Wolverines Earn Runner-Up at 44th Windy City Invitational

Saturday, January 17

Chicago, Ill.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

Windy City Invitational

Wolverines Earn Runner-Up at 44th Windy City Invitational

1/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

Jan. 17, 2015

• Complete Results | Notes

Site: UIC Pavilion (Chicago, Ill.)
Event: 44th Windy City Invitational
Score: 2nd Place of 6 Teams (422.950)
Attendance: 3,080
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, Jan. 24 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 7 p.m.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team began its 2015 season with a team score of 422.950 and runner-up finish Saturday (Jan. 17) at the UIC Paviliion in the annual event hosted by UIC. The Wolverines have now finished in the top two in the event in each of the last three seasons.

The Wolverines took the second in the competition behind Illinois (428.100) and were led by two second-place finishes -- by senior/junior Michael Strathern on vault (15.00) and senior Stacey Ervin on floor (15.05). Additionally, freshman Dmitri Belanovski began his U-M career in style with an 83.55 all-around score to take third.

U-M began the night on pommel horse, where the squad collected a 69.65. The effort was headlined by junior Nolan Novak, who marked a 14.60, while Ervin secured a career-high 13.20.

In rotation two, U-M transitioned to still rings, where the six-man lineup featured three newcomers in Belanovski (13.75), classmate Marty Strech, who led U-M with a 14.20, and junior/sophomore Reid Swanger, who scored a 13.05. U-M collectively tallied a 67.90 and sat in fifth place after two rotations with a 137.55.

The Maize and Blue found its stride in the third rotation on vault, where the two-time defending Windy City champions scored a 73.60. Strathern tallied a 15.00 on his first competitive vault since the 2013 season for his second-place finish with a double-front handspring. Ervin then anchored the event and had a small hop on the landing of the same vault sequence for a 14.85.

Following a 68.45 on parallel bars that was led by a senior Adrian de los Angeles' 14.30, the Wolverines took to high bar and secured a pair for stuck landings -- by senior Nick Hunter (14.40) and Strech (13.00). It was Belanovski who had the top team score on the apparatus with a 14.50 as the Wolverines were in striking distance heading into the sixth and final rotation.

In the final rotation of the night, Ervin secured a 15.05 on the exercise to take second in the competition, while senior Paul Rizkalla Jr. and sophomore Anthony Stefanelli earned 14.45s.

In the end, the Illini proved to be too strong with huge event scores of 74.30 on rings as well as 73.00 on vault and were led individually by all-around winner C.J. Maestas (87.55).

The Wolverines open dual-meet competition at Penn State, the host of the 2015 Big Ten Championships, next Saturday (Jan. 24). Meet time is slated for 7 p.m. from Rec Hall in State College, Pennsylvania.

Team Standings	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB	Total
Illinois	70.950	70.600	74.300	73.000	68.200	71.050	428.100
Michigan	72.000	69.650	67.900	73.600	68.450	71.350	422.950
Ohio State	69.650	62.000	68.900	72.100	70.750	71.400	414.800
Iowa	67.150	66.800	70.300	71.800	67.050	70.900	414.000
Minnesota	68.550	64.900	69.950	70.750	69.000	67.200	410.350
UIC	66.500	59.200	62.200	69.550	67.900	63.050	388.400

Event-by-Event U-M Individual Scores

Pommel Horse (69.65)Stacey Ervin           13.20Mark Panhorst          13.70Nolan Novak            14.60 (4)Dylan James            13.95Nick Hunter            14.20Adrian de los Angeles  11.80Dmitri Belanovski *    13.60       Still Rings (67.90) Marty Strech        14.20Hub Humphrey        12.70Reid Swanger           13.05Paul Rizkalla Jr.      13.05Colin Mahar            13.85Dmitri Belanovski      13.75        Vault (73.60)  Anthony Stefanelli     14.45Michael Strathern      15.00 (2)Tristian Perez-Rivera  14.75Paul Rizkalla Jr.      13.85Dmitri Belanovski      14.55Stacey Ervin           14.85 (4)        Paralell Bars (68.45)Mark Panhorst          13.15Hub Humphrey           13.50Tristian Perez-Rivera  12.00Dmitri Belanovski      14.00Adrian de los Angeles  14.30Nick Hunter            13.50       High Bar (71.35)Marty Strech           13.00Tristian Perez-Rivera  13.75Michael Strathern      14.25Stacey Ervin           14.45Dmitri Belanovski      14.50Nick Hunter            14.40            Floor Exercise (72.00)Paul Rizkalla Jr.      14.45Hub Humphrey           14.30Anthony Stefanelli     14.45Michael Strathern      13.20Tristian Perez-Rivera  13.75Stacey Ervin           15.05 (2)Dmitri Belanovski *    13.15       All-AroundDmitri Belanovski      83.55 (3)       *indicates all-around competitor