Eric Boggs
The No. 9 Ohio State women’s gymnastics team showcased its talent and resilience over the weekend, securing a decisive victory over Iowa before falling in a hard-fought battle against No. 4 Michigan State at the Covelli Center.
Ohio State (2-2, 1-0 B1G) opened Big Ten Conference play in style Saturday night, defeating Iowa 196.275-195.200. The Buckeyes swept the individual event titles and claimed top honors on vault, beam, and floor, marking a successful home debut for the 2024 season.
Tory Vetter led the charge with a season-best all-around score of 39.575. The Hilliard, Ohio native secured three event titles, including a career-high 9.925 on both floor and bars. She also shared the beam title with junior standout Payton Harris, who made her season debut and provided a major boost to the Buckeyes’ lineup.
Freshman JJ Coleman delivered a breakout performance on vault, anchoring the team with a career-best 9.900 in her first competition at the Covelli Center. That score earned her the first event title of her collegiate career.
Ohio State closed the meet on a high note, posting its best rotation of the night with a 49.375 on floor. Vetter’s 9.925 led the way, followed by another stellar 9.900 from Rylee Guevara. Coleman contributed a career-best 9.875, rounding out a dominant performance by the Buckeyes.
Several Buckeyes set career highs during the meet, including Cameron Smith on vault (9.850) and beam (9.850), Guevara on beam (9.800), Kaitlyn Grimes on floor (9.850), Samara Buchanan on bars (9.750), and Maisyn Rader on floor (9.800).
Just days after their commanding win over Iowa, the Buckeyes faced a formidable test against No. 4 Michigan State on Friday night, ultimately falling 196.800-195.750 in a closely contested matchup.
Freshman Rylee Guevara continued to impress, securing her first career event title with a third consecutive 9.900 on floor. Sophomore Courtney McCann added another highlight for Ohio State, claiming her first event title of the season with a season-best 9.900 on beam—her first 9.9 on the event since tying the program record with a 9.975 in her collegiate debut.
Despite the loss, the Buckeyes shined on floor once again, posting a 49.200 in the final rotation. Guevara’s 9.900 led the way, with Vetter and Coleman each adding solid 9.850s. Washington, Grimes, and Harris all contributed 9.800s to round out another strong rotation.
Other standout performances included Sidney Washington’s season-high 9.850 to lead off on vault and Tory Vetter’s 9.825 on bars, which was good for third overall.
Ohio State will now hit the road for back-to-back meets, traveling to Michigan on Jan. 31 before facing Illinois on Feb. 7. The Buckeyes will return to the Covelli Center for three more home meets, including a dual against Minnesota on Feb. 16, the Big Four meet featuring Nebraska, Rutgers, and UCLA on March 2, and a tri-meet against Kent State and West Virginia on March 16.
With strong performances to build upon and a deep, talented roster, the Buckeyes are poised to make a major impact as they continue their Big Ten campaign.
