Michigan State and Ohio State enter this matchup locked in a five-way tie for second place in the conference standings, with both teams firmly in the hunt for an evening session berth at the Big Ten Championships. A win would provide a critical boost in positioning and momentum as the postseason approaches.
After early-season struggles on bars, Michigan State has found its rhythm over the past three weeks, culminating in its strongest rotation of the season last time out. The Spartans will look to maintain that consistency while improving on beam, an event that has limited their scoring ceiling, as they push toward a season-high team total. Nikki Smith will be one to watch as she looks to rebound from an uncharacteristic routine, and lineup decisions could also be impacted by whether Lilia Cosman returns to beam after sitting out last week.
Meanwhile, Ohio State is still searching for its first 197-plus road score of the season, a benchmark it will likely need to reach to secure the upset. The return of Natalie Martin, who rested last week, should provide a valuable boost. However, Ohio State will also need its best bars performance of the year and a steadier beam rotation after counting errors on the event last weekend.
The meet will be streamed on B1G+, and scores can be found on Virtius. Not a B1G+ subscriber? Sign up today for the monthly pass with the code COLLEGEGYM3 for just $10.99/month (regularly $12.99/month).
Rotation 1: Michigan State vault, Ohio State bars
Duplissis (MSU): Almost sticks her Y1.5. Soft knees throughout and twisted early off the table. Took a step forward. 9.825
Pomager (OSU): Hit the Maloney to pak. Feet come a part a little on the giant full before the double tuck and sticks it. 9.725
Marquart (MSU): Small step forward on her Y1.5. Better block and cleaner leg form on that vault. Pretty center on the mat. 9.825
Berry (OSU): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. A little over on the cast half. Great stalder before the double tuck and has a small hop forward. 9.775
Tucker (MSU): Biggest Y1.5 of the bunch. Also takes a small step forward. Good open shoulders on the table. 9.9
Rader (OSU): Didn’t get the dowell all the way over on that Maloney and peels off. Repeats it and catches it close before going right into the pak. Sticks the double layout. 9.175
Smith (MSU): Twists a little early off the table on the Y1.5 which caused her to land a little off to the side. Foot on the line and took a step back. Most height of the bunch. 9.775
Vetter (OSU): The camera cut away from the opening release, but the commentator suggests it was a tkachev caught a little close. Hit the bail. Sticks the FTDT. 9.825
Zsarmani (MSU): Sticks the Y1.5. Great open hips and straight legs on that. 9.95
Jackson (OSU): Toe hand to super high pak. Loose body position in the VL. Piked down the double layout and took a small hop forward. 9.825
Kellerman (MSU): Not a lot of distance on that front pike half. Took a small step forward. Feet throughout. 9.875
Coleman (OSU): Very floaty piked jaeger caught nice and far from the bar before going to the overshoot. Step back on the FTDT. Feet on the jaeger and dismount. 9.8
AFTER ONE: Michigan State 49.375, Ohio State 48.950
Ohio State will be happy to get out of that rotation without counting a fall but the lack of stuck landings hindered the team score there. Bars has been a weak sport for the Buckeyes and it looks like that will not change today. It will be a suprise if Ohio State is able to come back and win. Michigan State would have liked a few more stuck landings on those vaults but it was still a great rotation for the Spartans to start the meet.
Rotation 2: Ohio State vault, Michigan State bars
Grimes (OSU): A little bend in the hips on the Yfull. Stuck the landing though. 9.85
Howard (MSU): Big Church to overshoot. Great finish on the giant full into the double tuck. Great height on that and stuck the landing. 9.875
Pomager (OSU): Small hop back on her Yfull. Had a little pike down on that. Leg seperation on the block. 9.8
Tucker (MSU): Great legs glued on the Maloney to bail. Sticks the toe on front pike half. Great toe point and handstands throughout. 9.9
Smith (OSU): Biggest vault so far with her Y1.5. Really open body position and a hop forward. 9.825
Cosman (MSU): Legs glued on the Maloney to pak. Over on the giant full and had a arm wave on the double tuck with a little low chest. 9.85
Martin (OSU): Good distance on that Y1.5 with a hop forward. Bends her elbows on the table. 9.85
Abney (MSU): Great height on the tkachev to overshoot combination. Hits the toe full to double tuck and stuck the landing with staggered feet. A little sideways in the toe full. 9.875
Vetter (OSU): High on the table on that block into the Yfull but gets great distance and a large hop. Flairs open at the end. 9.825
Smith (MSU): Clean toe hand to Maloney to pak. Arches on the final cast. Sticks the double layout. Doesn’t get much distance from the bar on it. 9.9
Coleman (OSU): Great distance on her Yfull as well. Square block with a hop back. Not the most straight legs. 9.775
Kellerman (MSU): A little close on the jaeger but good toe point. Hit the bail. Also goes straight up on her double layout and took a small hop. 9.825
AFTER TWO: Michigan State 98.775, Ohio State 98.100
It was interesting to have a rotation where the lowest score for each team was the last routine. Michigan State’s bars struggles seem to be fully in the past with a 49.400 tonight. Several stuck landings and clean form in the routines contributed to the high mark. Ohio State was hoppy on its vaults and with the difficulty gap on the event, the Buckeyes needed more sticks to stay in this meet. It is looking like Michigan State is going to take this easily at the halfway point.
It sounds like Abney had to switch grips before that routine after breaking a pair during warm ups.
