Big Fives Session Two

Recap

The Big Storyline: In its first meet back after the shooting on campus, Michigan State took home the victory with a program high 197.675. But the Spartans weren’t the only stars of the show: Nebraska took second place with a season high 196.925. The Huskers were able to upset Ohio State and Minnesota after the Gophers had a disastrous beam rotation. Minnesota’s Maddie Quarles made sure the team’s performance wasn’t a complete wash, though, scoring a 10 on vault and bringing the rotation total to 49.425.

Implications: Nebraska’s huge score means that it can count its 196.325 at Penn State last week, which is huge for its NQS. Michigan State also may be able to make a significant jump in the national rankings with the results of this weekend’s meet. 

Records: Michigan State’s 197.675 was its program high team score, which included a program high vault score of 49.525.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 13 Ohio State, No. 19 Michigan State, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 41 Rutgers at No. 36 Nebraska

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: If you like evenly matched meets, you’ve come to the right place! Any of the top three teams in this session could walk away with the win. Minnesota and Michigan State are only separated by one ranking place, and Ohio State’s NQS is only two tenths above those of the Gophers and the Spartans, which leaves very little room for error from the Buckeyes. No team has mathematically clinched a conference championship night session spot yet, so this meet is critical from top to bottom. That said, the Buckeyes are sitting at a healthy 4-1 to lead the conference, and Michigan State is at a comfortable 3-1. The Gophers are the night session bubble team to watch.

What We’re Watching: Nebraska and Rutgers are both fighting for spots at regionals, so we’ll be looking for both teams to put up big scores to boost their NQS. Nebraska is sitting in the last regionals spot right now, so it’s safe to say that a big score would make the Huskers a little bit more comfortable. As for Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights are in need of a solid road score. A 196 would be huge for Rutgers and its postseason hopes. 

What Else to Know Before Tuning in: This will be Michigan State’s first meet back since the shooting that happened on its campus last week, so it may be an emotional meet for the Spartans. It’s also the Huskers’ first meet since health and safety protocols kept the team idle last week.