The Scarlet Knights head to East Lansing tonight to take on the Spartans. Michigan State narrowly edged out Nebraska in week 7 with a 196.725, surviving a shaky beam rotation to secure the win by just 0.025. Back at home, the Spartans should have a more comfortable path to victory, especially if they capitalize on their strength on vault and floor.
Rutgers, meanwhile, is showing signs of momentum after a slow start, notching a season-high 195.350 last week. Floor has been the team’s most consistent event, but cracking the 49 mark on other apparatuses will be crucial for climbing the rankings.
Rotation 1: Michigan State vault, Rutgers bars
Tucker (MSU): Starts things off with a big Yurchenko 1.5 with a controlled step forward. 9.850
Goldsmith (Rutgers): Hindorff to overshoot with some foot form. Big double layout with a stick, great start. 9.775
Doyle (MSU): Super clean Yurchenko 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.850
Richards (Rutgers): Very late blind change to a pretty piked jaeger. Overshoot to the low bar. Dismounts with a front 1.5 twist, big lean forward but holds onto the stick. Love to see a unique dismount! 9.700
Zsarmani (MSU): DRILLS the landing on her Yurchenko 1.5. 9.950
K. Smith (Rutgers): Maloney to Pak, nice form. Good handstands here. Blind full to double back, nearly sticks with a big arm swing but has to step back. Nice clean set! 9.800
N. Smith (MSU): Another huge Yurchenko 1.5 with a stick! Had to lean back for the stick, so not as solid of a landing as Zsarmani, but gorgeous in the air. 9.925
Schenkel (Rutgers): Blind change to piked jaeger to overshoot, nicely done. Blind full to sky high double tuck with a step forward. 9.800
Stephen (MSU): This vault lineup is such a treat to watch. Another giant 1.5 with excellent distance, goes a little off center and steps to the side. 9.875
Adrian (Rutgers): Tkatchev to Pak, a little low but clean. Blind full a little late to a stuck double tuck. We’re seeing some nice bar work from Rutgers, I’m impressed! 9.850
Kellerman (MSU): Handspring front pike half looks a little lower than usual, lands with her chest down and takes a step forward. 9.775
Balser (Rutgers): Good jaeger to start. Clean pak but can’t get over the low bar on her cast handstand, has to kip again. Finishes with a double layout with a hop. 9.675
Ex – Duplissis (MSU): Solid Yurchenko 1.5, doesn’t quite get the height and underrotates slightly with a step back. 9.800
Ex – Uhlenberg (Rutgers): Blind change to piked jaeger, very nice. Pak with leg separation to immediate clear hip. Big double layout to finish. 9.825
Ex – Hsu (MSU): Big Yurchenko full with some leg separation on the table and a lovely stuck landing. 9.925 – I’m surprised one of them went with a perfect 9.950 for that, but it is a great full.
Ex – Chevaire (Rutgers): Misses the bar on a Maloney and falls. Of course the camera pans away when she gets back up to repeat the skill. Finishes strong with a good double layout. 9.000
After 1: Michigan State 49.450, Rutgers 48.925
Even with an uncharacteristically low score from Kellerman, Michigan State is capable of putting up a big number on vault. That says a lot about the talent the team has on this event. Rutgers had a solid, clean rotation with some great freshman performances for their second-highest score on the event this season.
Rotation 2: Rutgers vault, Michigan State bars
Chevaire (Rutgers): Good Yurchenko full, a little form on the table and a slide back on the landing. 9.775
Doyle (MSU): Blind change to clean piked jaeger. Toe on to a big, floaty pak. Blind full right on top of the bar to a stuck double back, what a great start! 9.875
Adrian (Rutgers): Yurchenko half, some bent knees and looks like she lands with her legs a bit locked. 9.750
Stephen (MSU): Toe on, Maloney, bail – super clean. Giant full in dismount stuck cold. Gorgeous! 9.925
Pagliaro (Rutgers): Yurchenko full with some leg separation and a hop back. 9.800
Zsarmani (MSU): Starts with a floaty pak. Maloney to Gienger, dynamic and clean. Double layout with a small slide back to finish. 9.875
Aird (Rutgers): Great distance on her Yurchenko full, lunges back on the landing. 9.800
Smith (MSU): Toe on, Maloney, pak – nicely done. Super solid handstand on the high bar. Sticks her double layout – awesome landings from the Spartans on these dismounts today. 9.950 – that’s a season high!
