Buckeyes, Wolverines Battle in B1G Rivalry Meet
- Alyssa Klauminzer
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Big Ten (B1G) gymnastics has only gotten bigger and better. And you should attend a B1G meet if you have the chance, because each one is filled with difficulty, energy, and excitement!
NCAA gymnastics is currently in the middle of conference play, and many B1G meets are seeing upsets and coming down to the last tenths. Here's what went down yesterday in No. 8 Michigan's meet at No. 19 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes kicked off the meet on vault. While they don't have many 10.0 start value vaults, their athletes have dialed in on their landings and honed in on execution to minimize deductions. Fifth-year student Kaitlyn Grimes led off for Ohio State, scoring a 9.825. The Buckeyes built their scores throughout the first rotation, with sophomore Cameron Smith scoring a 9.850, junior Natalie Martin scoring a 9.875, senior Tory Vetter scoring a 9.850, and sophomore JJ Coleman anchoring 9.900 to tie her career high. Their 49.300 tied their season best on vault.
The Wolverines started in a tough spot on bars with falls in the leadoff but were able to recover with grit and drop the score. Senior Lily Clapper righted the ship with a 9.775, sophomore Sophia Diaz scored a 9.825, freshman Myli Lew scored a 9.875, graduate student Carly Bauman scored a 9.850, and sophomore Sophie Parenti anchored with a career-high 9.900.
After the first rotation, Ohio State led 49.300 to 49.225.
Bars aren't the Buckeyes' strongest event, but they've shown growth on them every week. Freshman Jaylyn Pomager led off with a 9.775, sophomore Sadie Jane Berry put up a career high 9.775 of her own, junior Maisyn Rader scored a 9.750, and freshman anchor Ava Jackson scored a career high 9.850. In the fifth spot, Vetter scored a 9.900, the highest score for the Buckeyes on the event this season. The Buckeyes also scored a 49.050, their highest team score on bars this year.
The Wolverines continued the momentum they picked up in the first rotation. Sophomore Peyton Davis led off on vault with a career-high 9.875 for her stuck Yurchenko full. Juniors Kayli Boozer and Ava Jordan, and sophomore Jahzara Ranger all put up scores of 9.850. Diaz, who qualified for Nationals on vault last year, scored 9.900 in the anchor spot.
Michigan passed Ohio State, leading 98.550 to 98.350 at the halfway point.
The Buckeyes were incredible on beam last week, and that momentum carried into this meet. Sophomore Rylee Guevara led off on the event with a 9.850, junior Courtney McCann matched that score, Smith and Vetter both scored 9.875s, and Martin scored a season-best 9.900.
Michigan had to recover from another early fall, this time on the floor exercise, but proved their resilience again. Ranger scored 9.800, Parenti and Diaz scored 9.825s, freshman Quincy Walters scored 9.875, and Bauman scored 9.900.
The meet was separated by less than a tenth heading into the final rotation, as Michigan led 147.775 to 147.700.
Ohio State needed to put up a strong performance on floor for the chance to meet the 197 mark. Guevara led off again, getting the Buckeyes a 9.875. Freshman Baylie Belman scored 9.850, Grimes followed with 9.875, Vetter's 70s-themed routine (featuring Gru's dance from "Despicable Me") earned a season-high 9.900, and Coleman anchored with 9.875. The Buckeyes scored 49.375, their highest on floor this season.
Michigan is ranked in the top five in the nation on beam for a reason. Parenti led off with 9.850, which would end up being the score they dropped. Ranger scored 9.875, Jordan scored 9.900, Walters scored 9.925, and Bauman and Boozer both had stellar performances that went 9.950. The Wolverines posted 49.600, which ties for their third-best score on the event in program history, giving them the edge to win the meet.
Michigan came out on top with a 197.375 to Ohio State's 197.075. The Wolverines moved to 2-2 in the B1G, while the Buckeyes took their first conference loss but put up their highest score of the season and highest score since 2024. Diaz and Coleman tied for the vault title, Parenti and Vetter tied for the bars title, Bauman and Boozer tied for the beam title, and Bauman and Vetter tied for the floor title. Vetter was the only athlete to compete in the all-around in this meet, and she scored a season-best of 39.525.
B1G Women's Gymnastics Rankings
UCLA (4-0)
Michigan (2-2)
Michigan State (2-2)
Minnesota (2-2)
Penn State (3-1)
Ohio State (3-1)
Iowa (2-2)
Maryland (2-2)
Nebraska (1-3)
Illinois (1-3)
Washington (1-3)
Rutgers (1-3)
The B1G is very competitive this year: there have been several upsets within the conference, teams have new attendance and scoring records, and eight teams are ranked. National rankings are critical for postseason seedings, but the B1G Championships seedings are based on conference win-loss records, so every tenth matters!
To catch every B1G gymnastics meet, use code "3MONTHS" to get a 3-month B1G+ subscription for only $5.99/mo!
Edited by Mithzi Silva