MSU sends two to NCAA gymnastics championships, as Gabrielle Stephen, Delanie Harkness both qualify
Michigan State sophomore Gabrielle Stephen and junior Delanie Harkness have earned individual berths to the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, beginning April 13 in Fort Worth, Texas. Stephen will compete as an individual on beam and Harkness on floor.
It marks the first time MSU has qualified multiple individuals to the nationals since 1997. Both Stephen and Harkness are making their first trip to the NCAA Championships.
Stephen finished in a four-way tie for first place on beam in the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional second round with a 9.950 to secure her spot as the top individual in the event not on an advancing team. Harkness’ 9.925 on floor was the best score of non-advancing team athletes in that event.
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Stephen competed on beam in every meet for the Spartans this season, earning an 9.895 national qualifying score. She ranks seventh in the Big Ten and in a tie for 51st nationally. Her 9.950 in the regional second round was her highest score of the season on beam and tied her career-high. Stephen, an Elgin, Illinois native, was named first-team All-Big Ten this season for the second straight year.
Harkness ranks 13th in the Big Ten and tied for 51st nationally on floor with a national qualfying score of 9.910, collecting two titles in the event this season. She appeared in the Spartans’ floor lineup in every meet this season, posting seven scores of 9.900 or higher and earning a career-high 9.950 on two occasions. Her 9.950s sit in a tie for second-all time at MSU. A native of Leslie, Michigan, Harkness was named first-team All-Big Ten this season and was named to the Big Ten All-Championships Team at the Big Ten Championships after winning the bars title, the first for MSU since 1996.
Stephen and Harkness are the 13th and 14th Spartan individuals to advance to the NCAA Championships. MSU has now advanced individuals to the national championships in consecutive years for the first time since 2007-08. The Spartans have also qualified an individual on beam for the second year in a row after current sophomore Skyla Schulte earned an individual spot in 2022.
Individual athletes at the NCAA Championships will compete in the semifinal round on April 13 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Harkness and Stephen will compete in Session I (3 p.m. ET).
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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State gymnastics: Two Spartans qualify for NCAA championships
