This meet showcases two teams with a great deal of potential who haven’t yet shown us their best gymnastics in 2024. Penn State had a much better meet in week 2 than week 1, improving on every event to walk away with a 196.675, but there’s still more to add. This potentially great bars team, for example, has only scored as high as 49.075. There’s definite possibility for improvement there as the Nittany Lions open their conference slate.
Meanwhile, Michigan State has had one great bars and one great floor rotation, but not in the same meet. Putting those together would be a strong start. Vault, which is a potential strength for the Spartans, hasn’t yet seen any individual 9.900+ scores from anyone not named Sage Kellerman. It’s time for that to change. Beam has been event that Michigan State just survives, which can be fine for now, though given that it’s nearly identical to a lineup that did great last year, it ought to be fixable.
Rotation 1: PSU VT, MSU UB
Vihrova (PSU): Handspring front pike, big step forward and matches it. 9.7
Stephen (MSU): Almost over on her first handstand, Maloney with soft knees to bail with some foot form, definitely not short on handstands! FTDB with flexed feet stuck-ish. 9.85
Johnston (PSU): Some soft form on her…
