This is a big one: The best two teams in the Big Ten, separated by under a tenth in both season average and season high. In a match-up this close, home field advantage can play a big role, especially for a team like UCLA that is so strong on floor and can slam the door in the final rotation. MSU is more than capable of fighting through it, though.
UCLA beam is an underrated factor here: It’s the Bruins’ second-best event, and if they come into the final rotation with a lead, it’s difficult to imagine them losing. For Michigan State, lineups will be important: Skyla Schulte has been working back into lineups after an early absence, doing just beam and floor so far, while Olivia Zsarmani was missing last weekend for unknown reasons.
Couple lineup notes: No Katelyn Rosen today for UCLA, which means Jordan Chiles is back on beam and Emily Lee will make her season debut on floor. It’s a NCAA debut for Riley Jenkins on vault. Zsarmani is back at least on bars for MSU.
Rotation 1: UCLA VT, Michigan State UB
Lee (UCLA): Her usual full, not extraordinary amplitude but nice body line and a little scoot back. 9.8
Stephen (MSU): Short on the first handstand, a little pike on the hips. Toe on, Maloney to bail with bits of leg separation and soft knees on the Maloney backswing. FTDB is nice and tight, hop back. 9.825
Jenkins (UCLA): Looks far back on the table to me, one and a half with some leg separation in the air and lands slightly lock legged but gets away with just a couple shuffley steps forward. Looks thrilled. 9.85
Zsarmani (MSU): Pak, great, Maloney to Gienger with really nice form, slightly soft elbows on the Gienger catch but that’s very hard to avoid in that combo. DLO, airy, hop back. Nice! 9.825
Moors (UCLA): Front handspring front pike half, nice in the air and lands off balance, looked like she had it for a second and then had to take a big step back with an arm swing. 9.8
Doyle (MSU): Blind to pike Jaeger, toe to Pak is high and so patient, piked switch kip is entertainingly awkward. Maybe shy on the last cast handstand, blind full double back with a small hop forward and she looks annoyed which I kind of love. Really nice sensible routine. 9.85
Campbell (UCLA): FTY, high and clean, bounces her feet together. The kind of landing that could have been called a stick before the two second rule. 9.875
Smith (MSU): Toe to Maloney, always weird shape on that skill, she catches it still arched but it works, to Pak. Arches a handstand on the high bar but saves it, double layout is SO CLOSE to the bar but lands safe, step back and almost off the mat. 9.7
Chiles (UCLA): Half on half off tucked, the usual form on the table but I appreciate how early she’s seeing the landing, hop back. They’re talking about a flu game, I guess she’s sick?? 9.925
Kellerman (MSU): Blind to Jaeger, slightly over handstand on her bail with a leg flicker but keeps it moving, DLO is so pretty and absolutely planted. 9.925
McGowan (UCLA): One and a half, hop to the side and maybe a little backwards. Dynamics looked good. 9.9
Harkness (MSU): They could use a good one after the lower Smith score. Toe to Gienger, absolutely lovely, slight arch on a cast handstand, really great bail. Right on top of her last handstand, stuck double layout on her toes with a reach forward. 9.875
After 1: UCLA 49.350 – Michigan State 49.300
That’s a season high for UCLA vault, which is trouble for Michigan State which ideally wants a lead in the first half of the meet. Still a really solid bars rotation though, lots to be happy about. If MSU is going to make a move, it needs to happen now.
Rotation 2: Michigan State VT, UCLA UB
Tucker (MSU): One and a half, her legs are always straight to a fault, doesn’t absorb the landing perfectly and takes a step to the side. 9.85
Campbell (UCLA): Maloney to bail, little bits of feet but making the important stuff, blind to double front with flexed feet and a hop back.
Doyle (MSU): Smidge of leg separation on her one and a half but a DEAD stick, there’s the smile. 9.9
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Maloney to Pak, some leg separation, just feels a little wild. Clear hip to FTDB, clean in the air but a medium-big hop back. 9.85 feels high.
Zsarmani (MSU): Another one and a half, another stick. Here the Spartans come. That one’s so clean in the air. 9.95, good.
