U-M Finishes Second in Qualifying Session II, Advances to NCAA Championships Finals

Site: Champaign, Ill. (State Farm Center)

Event: NCAA Championships Qualifier

Scores: #3 Stanford 327.992, #2 Michigan 324.623, #7 Illinois 319.658, #6 Penn State 311.357, #11 Army 308.593, #10 Navy 306.726

Next U-M Event: Friday, April 17 — at NCAA Championships Finals (Champaign, Ill.), 6 p.m. CT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan males’s gymnastics group superior to the NCAA Finals with a strong efficiency in Session II of the NCAA Championships Qualifier on Friday (April 17) at State Farm Center.

The Maize and Blue completed second within the session with a group rating of 324.623, whereas Stanford (327.992) and Illinois (319.658) rounded out the highest three. The trio will compete towards No. 4 Nebraska, No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Ohio State, all advancing out of Session I.

How it Happened

Parallel Bars

Carson Eshleman (13.433) and Pierce Wolfgang (13.266) acquired the Wolverines off to a strong begin to the rotation earlier than a pair of sticks from Solen Chiodi (13.366) and Fred Richard (14.600). Despite Richard’s season-high and session-leading rating, Michigan was in second behind Stanford after the primary rotation.

High Bar

Wolfgang posted one other strong rating of 13.666 to open the rotation, whereas Landen Blixt added a stick and 13.533 to the group rating. Eshleman posted a 14.166, the best rating of the session, and Richard anchored with a 13.766. A team-high excessive bar rating of 55.131 was not sufficient to push Michigan into first and the Wolverines remained in second.

Floor Exercise

Jake Islam opened the third rotation with a strong 13.500 and Eli Osuna saved the momentum going with a 13.433 to return simply 0.067 factors shy of his profession excessive. Chiodi suffered from a stumble in the course of his routine and earned a 12.766, however a 14.066 from Blixt gave the Maize and Blue a powerful end to the rotation.

Pommel Horse

The Wolverines acquired off to a rocky begin on the pommel horse, with Zach Granados falling on his dismount for a 12.266 and Kevin Chow posting a 12.666 in his season debut. Richard acquired U-M again on monitor with a season-high 14.100 and, regardless of a come across his dismount, Aaronson Mansberger earned a 13.866 to shut out the rotation. Michigan remained in second behind the Cardinal with two rotations to go.

Still Rings

Eshleman and Islam posted scores below 13.000 earlier than Joseph Hale made his collegiate debut with a 13.166 to present U-M a spark heading into the anchor place. Akshay Puri posted a season-high and session-leading 14.166, simply 0.034 factors from his profession excessive, however Stanford remained in entrance heading into the ultimate rotation.

Vault

Osuna opened the vault with a rating of 13.900 to return 0.050 factors shy of his profession excessive, and Chiodi added a rating of 13.866 with two routines to go. Blixt got here 0.200 factors from a profession excessive with a rating of 14.200, and Richard scored a season-high 13.833 to present Michigan a second-place end.

Up Next

Michigan will vie for its second straight nationwide title on Saturday (April 18) at 6 p.m. CT within the NCAA Championships Finals inside State Farm Center. The meet shall be broadcast reside on ESPN2, with individual-event livestreams out there on ESPN+.