took the lead after the third rotation. However, MSU responded with a 49.350 on bars to remain firmly in the qualifying position. Smith built up her already impressive performance, posting a season-high 9.950 to lead the team.
Smith would then lead the team with another 9.950 on the final rotation on beam, helping guide the Green and White to a 49.300. Smith’s 9.950 was a career high. Senior Giana Kalefe scored a 9.850 in the leadoff spot. Stephen and Tucker added 9.900s, respectively. Tucker's 9.900 tied a career-high.
MSU now advances to the Gainesville Regional Final, where it will compete against Utah again, fourth-ranked Florida and 13th-ranked Missouri on Sunday at 5 p.m. The two teams with the highest score at the regional finals will compete against each other in the NCAA Championships. The regional finals and NCAA Championships will both stream on ESPN+.
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.