Michigan
Oklahoma
Ninth-Ranked Michigan to Open Season Against No. 1 Oklahoma
1/25/2018 2:28:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
» The No. 9 Wolverines will open their 2018 season by playing host to the defending NCAA champion and No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
» U-M enters the 2018 season boasting a No. 9 preseason ranking in the CGA preseason poll.
» Michigan returns numerous key contributors as well as 26 of its top-30 scores from last season (87 percent) after graduating only three seniors.
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THIS WEEK
Saturday, Jan. 27 -- vs. No. 1 Oklahoma (Cliff Keen Arena), 1 p.m.
Live Results | Season Preview
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The No. 9 University of Michigan men's gymnastics team will open up its 2018 season by hosting the nation's best in defending NCAA champion and No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday (Jan. 27) at 1 p.m. inside Cliff Keen Arena.
WOLVERINE BITES
• In the annual Maize and Blue intrasquad, Maize topped Blue by a 399.350-388.350 score on Dec. 9 inside Cliff Keen Arena. The teams each won three events, with Maize winning pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar. Conversely, the Blue team took home floor exercise, still rings and vault wins. Maize had four individual event titles on the afternoon thanks to freshmen Jacob Moore (floor, 14.30) and Cameron Bock (still rings, 14.15), junior Uche Eke (pommel horse, 14.10) and senior Dmitri Belanovski (high bar, 14.05). The Blue team earned two individual titles courtesy of junior Anthony McCallum, who took home wins on vault (14.90) and parallel bars (13.60).
• Michigan enters the 2018 season boasting a No. 9 preseason ranking according the CGA preseason poll. Additionally, U-M was selected to finish seventh in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll. Ohio State topped the list, followed by Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Penn State and Iowa. The Big Ten is the lone men's gymnastics conference in the NCAA that has every member institution ranked in the top-10 of the CGA poll.
• U-M returns 26 of its top-30 scores from last season (87 percent) after graduating only three seniors from a year ago. In individual events, the squad returns its full event lineup from 2017 on pommel horse and still rings. The senior class will be led by 2016 All-American (all-around, high bar) Dmitri Belanovski, as well as 2014 All-American and sixth-year senior Tristian Perez-Rivera who has essentially missed each of the last two seasons due to injury. Veterans Marty Strech and Alec Krystek, both redshirt juniors, have massive potential and are primed for breakout campaigns.
• Bock and Moore were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch prior to the 2018 season. Bock, who joins the U-M program as the No. 1 recruit in the country according to several services, is the 2016 Junior Olympic champion on parallel bars and high bar and took third in the all-around competition. Bock spent last season training at the United States Olympic Training Center, while Moore, regarded as the top gymnast in the state of Michigan for several years, has excelled at the national level for much of his junior career.
• U-M's Crisler Center will be the site of the 2018 Big Ten Championships on Friday and Saturday, April 6-7. The last time U-M competed inside Crisler Center the squad took home the 2014 NCAA team championship. U-M last hosted Big Tens in 2009, a championship that was also held inside then-Crisler Arena, and tied for first.
OPPONENT PREVIEW
The No. 1 Sooners enter the meet after having their season opener vs. Air Force on Jan. 20 cancelled due to the government shutdown. The three-time defending NCAA champions are riding an 81-meet winning streak. OU has been ranked preseason No. 1 by the CGA each of the last four seasons. OU returns 2017 NCAA floor and rings national champion Yul Moldauer as well as All-Americans Hunter Justis (still rings, parallel bars), Reese Rickett (still rings), and Genki Suzuki (high bar). U-M is 5-14 all-time against the Sooners under the guidance of head coach Kurt Golder.
Tweet of the Week
It's MEET WEEK!
— Michigan Gymnastics (@UMichGym) January 22, 2018
Catch us on Saturday (1 p.m.) inside Cliff Keen Arena as we host No. 1 @OU_MGymnastics!#GoBlue
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Keep Up With the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's gymnastics on Twitter (@umichgym) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook! Fans can also follow in-meet commentary via the Twitter channel, with live streaming available for select meets via Facebook as well. Additional content will be provided via Instagram (@umichgym) and Snapchat (@umichathletics).
NEXT EVENT
Saturday, Feb. 3 -- vs. Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