Riley (Rutgers): Good Yurchenko 1.5 with some leg form and a small step to the side. 9.825
Harkness (MSU): Big Gienger to start. Bail goes right to handstand. Double layout with a hop back. 9.850
Dildy (Rutgers): Stuck Yurchenko full! Some leg separation in the preflight but good distance. 9.850
Kellerman (MSU): Blind change to piked jaeger, some bent arms on the catch. Clean bail. Yet another stuck double layout to put an exclamation mark on a great bars rotation. 9.950 is a season high as well!
Ex – Goldsmith (Rutgers): Nice Yurchenko full with a step back.
Ex – Abney (MSU): Big Ray to an overshoot with some crazy legs. Blind full to double tuck with a stick.
Ex – Shiau (Rutgers): Yurchenko full, super solid landing but bent legs in the air.
Ex – Sawyer (MSU): Blind change to jaeger, gets a bit far from the bar and falls.
After 2: Michigan State 99.025, Rutgers 97.975
Season high event totals for both teams this rotation! I definitely wasn’t expecting Michigan State to score higher on bars than vault, with a big 49.575, but that was an undeniably strong rotation. The Spartans are on 198.000 pace if they keep this up. Rutgers will be happy to have broken the 49.000 mark on vault highlighted by a 9.850 for Dildy.
Rotation 3: Michigan State beam, Rutgers floor
We’re having some major technical difficulties on the stream, but I briefly saw a glimpse of Giana Kalefe doing a switch leap to tuck jump full on beam, so that’s fun. 9.950 for her!
Chevaire (Rutgers): Starts with a big double pike with a slide back. Switch full to split full, a little underrotated but good splits. Double tuck, chest a little down but controlled landing. 9.725
Doyle (MSU): Front aerial to straddle jump with some foot form. Straddle jump to straddle 1/4, solid. BHS LOSO with a balance check but recovers well. Round off 1.5 dismount with a small step back. 9.775
Jones (Rutgers): Nice double pike. Switch half to straddle full, good. Front layout to Rudi, nicely controlled. 1.5 to front layout with great height to finish. 9.825
Smith (MSU): BHS LOSO, super solid. Beat jump to straddle 1/4, good. She has such lovely quality of movement on this event. Finishes with a round off to super high double tuck with a lunge back. 9.850
Adrian (Rutgers): Nice 1.5 to front full. Switch half to wolf 1.5. Big Rudi to finish. 9.875
Zsarmani (MSU): Front kickover to back handspring, she’s off center from the start and comes off on the BHS unfortunately. Good through her leap series. Floaty 1.5 dismount with a stick. 9.300
Goldsmith (Rutgers): Front double twist with some crossed legs but great landing. Love that she’s using Vogue and has the fun choreography to match. Front full to front layout, clean. Switch side to wolf full is good. Rudi to back layout to super high straddle jump, great pass! 9.875
Schulte (MSU): They’ll want a big number from her here. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump – solid. Did not see her dismount but it was stuck! 9.925
Aird (Rutgers): Double pike with some low chest and a step forward. Front layout to front full, nice. High double tuck to finish. I’m loving all these three pass routines from Rutgers! 9.800
Stephen (MSU): Front kickover, leg comes up but she holds on. BHS LOSO with a wobble. Split jump to straddle jump 1/2, good. Round off to double twist, clean with a small hop. All she had to do was stay on, and she did, even if it was a little shaky! 9.800
Dildy (Rutgers): Front tuck through to double tuck, a little overrotated with a slide back. Good height on her dance series. Double pike with a great stick! Awesome way to close out that rotation. 9.825
Ex – Misenheimer (MSU): Front aerial to split jump, small wobble between the skills. Clean BHS LOSO. Round off 1.5 dismount, clean with a step forward. 9.825
A child in the background just did about 6 front walkovers in a row, get her on a team!
