No. 5 UCLA gymnastics will face No. 21 Michigan State on Sunday in East Lansing, Michigan. The Bruins were the No. 1 team in the nation after their first meet this season but slipped to No. 9 after placing third at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Jan. 10. UCLA earned a season-high 197.325 in its victory against Nebraska on Saturday, anchored by a perfect 10 on vault by senior standout Jordan Chiles, who currently leads the nation in the all-around. Sports senior staff writer Alexandra Crosnoe breaks down the Spartans’ lineup ahead of the competition.

Michigan State
Strength: Balance beam
Weakness: Uneven bars
X-factor: MaKayla Tucker

Michigan State ended its 2025 campaign narrowly missing the NCAA championships – falling just 0.375 points behind UCLA, who secured the final spot.

But an early look at the Spartans’ 2026 campaign suggests they will struggle to reach the heights of their previous season. The squad holds a 195.950 average across its past two weeks of competition – 1.41 points below its 2025 mark.

The Spartans lost two pivotal athletes – Gabrielle Stephen and Skyla Schulte – at the end of the 2025 season. Stephen, who was the No. 22 all-arounder in the nation, earned an NQS of 39.470, and Schulte – who held the No. 25 position on floor with a 9.920 NQS – only dropped below 9.900 on the event twice last season.

Stephen and Schulte ended the season tied at No. 24 on beam – with a 9.905 NQS – and the former reached perfection on beam at the Big Ten Championships.

The Spartans’ beam rotation has held strong, with the team posting a 49.125 average across their past two competitions – good for No. 13 in the country. Junior Isabella Trostel has led the team on beam, delivering 9.925 and 9.800 marks at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad and against Iowa, respectively.

Michigan State’s beam prowess goes beyond one athlete. No Spartan scored below 9.750 on beam in their first meet, aside from freshman Lilia Cosman, who earned a 9.375 that was dropped from the group tally.

The lowest score on beam at the Spartans’ second meet was a 9.625 from sophomore Cady Duplissis, with four gymnasts posting a 9.800 or higher.

But a team is only as strong as its weakest event – and for the Spartans, that is uneven bars.

Michigan State is ranked No. 33 nationally on bars, averaging a 48.775.

However, the Spartans have also recorded two scores below 9.600 at both meets. While Michigan State was able to drop a 9.125 at its first meet and a 9.225 at its second, the pair of mistakes forced the squad to count 9.550 and 9.325 marks, respectively.

But amid inconsistency, junior MaKayla Tucker – who stands at No. 30 in the all-around nationally with a 39.188 average – has been anything but unpredictable. Tucker – who competed on vault, bars and floor in the 2025 NCAA Championships – has yet to record a score below 9.725 this season.

The Spartans also boast some vault talent, including Sage Kellerman. The senior has racked up vault accolades throughout her collegiate career – securing a 2025 NCAA All-American selection, finishing the season ranked No. 6 and recording two perfect 10s in the event.

And Kellerman is not the only vaulting expert the Spartans retained. Senior Nikki Smith finished the 2025 season at No. 4 in the nation on vault, hitting 9.950 five times throughout the campaign. She was also Michigan State’s best all-arounder at No. 21 in the nation, with a NQS of 39.485.

The Bruins will take on the Spartan crew at 10 a.m. Sunday.