Michigan
Ohio State Open
Big Final Rotation Leads Wolverines to Win at Ohio State Open
1/18/2026 5:45:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Covelli Center)
Event: Ohio State Open
Scores: #4 Michigan 315.800, Ohio State 311.300, #7 Greenville 307.450, Illinois 307.100
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 24 -- vs. Oklahoma (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team earned a first-place finish at the Ohio State Open with a score of 315.800, topping Ohio State (311.300), No. 7 Greenville (307.450) and Illinois (307.100) on Sunday (Jan. 18) at the Covelli Center.
Michigan led after the second rotation, but low scores on the parallel bars and high bar dropped the Wolverines into third place after four rotations. Falls from Illinois and Ohio State allowed U-M to move back into second with one rotation remaining. A pair of scores over 14.000 for Michigan, along with another Buckeye fall on high bar, propelled the Maize and Blue into the lead and sealed the victory.
Sophomore Aaronson Mansberger scored a career-high 14.900 on the pommel horse as the anchor to win the event title, while Landen Blixt placed second with a career-high 14.100. Akshay Puri tied for first on the still rings with a 13.400, and Solen Chiodi finished third in the all-around (76.300), coming just 0.100 points shy of his career high.
How it Happened
Rotation 1
Michigan opened the meet on the still rings, with Chiodi leading off before senior Robert Noll built momentum with a stick bonus and a 13.200, finishing just 0.150 points shy of his career high. Will Young tied his career high with a 13.100, while Puri anchored the rotation with a 13.400. Greenville led the field with a 53.400, while Michigan and Ohio State were tied for second (52.000) and Illinois sat fourth (51.600).
Rotation 2
Freshman Chase Pappas led off on vault with a career-best 13.850. Strong scores from Chiodi (13.800) and Eli Osuna (13.450) set the stage before Charlie Larson anchored the rotation with a 13.750 to give Michigan the overall lead. Chiodi sat second in the all-around (26.000), trailing Illinois' Garrett Schooley by 0.200 points. Michigan held a 1.650-point lead at 106.850, ahead of Greenville (105.200), while Illinois and Ohio State were tied for third (104.200).
Rotation 3
Michigan stumbled on the parallel bars, posting a 49.900 for its only event score below 50.000. Kyle Walchuk earned the stick bonus with a 13.300, the Wolverines' lone score above 13.000, but a strong vault rotation from Illinois pushed the Fighting Illini into first by 0.500 points at the midway mark. Illinois led with 157.250, followed by Michigan (156.750), Ohio State (156.450) and Greenville (153.800).
Rotation 4
Despite a 13.100 from Osuna on the high bar, just 0.100 shy of his career high, and a stick from Blixt for a 12.850, Michigan slipped to third place. A strong vault rotation from Ohio State allowed the Buckeyes to move into the lead for the first time in the meet. Ohio State led with 210.800, followed by Illinois (209.350), Michigan (207.850) and Greenville (204.850).
Rotation 5
On floor, Noll (12.950) and Osuna (12.850) scored just under 13.000 before Chiodi delivered a stick and a team-high 13.400. Falls from Illinois on high bar and Ohio State on parallel bars allowed Michigan to climb back into second heading into the final rotation. Ohio State led with 261.650, ahead of Michigan (259.750), Greenville (256.500) and Illinois (256.050).
Rotation 6
Strong 13.300 scores from Zach Granados and Walchuk moved Michigan into first place with two routines remaining. Blixt followed with a career-high 14.150 before Mansberger capped the meet with an impressive career-high 14.900. Additional falls from Ohio State prevented the Buckeyes from closing the gap. Michigan finished atop the standings with 315.800, followed by Ohio State (311.300), Greenville (307.450) and Illinois (307.100).
Up Next
The Wolverines will return home to host Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena. The meet will be streamed live on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
