One Night, Two Champs: Gymnastics, Hockey Rule Big Ten

A historic night ended in thrilling fashion as MSU hosted two Big Ten Championship events and came out on top with titles in both gymnastics and ice hockey.

May 18, 2024

The day began with promise, a unique opportunity for Michigan State: hosting two Big Ten Championship events by the regular-season champion of both sports—gymnastics and hockey—across the street from each other at Jenison Field House and then Munn Ice Arena.
 
And after more than five consecutive hours of competition at the historic sold-out venues on a chilly Saturday evening that stretched into the night, Michigan State came out victorious on the last second in back-to-back fashion—two sports making history winning Big Ten Championships on the same night, side by side.

Champs on the mat

Michigan State gymnastics needed every point to reach its goal.

The top-seeded Spartans won their first-ever Big Ten Championship in a tension-filled session that came down to the final routine at a sold-out Jenison Field House.

MSU had its fourth-highest score of the season, finishing with 197.600—just enough to slip past Minnesota (197.500), Michigan (197.225) and Ohio State (197.050).

Junior Skyla Schulte became the first MSU gymnast to win the all-around title at the BIG Championships with a score of 39.600. She also earned a share of the floor title, the first for MSU since 2017. MSU head coach Mike Rowe collected the Big Ten Coach of the Year award for the third straight year.

The Spartans won back-to-back regular-season titles and ended with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Gainesville Regional Final. It was the team’s third straight appearance in a regional final.

Overall, MSU finished at 29-7, its winningest season in program history.

Champs on the ice

In front of a packed house at Munn Ice Arena, the men’s ice hockey team made history... again.

Freshman Patrick Geary’s 5-4 overtime goal against rival Michigan delivered pandemonium and the Spartans’ first-ever Big Ten Tournament title in late March.

"I was excited, especially to do it at home," said Head Coach Adam Nightingale. "You could argue that might have been the biggest game at Munn…I mean, that crowd was awesome. It was awesome last week, and it's been awesome all year. For them to stick with us and believe in us, we had to earn it. I think that's what makes it even more special."

Earlier, MSU made history by winning the program’s first-ever Big Ten regular-season crown. The team's last regular-season title came in the CCHA in 2001 with the last postseason championship in 2006. The Big Ten established its own men’s ice hockey circuit starting in the 2013-14 season.

Michigan State ended its season in the NCAA Regional finals, concluding with a 25-10-3 overall record in the second year under Nightingale.