Two for Blue! Mikulak Captures NCAA All-Around Crown

Friday, April 15

Columbus, Ohio

7:00 PM

Michigan

NCAA Team and All-Around Finals

4/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

April 15, 2011

• Complete Results | Photo Gallery

Site: Columbus, Ohio (St. John Arena)
Event: NCAA Team & All-Around Finals
U-M Team Result: 5th of 6 Teams (356.200)
Records: U-M (16-11)
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, April 16 -- at NCAA Championships - Event Finals (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Freshman Sam Mikulak (Corona del Mar, Calif./Carona del Mar) captured the 2011 NCAA all-around title on Friday night (April 15) as the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team placed fifth at the NCAA Team and All-Around Finals at St. John Arena. Stanford took home the team title with 363.450 points as 2010 champion Michigan was unable to defend, finishing with 356.200.

Mikulak is the second straight Michigan winner of the all-around crown, after Chris Cameron (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region) won the all-around national title last season. Mikulak is also the first U-M freshman to ever top the national field in the all-around, and third-ever Wolverine to win the honor (Cameron, 2010; Gil Larose, 1963). It is also believed to be the first time in NCAA history a freshman has won the all-around crown. Additionally, with women's gymnast Kylee Botterman winning the NCAA all-around tonight, Michigan becomes the first school to win both the men's and women's titles in the same season.

Six teams, including No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 California, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Penn State and No. 6 Michigan, as well as six individual event qualifiers on each event and six all-around competitors qualified into tonight's team and all-around finals. The top 10 individuals on each event from tonight qualify into event finals tomorrow evening (Saturday, April 16) at 7 p.m.

Michigan began competition on pommel horse and after a clean leadoff, second-up Mikulak hit a strong set, scoring 14.40. Following two missed routines, fifth-up freshman Michael Myler (North Orem, Utah/Timpanogos) hit his routine with a shaky dismount to score 13.50. Last up, redshirt junior Adam Hamers hit a nearly flawless routine with good extension on his circles, posting the highest score for the team with a 14.95.

The Wolverines moved to the rings for the second rotation. Second up, freshman Alex Bubnov (Fanwood, N.J./ Scotch Plains-Fanwood) followed a good leadoff routine and hit a strength-packed set, sticking his dismount in a perfect power stance to tie his career high (14.65). Next up, Mikulak hit his best routine of the season, showing off his dynamic swinging ability to post a career-high 14.90. The next two athletes cleaned up the event with a pair of 15.00 scores from Cameron and redshirt junior Andrew Vance (Plymouth, Mich./ Catholic Central).

Moving to the vault for the third rotation, the team stood up six vaults. Senior Steve Crabtree (Perrineville, N.J./ Notre Dame Prep) stuck his double twisting vault to score a career-high 15.85 and last-up Mikulak nailed his 7.0 difficulty triple full vault, taking a medium step back and scoring an impressive 16.35. After three rotations, Michigan was seated in fourth place with a 179.300, while Illinois was leading the way with a 183.300.

Next, the team went to the parallel bars for the fourth rotation. First up, senior Devan Cote (Hollis, N.H./ Hollis-Brookline) hit a solid routine to score a season-high 14.30. The next two routines struggled with minor errors and then fourth-up Cameron hit a high amplitude set for the second night in a row, scoring a 14.80. Last up, Mikulak bobbled his dismount, landing after a strong routine to post the high score for the team, 15.00. After four rotations, the all-around race was extremely tight with Mikulak seated in fourth, back 1.35 from first, but the top four all-arounders still had to compete on pommel horse.

In the fifth rotation, the Wolverines took to the high bar. After a clean first set, the next three athletes struggled until fifth-up Mikulak hit his routine, scoring a 14.45. Last up, senior Ian Makowske (Redding, Conn./ Joel Barlow) nailed his routine, including his trademarked skill that he invented and finished with a stuck dismount to score a team-high 15.40.

The Wolverines came to the floor exercise for the final event of the night. First up, senior Ben Baldus-Strauss (Wheaton, Ill./ Wheaton Warrenville South), in his final routine for the block 'M,' made it through his set with slight trouble on his second pass but managed to score a season-high 14.75 as he raised his hand in salute to the Michigan cheer section. Third up, sophomore Rohan Sebastian (Oklahoma City, Okla./ Bishop McGuinness Catholic) posted a 14.85. Fifth up, Makowske nailed his routine with clean execution to score a 15.30. Last up, Mikulak, only needing a 15.05 to overtake Illinois' Mizoguchi for the all-around title, hit one of his top floor performances of the season to secure the all-around title with a 15.65.

Three Wolverines qualified into tomorrow's event finals competition: Mikulak on floor, vault, and parallel bars; Hamers on pommel horse; and Makowske on high bar.

Team Standings	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB	Total
Stanford	62.450	56.500	60.700	64.550	59.950	59.300	363.450
Oklahoma	61.050	57.500	60.100	63.200	60.000	58.300	360.150
Illinois	61.050	57.500	60.100	63.200	60.000	58.300	360.150
California	60.300	58.900	59.550	63.000	58.750	58.200	358.700
Michigan	60.550	56.100	59.700	63.500	58.500	57.850	356.200
Penn State	59.350	56.400	61.700	62.150	57.900	58.200	355.700

Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores

FLOOR EXERCISE  Ben Baldus-Strauss  14.75Chris Cameron       14.60Rohan Sebastian     14.85Thomas Kelley       13.90Ian Makowske        15.30Sam Mikulak         15.65 (5) POMMEL HORSEAlex Bubnov         13.25Sam Mikulak         14.40Chris Cameron       12.65Devan Cote          13.20Michael Myler       13.50Adam Hamers         14.95 (3)Thomas Kelley *     12.30 STILL RINGSRohan Sebastian     14.45Alex Bubnov         14.65Sam Mikulak         14.90Chris Cameron       15.00Andrew Vance        15.00Thomas Kelley       14.80 VAULTAlex Bubnov         15.55Thomas Kelley       15.30Steve Crabtree      15.85Rohan Sebastian     14.95Ben Baldus-Strauss  15.75Sam Mikulak         16.35 (t1)Chris Cameron *     14.05 PARALLEL BARSDevan Cote          14.30Steve Crabtree      13.25Thomas Kelley       13.65Chris Cameron       14.80Syque Caesar        14.40Sam Mikulak         15.00 (9) HIGH BARDevan Cote          14.00Ben Baldus-Strauss  13.50Chris Cameron       14.00Thomas Kelley       13.75Sam Mikulak         14.45Ian Makowske        15.40 (t1) ALL-AROUNDSam Mikulak         90.75 (1)Chris Cameron       85.10Thomas Kelley       83.70 * Denotes All-Around Exhibition() Top 10 make event finals