Malabuyo (UCLA): A little short on the first handstand, Maloney to Pak with leg sep, a smidge arched the half pirouette, toe on to FTDB with a bit of leg separation but stuck.
Smith (MSU): One and a half, holy crap that’s three sticks in a row. Looks a tiny bit off balance on the salute but probably held it for long enough before the salute that she’s good. 9.95
McGowan (UCLA): Tkachev, bent left leg, to one of those annoying overshoots that’s at like 135 degrees. Low on her last cast handstand, double layout is short with a step forward. 9.75
Stephen (MSU): One and a half, short and a big step back. That might have been a trying-to-stick mistake. With Kellerman up next that can be dropped. 9.8
Esparza (UCLA): Maloney, VERY bent elbows, to Bhardwaj with also bent elbows. Nice van Leeuwen, double lay is pretty with a small scoot back, a touch of leg separation but nothing offensive.
Kellerman (MSU): Drilled her pike half. That’s the vault she’s gotten a ten on. 9.95 today.
Chiles (UCLA): Pike Tkachev to Pak, some elbows, stalls out on her cast on the low bar and has to reset, awkward tuck-y switch kip. Double lay is high, piked down with a hop back. She looks pissed. You can’t fault the girl on competitive mindset. 9.25
After 2: Michigan State 98.900, UCLA 98.500
That’s what MSU needed and more. Program record and the best vault score in the country this year, and utterly deserved. I wouldn’t have been mad about a 10 for Zsarmani or Kellerman. UCLA imprecise on bars and needs to fix it fast, because if Michigan State can land like that on vault it can do it on floor.
Rotation 3: UCLA BB, Michigan State FX
Lee (UCLA): Front aerial to split. BHS LOSO, slightly awkward, didn’t make solid contact with her back foot but works through it without an overt check. Nice leaps, lovely full turn. Gainer full stuck. 9.85
Beaufait (MSU): Front double full, super high, controlled pretty well. Switch to switch ring half with a decent position. One and a half front lay, slightly low and an awkward step. 9.775
Chiles (UCLA): BHS LOSO is emphatic. Cat leap switch side. Nice control on the full turn, side aerial off line with a lean, minimizes the drama. Double twist, hop in place. 9.85
Tucker (MSU): Rudi to LOSO, immaculate control on the landing, almost feels like she hung in the air while she decided exactly where to place her feet, double turn to switch half split. Front double full, another perfect landing. That was great. 9.85 I don’t love that getting the same score as Chiles.
Campbell (UCLA): Two foot layout, a bit piked and a check. Switch switch half, short of split and off balance with a step-check situation. Gainer full, hop. 9.675
Harkness (MSU): Full in, overrotated with a slide back. Switch tour jete half wolf full, bounces out. Front through double back, also overrotated. Fine but not her best landings. 9.85, we’re not getting separation here.
Moors (UCLA): Front aerial BHS, nice. Full turn, dances out a bit awkwardly, I’d call that a check. Side aerial is nice. Beat to switch half, also very off line but salutes aggressively to hang onto it. Front tuck full dismount with a step forward.
Stephen (MSU): Nice front lay to Rudi, popped the heel of the front foot up but kept the toes down. Switch half to wolf full. Front double full, slide-hop forward. 9.875
Alipio (UCLA): BHS BHS LOSO and off. Hop on her gainer tuck full. That means there are a couple of not-great scores counted. 9.05
Smith (MSU): Tuck full in, also a bit overcooked with some form. She’s got nice air on her straddle leaps but the front through double back is the take-home here, stunning control. 9.9
Malabuyo (UCLA): Needs a good one and even then it’s a long road back for UCLA. BHS LOSO, emphatic. Glides through the front aerial to beat combo, BHS gainer full stuck dead. One of her best when they needed it. 9.925
Schulte (MSU): Her birthday! Great full in, keeps the toes down on the front foot. Switch half Popa straddle, good landing. Controlling the exit from the leap series is something some other MSU routines have lacked but she got it. Front through double back, painfully short with a big step forward. 9.825
After 3: Michigan State 148.200 – UCLA 147.500
UCLA gave a lot away there on beam and now will be hoping for help to bring this one back. Michigan State wasn’t perfect on floor but still did plenty to solidify the lead.
