Michigan
Penn State
No. 10 Wolverines Take Down No. 8 PSU with Season-Best Score
3/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
» The Wolverines established a new season-high team score of 431.650 in their first dual meet win of the season.
» Dmitri Belanovski captured the all-around title, while the Wolverines won five event titles.
» Colin Mahar's spectacular performance with a 15.60 on still rings won him the Newt Loken Award, given to the most outstanding routine on the meet.
Site: Cliff Keen Arena (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Score: #10 Michigan 431.650, #8 Penn State 420.700
Attendance: 967
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 26 -- vs. UIC (Cliff Keen Arena), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team overtook the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions, 431.650-420.700, on Saturday (March 19) inside Cliff Keen Arena.
The Wolverines (4-9, 1-6 B1G) began the meet with a solid effort to earn an early 7.10 lead and a team tally of 72.950. Anthony Stefanelli anchored the Wolverines with a 14.85, Dmitri Belanovski stuck his Arabian double tuck dismount, and both Alec Krystek and Emyre Cole notched 14.80s. Conversely, the Nittany Lions combined for 65.85 on the horse.
Continuing on pommel horse, Belanovski's 13.55 and Nolan Novak's 14.80 earned him the event title and contributed to the U-M team total of 68.000. Penn State countered with a 70.450 on floor to narrow Michigan's lead.
In the third rotation on rings, the team had a strong performance with three stuck landings from Jonathan Chin, Colin Mahar and Cole. Mahar earned a new career high of 15.60 for the event title. With assistance from McCallum's 14.80 and Belanovski's 14.70, they bolstered U-M's 73.750. Trevor Howard scored a 14.95, leading the Penn State to a 73.000 on vault.
Moving to vault, the Wolverines earned a 73.450 to further extend their lead as Penn State scored a 73.600 on rings. Anthony McCallum scored a 15.40 after sticking his Tsukahara Double Pike, while Cole's big Yurchenko 2 1/2 tied his career best of 15.45 and earned him his third straight event title.
On parallel bars, Michigan continued its dominance, as Belanovski's clean set earned him a 15.25 and the event title, while Marty Strech earned a 14.55 to contribute to the team's 71.950 mark. The opposition wavered on high bar with a 69.850.
To conclude the contest on high bar, U-M solidified its Big Ten victory. McCallum and Belanovski continued to impress, swinging fluidly through their elements and sticking their landings to earn scores of 14.60 and 15.20, respectively. Belanovski tied his career high and earned the high bar event title.
Michigan snagged the top-three spots in the all-around competition with Belanovski as the top finisher with an 87.10, Cole in second with an 86.85 and McCallum in third with an 85.40.
U-M closes out its 2016 home season Saturday (March 26) at 2 p.m., hosting the UIC Flames on Senior Day at Cliff Keen Arena.
