Spartans Set for Rivalry Showdown at Michigan with Momentum Building
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - One of the Big Ten’s fiercest gymnastics rivalries is back on the stage this weekend as No. 15 Michigan State heads to Ann Arbor to face No.
10 Michigan inside the Crisler Center. The meet is set for Sunday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.
ET and will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.
This matchup brings together two teams with postseason aspirations and plenty of history - and if recent performances are any indication, this one could be another high-caliber showdown.
Spartans Trending Up After Record Home Opener
Michigan State enters the meet riding a wave of momentum. The Spartans are coming off their best performance of the season, a 196.900-point outing in a narrow loss to then-No.
5 UCLA. That meet wasn’t just a statistical win - it was a statement.
Nearly 10,000 fans packed the Breslin Center, setting a program attendance record and giving MSU a home atmosphere that felt more like a postseason environment.
Despite the loss, the Spartans posted season-highs across the board:
- Vault: 49.300
- Floor: 49.350 (their highest event score of the season)
- Beam: 49.275 (tying a season high)
That kind of across-the-board consistency is what separates good teams from great ones, and MSU is starting to look like the latter.
Their current team average of 196.267 has them ranked 15th nationally, their highest regular-season ranking so far this year. And in the event rankings, they’re showing depth:
- Vault: 12th (49.092 avg)
- Beam: 10th (49.175 avg)
- Floor: 18th (49.158 avg)
Veteran Leadership Setting the Tone
The Spartans are leaning on experience, and it’s paying off.
Senior Sage Kellerman is having a standout season, currently ranked 19th in the country on bars with a 9.883 average. Against UCLA, she delivered a season-best 9.925 on vault - good for second place - and followed it up with a 9.875 on bars to tie for third.
Meanwhile, fellow senior Nikki Smith is putting up all-around numbers that demand attention. She matched her season-high 39.400 in the all-around last weekend, finishing just behind Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles. Smith also delivered a 9.925 on beam (a team-high) and shared second place on floor with teammate MaKayla Tucker, both scoring 9.925.
Sophomore Cady Duplissis added a career-high 9.900 on vault, while freshman Lilia Cosman anchored the beam rotation with a personal-best 9.900 - a sign that MSU’s depth isn’t just about the upperclassmen.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan, under first-year head coach Maile’ana Kanewa-Hermelyn, is ranked 10th nationally with a 196.792 team average and a 4-1 overall record (1-1 in Big Ten play). They’re coming off a 196.775-195.600 win over Iowa and are showing strong numbers on key events:
- Vault: 16th (49.025 avg)
- Bars: 9th (49.233 avg)
- Beam: 5th (49.375 avg)
- Floor: 18th (49.158 avg)
The Wolverines have been consistent, and their beam rotation in particular has been a strength. But this isn’t a team that MSU hasn’t seen - or beaten - before.
Recent History Favors the Spartans
Michigan State has had the upper hand in this rivalry lately, winning six of the last eight meetings going back to 2023. That includes a signature win at home last season (197.500-196.975) and a second-place finish ahead of Michigan at the 2025 Big Ten Championships.
Earlier this season, the two teams faced off at the Sprouts Collegiate Quad, where Michigan took first with a season-high 197.225, and MSU finished third with a 196.225. But the Spartans have proven they can bounce back - and they’ve done it in this very building.
The Crisler Center has been kind to MSU in recent years. In 2024, they posted a 198.050 to beat Michigan on the road - their first win in Ann Arbor since the 1990 Big Ten Championships. That meet also featured a perfect 10.000 from Kellerman on vault, one of the defining moments of her career.
Then, at the 2025 Big Ten Championships - also held at Crisler - MSU delivered a 198.150, the second-highest score in program history and their best-ever road score.
MSU’s All-Time Top Team Scores
198.225 - vs. Bowling Green/LIU (3/5/23)
- 198.150 - Big Ten Championships, Ann Arbor (3/22/25)
198.150 - vs. Central Michigan/Fisk/Greenville (3/9/24)
- 198.050 - at Michigan (2/4/24)
- 198.000 - NCAA University Park Regional Final (4/5/25)
Two of those five scores came at Crisler. So while Sunday’s meet is technically a road meet, it’s also a place where MSU has delivered some of its best gymnastics.
What’s at Stake
This meet isn’t just about rankings or records - it’s about setting the tone for the second half of the season. For Michigan State, it’s a chance to prove their upward trajectory is more than just a hot week. For Michigan, it’s about defending home turf and showing that they’re still a Big Ten powerhouse, even under new leadership.
With the Big Ten standings tight and NCAA seeding implications looming, Sunday’s meet could carry weight well beyond the rivalry. Expect high-level gymnastics, postseason intensity, and a few moments that could define the season for both squads.