LSU Gymnastics Opponent Breakdown: Michigan State Spartans

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Brian Schaible | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 4:02 PM ET

After LSU and Michigan State gymnastics compete in the University Park Regionals, these two teams are scheduled to face off against each other on Thursday.

Michigan State will join Utah and UCLA in the second semifinal grouping, with all teams looking to dethrone the reigning champion LSU Tigers.

Michigan State gymnastics achieved a score of 198.000 on the Regionals to qualify for Championships for only the second time in school history.

This second-place finish marks MSU's best performance in the current regional format. The Spartans will be making their first appearance at the NCAA Championships since 1988.

Spartan Send-Off

Good luck in Fort Worth, @MSU_Gymnastics! pic.twitter.com/Vjb1zhj5xl
— Michigan State Athletics (@MSU_Athletics) April 15, 2025

Michigan State senior gymnast Gabrielle Stephen has been a key player for the Spartans since her arrival on campus, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten first team in each year of her collegiate career.

At the Big Ten Championships, Stephen achieved a historic milestone by scoring the first perfect 10.00 on the beam in Michigan State University's history. She then matched that feat with another perfect 10.00 on the vault during the NCAA Regional Semifinal. This impressive vault score contributed to Stephen's career-best total of 39.750, securing her victory in the all-around competition.

Stephen earned the title of WCGA Central Region Gymnast of the Year following her outstanding performance at the regionals, marking her as the first gymnast from MSU to receive this honor. Additionally, head coach Mike Rowe was recognized as the regional head coach of the year for the second time in his career, and assistants Nicole Jones and Devin Wright were acknowledged with regional assistant of the year awards.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: