COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 5 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team fell to No. 6 Michigan by a 409.200-404.000 margin in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon in the first Big Ten meet of the season, despite earning a season-best score on four events.
Two Buckeyes claimed individual event wins – Parker Thackston’s personal-best 14.100 on pommel horse and Donovan Hewitt’s season-best 14.350 on rings. Ohio State had eight routines earn personal-best scores and stuck four dismounts.
How it Happened
Floor
Ohio State began the meet with a 67.250 as a team on floor. Kameron Nelson (14.200) and Kazuki Hayashi (13.900) led the Buckeyes with season-best scores. Jacob Harmon followed with a 13.350, while Caden Spencer (13.100) and Jesse Pakele (12.650) rounded out the Buckeyes’ showing.
Pommel Horse
The Buckeyes totaled 64.200 as a team on pommel horse. Thackston won the event with a personal-best 14.100. Luke Smigliani earned a 12.800, followed by Kristian Grahovski’s 12.500. Logan McGlynn made his season debut as he and Justin Ah Chow each earned a 12.400.
Rings
Ohio State tied its best team rings score of the season by earning a 66.900. Hewitt won the event with the highest OSU rings score of the season, a 14.350. Nelson stuck his dismount for a career-high 13.850. Arthur Ashton had a 13.200 with Tyler Rockwood right behind him with a 13.150. Matthew Piekarski anchored the Buckeyes’ lineup with a 12.350.
Vault
The Buckeyes earned a season-best 71.050 as a team on vault. Spencer made his collegiate debut, earning a 14.500 to finish third overall. Hayashi and Nelson both had a 14.350. Hewitt earned an even 14.000 and Harmon wrapped up OSU’s lineup with a 13.850.
Parallel Bars
Ohio State also had its best score of the season on parallel bars, earning a 67.400. Spencer’s 14.200 personal-best was the highest on the team and third overall. Ah Chow earned a 13.750, while Hayashi made his season debut on parallel bars to earn a 13.550. Rockwood’s stick got him a 12.950 and Jakob Murray matched that score.
High Bar
The Buckeyes earned a season-best 67.200 on high bar to wrap up the meet. Hayashi tied for the second overall high score with a personal-best 14.000, while Spencer also had a personal-best at 13.900. Both Hayashi and Spencer stuck their dismounts. Grahovski (13.400) and Rockwood (13.200) also had personal-bests. Nelson wrapped up the Buckeyes’ rotation with a 12.700.
What They Said
Head Coach Rustam Sharipov: “We had a rough start on the first couple events, but then we settled down and finished very strong as a team. There were many positives that we can take away from today and use those as motivation moving forward. We’re not pleased with the final outcome, but I’m proud of how the team kept their composure. Next up we’ll have our home opener on Feb. 11 vs. Illinois. See you there!”
Up Next
Ohio State hosts Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 11 inside the Covelli Center. The dual meet is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on B1G+. Admission is free to all men’s gymnastics home meets during the regular season.
#GoBucks
