Michigan State Gymnastics Advances to Third Consecutive Regional Finals

Michigan State gymnastics continued its impressive season by finishing second behind fifth-ranked Utah in the NCAA Gainesville Regional Second Round on Friday. The Spartans scored a solid 197.475 to advance to their third consecutive regional finals.

With this win, MSU improved to 29-4 on the season, marking the best win total in program history. Head coach Mike Rowe also achieved a milestone, surpassing 100 total career wins.

“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,” Rowe said after the competition.

Sophomore Nikki Smith shined in the all-around competition, earning a top score of 39.675. This was only her third all-around performance of the season, making her achievement even more impressive. Smith tied with Georgia’s Lily Smith for the regional all-around title.

Utah narrowly edged out MSU with a score of 197.825, but the Spartans put up a strong fight with a standout performance on the bars. Smith led the team with a season-high 9.950 on bars and another 9.950 on beam, setting a career high.

MSU now looks ahead to the Gainesville Regional Final, where they will face off against Utah, fourth-ranked Florida, and 13th-ranked Missouri on Sunday. The top two teams from the regional finals will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be streamed on ESPN+.

The Spartans’ success in gymnastics adds to the excitement surrounding Michigan State athletics, with the upcoming Spring Green and White Game for Spartan football set to take place on April 20 at Spartan Stadium. Fans can stay connected with the Spartan Nation community on Facebook for all the latest updates and news.