Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan Upsets No. 6 Ohio State in Comeback Victory
3/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team upset Big Ten Conference rival Ohio State on Saturday (March 13) at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines outscored the No. 6 Buckeyes 219.725-219.450.
Michigan got off to a strong start in the first rotation on the floor exercise led by sophomores Luke Bottke (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) and Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mitchell HS), who tied for first place on the event with a new Michigan record of 9.45. Geoff Corrigan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS) followed closely with a 9.20 and a fourth-place finish.
The Wolverines struggled on pommel horse in the second rotation, but sophomore Justin Laury (Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS) turned in a clutch performance, scoring a 9.60 and claiming the first-place spot. After two rotations Michigan held a slight lead over Ohio State with a score of 72.850-72.475.
In the third rotation Michigan showed its strength on the rings, led by Eddie Umphrey's (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) 9.55 for second place and Corrigan's 9.25 for sixth place. The Wolverines took their momentum to the vault where 2003 NCAA champion Andrew DiGiore (Buffalo, NY/City Honors School) landed well for a 9.575 and second place, slightly ahead of Umphrey and Corrigan, who scored 9.275 and 9.25, respectively, for third- and fourth-place finishes. Despite these high scores, Michigan trailed Ohio State by a score of 147.300-146.575 with two rotations to go.
In the fifth rotation Michigan posted its highest team total on parallel bars this season with a 35.75. The Wolverines stayed consistent on the event that has plagued them up to this point, with Eddie Umphrey leading the way with a 9.00 and a third-place finish. With one event to go, Michigan still trailed Ohio State by a score of 183.35-182.35.
In the final rotation Michigan moved to the high bar and Ohio State finished on the parallel bars. Sophomore Dave Flannery (Niwot, Colo./Niwot HS) started the Wolverines off strong with a hit routine and a score of 8.95. The rest of the Michigan high bar squad answered, taking the top three spots on the event. Freshman Aaron Rakes (Lexington, Ky./Dunbar HS) set a new personal best with a 9.60 and first place, redshirt freshman Andre Hernandez (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS) brought the crowd to its feet with a 9.55 and second place, and Justin Laury, despite a fall, clinched the Wolverine victory with a 9.20 and third place.
The Wolverines begin postseason action at the Big Ten Championships next Friday and Saturday (March 19-20) in Champaign, Ill. The team and all-around competitions take place on Friday at 7 p.m. CST and the individual event finals are on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Final Team Standings
| Team Scores | FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 37.150 | 35.700 | 36.400 | 37.325 | 35.750 | 37.400 | 219.725 |
| 2. Ohio State | 36.700 | 35.775 | 37.650 | 37.175 | 35.600 | 36.550 | 219.450 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
FLOOR EXERCISE Derek Croad 8.05 Andrew Elkind 8.70 Gerry Signorelli 9.45 (t1) Geoff Corrigan 9.20 (4) Luke Bottke 9.45 (t1) Eddie Umphrey 9.05 POMMEL HORSE Andre Hernandez 8.30 Gerry Signorelli 8.30 Andrew DiGiore 8.95 (4) Geoff Corrigan 8.85 (5) Aaron Rakes 7.55 Justin Laury 9.60 (1) STILL RINGS Andrew Elkind 8.45 Devin Deer 8.80 Andre Hernandez 8.80 Aaron Rakes 8.75 Geoff Corrigan 9.25 Eddie Umphrey 9.55 (2) VAULT Gerry Signorelli 9.075 Derek Croad 8.60 Luke Bottke 9.225 (5) Geoff Corrigan 9.25 (4) Eddie Umphrey 9.275 (3) Andrew DiGiore 9.575 (2) PARALLEL BARS Andrew Elkind 8.15 Aaron Rakes 8.70 Andre Hernandez 8.90 (t5) Geoff Corrigan 8.95 (4) Eddie Umphrey 9.00 (3) Justin Laury 8.90 (t5) HORIZONTAL BAR Dave Flannery 8.95 Gerry Signorelli 8.85 Aaron Rakes 9.60 (1) Geoff Corrigan 9.05 Andre Hernandez 9.55 (2) Justin Laury 9.20 (t3) ( ) denotes place in top five
Contact: Justin Toman, Matt Godfrey (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