Ex – Smith (Rutgers): Double pike, front foot comes up. Split leap full to split 1.5. Double tuck with a bounce back and OOB. 1.5 to front layout, low on the second salto but manages to whip it around. 9.475
Ex – Trostel (MSU): BHS LOSO with a small lean. Switch leap with a lean, straddle jump. Onodi – yay! – with a hip break but holds onto it. BHS gainer full with a solid landing, well done. 9.125 – maybe she grabbed the beam on that Onodi.
After 3: Michigan State 148.325, Rutgers 147.175
It’s season high after season high for the Scarlet Knights tonight, with a floor total of 49.200. A 196.000 is a hit beam rotation away. For the Spartans, 49.300 is a great beam mark, led by a killer leadoff 9.950 from Kalefe and a casual 9.925 from Schulte. They need a 49.675 to join the exclusive club of teams that have hit 198.000 this season. Their current season high is 49.500 – so it’s doable, but not super likely. They’ll be hoping for another big number from Schulte.
Rotation 4: Rutgers beam, Michigan State floor
Gabi Ortiz is in the floor lineup for Michigan State – her first time out this season, and her first time ever competing this event for the Spartans.
Manifold (Rutgers): Solid BHS LOSO with some leg form. Cat leap to side aerial, super off center but saves it well. Split jump to split jump 3/4. Side aerial to 1.5 dismount with a lunge forward. 9.725
Harkness (MSU): Huge full in to start. Split leap full to wolf full, nicely done. Front tuck through to double tuck, super well controlled. Great start. 9.900
Adrian (Rutgers): BHS LOSO, small adjustment. Switch leap, straddle 1/2, beat jump. Front toss, lands too low and comes off. Nice high round off to double twist, chest down but a stick. Good finish. 9.300
Misenheimer (MSU): Nice full in. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full – really nice. 1.5 to front layout, good height. Another great set, I’m happy she’s made this lineup. 9.850
Pagliaro (Rutgers): Let’s see what she can do following up a fall. Switch leap to switch half, a little tentative with a hip break on the second skill. BHS LOSO to beat jump, no hesitation there. Front gainer full with a stick. Well done! 9.750
Ortiz (MSU): Full in, lands super low – ouch for her ankles. Front tuck through to double tuck, good control. Switch side to straddle full, good. 9.575
Rains (Rutgers): Clean BHS LOSO. Cat leap to front aerial, lovely toe point. Gainer full off the side with a stick, great set. 9.850
Stephen (MSU): Front tuck through to Rudi, very nice. High switch half to wolf full. Front double twist with some leg form but a solid landing. 9.900
Riley (Rutgers): BHS LOSO with a lean. Split jump to split 3/4, good split positions. Solid side aerial. BHS 1.5 dismount with a stick! 9.875
Smith (MSU): Huge full in with great control on the landing. Switch half to straddle full, solid. The crowd is getting loud. Front tuck through to double tuck, bounces back and puts her hands down! Oh that’s a shame, she had a great one going. 8.975
Dildy (Rutgers): Front kickover to BHS, slow but very solid. Cat leap to switch side, good. Straddle 1/4. Cartwheel gainer full off the side with a stick, super solid anchor to a good rotation. 9.900 – that’s a career high!
Schulte (MSU): Sky high full in to start. Switch half, straddle full, straddle. Front tuck through to double back, super well controlled. Stellar routine from her. 9.925
FINAL: Michigan State 197.475, Rutgers 196.275
Rutgers should be very proud of its performance tonight, surpassing its season high by nearly a full point. Every rotation was solid, and outscoring Michigan State on floor is an impressive feat in itself. Tonight should be good for the NQS and give Rutgers a nice boost up the rankings.
I shouldn’t have put up the 198.000 alert for Michigan State – sorry. It was always going to be tough after a vault rotation that was really good but not great, and it hurt to count a 9.575 on floor after an uncharacteristic error from Smith. But the Spartans have a lot to be proud of tonight – namely that bars rotation – and have notched their highest road score of the season.
VT: Olivia Zsarmani (Michigan State) – 9.950
UB: Nikki Smith and Sage Kellerman (Michigan State) – 9.950
BB: Giana Kalefe (Michigan State) – 9.950
FX: Skyla Schulte (Michigan State) – 9.925
AA: Gabrielle Stephen (Michigan State) – 39.500
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Live blog by Sophie Poirier
