Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan Tops Ohio State to Remain Undefeated in B1G Competition
3/16/2026 9:55:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team defeated No. 5 Ohio State, 328.700-326.550, on Monday (March 16) with a season-high score at the Covelli Center to remain undefeated in conference competition.
Michigan (10-1, 3-0 B1G) and Ohio State (8-4, 2-1 B1G) kept it close throughout the meet, with neither team finding much separation through the first five rotations. The Wolverines and Buckeyes battled the entire meet, seeing three lead changes heading into high bar. OSU took its second lead of the meet into the final rotation, but big-time routines from Carson Eshleman and Fred Richard to close out the meet, along with a 12.650 from OSU's Drake Andrews in the anchor position, allowed U-M to retake the lead and seal the win.
The Maize and Blue posted season-high scores on still rings (54.050) and high bar (55.800) and picked up four event titles. Charlie Larson won the floor exercise (14.200) and the vault (14.450) for the second straight week, while Akshay Puri took the still rings title (14.000) and Eshleman claimed the high bar title (14.600). Michigan's team score is the second-highest in the nation this season.
How it Happened
Rotation 1
Adam Lakomy led off with a solid 13.350 before Richard (13.700) and Landen Blixt (13.750) got the momentum going. The teams were knotted at 40.800 points each heading into the final routine, but a season-high 14.200 from Larson gave the Wolverines a 0.650 lead after the first rotation.
The Wolverines led 55.000-54.350.
Rotation 2
Season highs from Zach Granados (14.200) and Jake Islam (13.000) on the pommel horse put U-M in a good position midway through the rotation before Richard followed by coming just 0.100 points shy of his season best with a 14.000. Aaronson Mansberger (14.400) posted his second score above 14.000 this season, but a title-winning 15.300 from Parker Thackston allowed the Buckeyes to take the lead. Mansberger finished second and Granados finished third.
OSU took a narrow 0.100-point lead (110.700-110.600).
Rotation 3
Robert Noll recorded a 13.500 to come just 0.050 short of his career high on still rings to open the rotation. Richard and Puri closed it out with scores of 13.650 and 14.000, respectively, giving U-M a season-high still rings score of 54.050 and retaking the lead.
The Wolverines moved ahead, 164.850-163.650.
Rotation 4
Solen Chiodi stepped out of bounds to earn a 13.050 on vault before Blixt (14.350) and Larson (14.450) got U-M back on track. Despite a 14.400 from David Ramirez and a 13.400 from Lakomy, the Maize and Blue held a 0.550-point lead with two rotations to go.
Michigan led 219.900-219.350.
Rotation 5
Pierce Wolfgang posted a season-high 13.500 as the leadoff on parallel bars before Eshleman recorded a career-high 13.800. The Wolverines led by 1.650 points with one routine left for each team, but a 12.400 from Chiodi and a title-winning 14.050 from David Ramirez were enough for the Buckeyes to retake the lead.
OSU regained the lead by 0.650 points (273.550-272.900).
Rotation 6
A solid 13.550 from Wolfgang and a 13.450 from Blixt gave U-M a spark before Eshleman posted a career-high 14.600 to put the Wolverines ahead by 0.100 points heading into the anchor position. Thanks to a season-high 14.200 from Richard and a 12.650 from Andrews, Michigan sealed the win.
The Wolverines finished with a season-high score of 328.700.
Up Next
The Wolverines will close out the regular season at home, hosting Nebraska on March 22 at 2 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena. The meet will be streamed on B1G+, and the program's four seniors will be honored following the meet.
Players Mentioned