Rotation 4: Michigan State BB, UCLA FX
Kalefe (MSU): Full turn, great. BHS BHS LOSO wonky but saves it with only a little check. Switch, awkward, to tuck full jump. BHS gainer full, maybe a little foot shift. 9.75
Lee (UCLA): Double tuck, really nice. Front lay front full, clean in the. air, close to the corner but stays in. Switch ring, I think that front leg was high enough but I’m not 100% sure, to switch half. Double pike, chest a smidge low but lunges out fine. 9.875
Tucker (MSU): First beam of the season but she’s been so hot today. Cat leap front aerial BHS, a little slow but I didn’t see any foot movement or anything that would threaten the connection. Split 3/4 looked short of split to me but it’s hard to tell from this angle. Cat leap side aerial, misses a foot and falls. Clearly I forgot to write about the dismount but you get the idea. 9.2
Malabuyo (UCLA): Double pike, comes in with a lot of juice and I was sure she was going to overrotate but I didn’t see foot movement. Switch ring switch half to I think wolf full, nice rotation, we’re watching from the top so I have no idea about the ring position but it’s a strength of hers, I doubt there’s a problem. One and a half front lay is solid. 9.9
Smith (MSU): BHS LOSO. Split to straddle half, iffy positions. Front aerial, vaguely connected beat jump. This routine is a little stilted but she’s getting through. Double tuck WOW, stuck. That dismount can be such a liability (in general, not a specifically Nikki problem) but it’s so freaking cool when somebody nails one. 9.875
McGowan (UCLA): Full in, pretty good landing. Switch side Popa, I like her straddle positions. One and a half front full, definitely didn’t rise in that second salto and had to twist very fast to get around but does it and lands fine. 9.95
Zsarmani (MSU): Kickover front BHS, good. Switch side, one leg low and comes in with her weight back, major check. UCLA’s probably back in this. Full turn. One and a half dismount stuck. 9.75
Moors (UCLA): Front double full punch front, stuck-ish with a bounce on her toes. I love her LOSO. Nice precise leap rotation, Rudi drilled. Not a great deal to take there. 9.975
Schulte (MSU): Pauley’s only getting louder. Switch switch half, I thought the second split position was better than the first. BHS LOSO. Switch gainer full, leans forward on her toes to hang on with it.
Campbell (UCLA): Full in, absolutely perfect landing. Tour jete half Popa, clean rotation and clean landing. Front lay front full, nice control. Kept the front foot down on the double tuck. I could take a ten there. 9.975
Stephen (MSU): Two foot aerial, emphatic. BHS LOSO, knee form but no movement on the feet, beat to straddle half with a LEAN and I melodramatically think that’s the win for UCLA. Double full stuck on her toes. 9.825
Chiles (UCLA): Okay, 9.925 to win. Double lay, crushed it, held the stick for a moment and then chose to lunge. A bit of pike down but I don’t think we take that deduction honestly. I think she was a few degrees short on her leap rotation but not egregiously. Double tuck, confetti falling, where did they get that? She’s done it I think. 10. I don’t think she was better than Campbell or Moors but they were all really solid.
FINAL: UCLA 197.300 – Michigan State 197.200
That was exciting! My prophecy about UCLA floor being nearly unbeatable definitely came true, but there’s a lot for the Spartans to be proud of today too. That vault rotation was one to remember. UCLA floor was also a NCAA-best event score in 2025.
VT: Olivia Zsarmani, Nikki Smith, Sage Kellerman 9.950
UB: Sage Kellerman 9.950
BB: Emma Malabuyo 9.925
FX: Jordan Chiles 10.000
AA: Nikki Smith 39.425
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Live blog by Rebecca Scally
Brooklyn received a 9.7 on beam. Happy the Bruins pulled this one out despite some errors & harsh scoring on beam.