COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 7 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (11-6, 1-3 B1G) split the tri-meet with No. 6 Nebraska (10-6, 2-2 B1G) and No. 14 Greenville (5-7) on Friday night in the regular-season finale in Lincoln, Neb. The Buckeyes’ totaled 401.750, while Nebraska had 410.400 and Greenville finished with 384.050.
Donovan Hewitt won the rings competition with a 14.200. Parker Thackston’s personal-best 14.300 on pommel horse was the second-highest score of the meet, while Luke Smigliani was tied for third on the event (13.700). Kameron Nelson led the Buckeyes with a second-place finish on floor (14.200). Caden Spencer wrapped up the meet with a second-place finish on parallel bars (13.800) and a third-place finish on high bar (13.500).
How it Happened
Pommel Horse
The Buckeyes began the meet by earning a 64.900 on pommel horse. Thackston led OSU with a career-high 14.300 for second place. Smigliani was just 0.1 off his season best as he scored 13.700 to tie for third. Kristian Grahovski earned a 12.750, while Jesse Pakele had a 12.200 and Tyler Rockwood rounded out the rotation with an 11.950.
Rings
Ohio State earned a 66.750 as a team on rings. Hewitt’s 14.200 led the competition, while Justin Ciccone made his collegiate debut on the event (13.050). Nelson earned a 13.350 with Arthur Ashton (13.100) and Tomohiro Kawada (13.050) close behind.
Floor
The Buckeyes tied their season-best 69.400 on floor. Nelson finished second in the meet with a 14.200. Ciccone earned a personal-best score of 13.950. Caden Spencer had a 13.900 and Pakele earned a 13.850. Jacob Harmon wrapped up the OSU rotation with a 13.500.
Parallel Bars
Ohio State combined for 65.550 on its parallel bars rotation. Spencer’s 13.800 led the Buckeyes and was good for second in the competition with Jakob Murray earning a 13.400. Nelson had a 13.150. Christian Bartolini earned a personal-best 12.600 and Tyler Rockwood rounded out the Buckeyes’ lineup with the same score.
High Bar
The Buckeyes earned a 63.050 as a team on high bar. Spencer led OSU with a 13.500 for third place, while Jadon Roberson earned a personal-best score of 13.150. Nelson had a 12.650 and Grahovski earned a 12.100. Harmon rounded out the Buckeyes’ lineup with an 11.650.
Vault
Ohio State had its second-best team showing of the season on vault, earning a 71.200. Harmon earned a personal-best score and Hewitt tied his season best as each had a 14.500 to lead the Buckeyes. Spencer had a 14.450 and Nelson was right behind him with a 14.400. Murray’s 14.250 wrapped up the Buckeyes’ rotation.
What They Said
Head Coach Rustam Sharipov: “This wasn’t the performance that we were looking for tonight. Another learning experience that we’ll take something away from. It’s time to bounce back into our Buckeye form in two weeks as we look forward to hosting the Big Ten Championships in Covelli. We hope to see you there!”
Up Next
Ohio State hosts the 2023 Big Ten Championships on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased HERE. Fans with ticketing questions should call the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or email athletic.tix@osu.edu.
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