Rotation 3: Michigan State beam, Ohio State floor
Abney (MSU): Clean double wolf. Solid loso series. Smooth switch to split leap. Step forward on the side aerial to back tucked 1.5. 9.725
Guevara (OSU): Little leg crossing on the front double full to front tuck. Great amplitude on the leaps. Controlled to Rudi to loso. 9.875
Tucker (MSU): Arm swing between the front aerial and bhs. Hit the beat to split 3/4s. Wobble on the side aerial out of the cat leap. Hits the full turn. Sticks the gainer full. 9.35
Belman (OSU): Controls the double pike. Clean leg position in the front lyout to front full. Hit the leap series. Controls the double tuck. Good height on that. 9.9
Duplissis (MSU): Lacked amplitude on the bhs bhs loso series. Hit the switch to back tuck. Small step forward on the back 1.5 dismount. 9.85
Smith (OSU): Controlled the double pike. Feet on that. The camera flipped in between the two leaps but it looked like a switch side half to another straddle jump. Hit the wolf turn. Controls the front pike through to double tuck with her chest up. 9.875
Smith (MSU): Great amplitude on the loso series. Clean beat jump to straddle half. Kicked her leg out on the full turn. Feet onthe double tuck dismount and has a hop back. 9.8
Grimes (OSU): Controls the double pike and doesn’t have the crazy flexed feet. A little large of a step out of the back 1.5 to front layout. Lacked split on the switch half to wolf full. The straight leg in the wolf full could have been higher too. Controls the double tuck. 9.85
Trostel (MSU): Hits the switch to straddle. A little wobble between the Onodi and beat jump. Feet on the loso series. Feet crossed and low chest on the bhs gainer full and stuck it. 9.8
Vetter (OSU): Controls the double tuck. Great amplitude on the triple leap combo. Got both of the split fulls around. Leg seapartion on the front layout to Rudi. 9.9
Cosman (MSU): Clean double wolf. Feet on the side aerial bhs. Smooth switch to Korbut. Lands a little low on the back 1.5 and has a small hop to the side. 9.75
Coleman (OSU): A little unbalanced on the full in landing. Hit the leap combo. Controlled the front tuck through to double tuck. Good amplitude on that. 9.925
AFTER THREE: Michigan State 147.700, Ohio State 147.575
Well, well, well. It looks like we may have a meet here. Beam continues to be a hinderence for Michigan State it seems as there were several nervy routines. Cosman was in the lineup but that didn’t provide the expected boost. Ohio State after a strong floor rotation will now look to beam where the Buckeyes have had struggles to try to overtake Michigan State. It is unlikely as Michigan State has been great on floor, but it is not as impossible as it seemed a rotation ago.
Rotation 4: Ohio State beam, Michigan State floor
Guevara (OSU): Wobble on the full turn. Solid loso series. Almost around on that switch half after the switch. Legs crossed on the double full and takes a small step back. 9.7
Lebster (MSU): Controls the Rudi to loso. Goes more out than up on the loso. Controls the front double full. A little out of control on the switch side half to straddle. 9.875
Jackson (OSU): Good amplitude on the switch to split. Wobble on the front aerial and repeated it to get the bhs swingdown. Ended the full turn on releve. Sticks the aerial to back 1.5 dismount. 9.825
Marquart (MSU): Legs staggered on the full in while in the air. Controlled the landing. Clean Rudi to loso. Could have had a better ring position in the switch ring. 9.875
Smith (OSU): Around on the double wolf. Pause before the front toss to bhs. Great amplitude on the straddle to straddle quarter. Small step back on the gainer full. 9.725
Duplissis (MSU): Feet on the full in piked. Around on the switch side half to straddle. Great amplitude on the back 1.5 to front layout. Controlled the step out. 9.9
Martin (OSU): Great toe point on the loso series. Hit the cat leap to side aerial. Slight lean at the end of the switch to switch. Arm wave on the full turn. Sticks the bhs 1.5 dismount. 9.925
Ortiz (MSU): Feet on the full in. Kept the front foot down. Sticks and then steps forward on the front tuck through to double tuck. Off on the rotation on the leap combo. 9.9
Vetter (OSU): Clean full turn. Solid loso series. Feet on the beat jump to side aerial. Hit the switch to straddle quarter. Sticks the bhs gainer full dismount. 9.925
Tucker (MSU): Floaty Rudi to loso. Controls the front double full. The camera angle made it so you couldn’t tell jump rotations. 9.95
McCann (OSU): Beautiful Ro to 2 foot layout and nails it. Hits the switch leap combo. Ends the full turn in releve. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.875
Smith (MSU): Great amplitude and control on the full in. Great amplitude on the switch side half to straddle jump. Feet on the front tuck through to double tuck. 9.975
FINAL: Michigan State 197.300, Ohio State 196.850
I was right in that it would take a 197+ score to win this meet, but Ohio State made it interesting. Natalie Martin being back for this meet did provide a boost. It wasn’t a win for the Buckeyes but that great beam rotation led to a season high away team score which is a win for Ohio State. Micigan State will be happy with its fourth straight 197 as postseason inches closer.
VT: Zsarmani 9.95
UB: Tucker, Smith 9.9
BB: Vetter, Martin 9.925
FX: Smith 9.975
AA: Vetter 39.475
READ THIS NEXT: Expected Winners and Losers of Switching to NQS
Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
