Maize & Blue Sends No. 3 Illinois to First Loss

Saturday, February 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

344.050

340.400

Illinois

2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

Feb. 12, 2011

• Complete Results | Photo Gallery | Notes & Quotes | Highlights

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #6 Michigan 344.050, #3 Illinois 340.400
Records: U-M (5-2, 4-2 Big Ten), Illinois (8-1, 6-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 563
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, Feb. 19 -- vs. UIC (Cliff Keen Arena), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team dominated Big Ten rival and No. 3-ranked Illinois, 344.050-340.400, in the first home meet of the season on Saturday (Feb. 12) in Cliff Keen Arena.

Michigan started the competition on the floor exercise, going in Olympic order as the home team. The Wolverines improved their performance on the apparatus, suffering fewer errors compared to the two previous competitions despite scoring lower on the event (scores vary at different competitions). The event was led by senior Ian Makowske (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow), who scored a 14.80 with a stuck triple twisting dismount and an eruption of cheers from the home crowd.

After starting strong with the first routine, the Wolverines narrowly avoided disaster in the second rotation on pommel horse. Suffering falls by the second and third athletes, Michigan needed to hit routines from the last three competitors in order to not count a missed routine for the event score. Under extreme pressure in one of the trickiest events to compete in men's gymnastics, veteran redshirt PH swinger, junior Adam Hamers (Salem, Ore./South Salem), nailed his routine, scoring a 14.55 and proving why he is an All-American on the apparatus. Riding the momentum from Hamers performance, Michigan's final competitor, freshman Sam Mikulak (Corona del Mar, Calif./Carona del Mar), dominated his set, bringing his teammates to their feet scoring an all-time high 14.75 to lead the Wolverines on the PH. After two rotations, the Wolverines narrowly led the Illini by three tenths of a point.

Moving to the third rotation on still rings, Michigan continued to look strong with six hit routines. Redshirt junior Andrew Vance competed an upgraded routine with an azarian to maltese strength move rated as an F difficulty and one of the most difficult strength moves on rings. Senior Thomas Kelley (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) anchored the event with the top score for U-M (14.80).

The fourth rotation had Michigan on vault. Again the Wolverines nailed six-for-six routines, putting up the highest event score of the season for the team. Mikulak highlighted the rotation with a nearly flawless two-and-a-half twisting vault, scoring a 15.80. After four rotations, Michigan widened its lead to 2.60 points.

Parallel bars proved to be a rough event for the Wolverines in the fifth rotation. Starting strong first up, freshman Michael Myler (North Orem, Utah/Timpanogos) hit a routine of 13.70. The next three competitors experienced difficulty, putting up missed routines. With a still narrow lead at stake, the final two Wolverines salvaged the rotation with hit routines. Final competitor, junior Syque Caesar (Port Saint Lucie, Fla./Lincoln Park Academy), scored an all-time best 15.10 to lead the Wolverines in the event.

Michigan came to the high bar in the final rotation, never looking back. After four hit routines, the Wolverines were on their feet cheering for the final two competitors. Fifth up, nationally ranked on HB, Kelley performed an outstanding routine to lead the Wolverines, scoring a 14.90. U-M expanded the lead following the final rotation to pull of the dominating upset.

Michigan is home again next Saturday (Feb. 19), competing against UIC at 2 p.m. in Cliff Keen Arena.

Team Standings	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB	Final
Michigan	57.050	56.850	56.350	61.900	55.200	56.700	344.050
Illinois	56.800	56.800	54.250	61.700	56.300	54.550	340.400

Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores

FLOOR EXERCISE Kevin Fraser         13.75Michael Myler        13.50Thomas Kelley        14.65 (2)Ian Makowske         14.80 (1)Rohan Sebastian      13.60Sam Mikulak          13.85 POMMEL HORSE Alex Bubnov          13.05A.J. Schottstaedt    10.70Michael Myler        13.75Devan Cote           13.80 (5)Adam Hamers          14.55 (3)Sam Mikulak          14.75 (2) STILL RINGS Jordan Gaarenstroom  13.85 (4)Alex Bubnov          13.80 (5)Rohan Sebastian      13.40Andrew Vance         13.90 (3)Sam Mikulak          13.80Thomas Kelley        14.80 (1) VAULT Steve Crabtree       15.60 (2)Kevin Fraser         15.00Thomas Kelley        15.05Rohan Sebastian      15.40 (5)Andrew Vance         15.10Sam Mikulak          15.80 (1) PARALLEL BARSMichael Myler        13.70Jordan Gaarenstroom  12.75Steve Crabtree       12.95Devan Cote           12.55Thomas Kelley        13.45Syque Caesar         15.10 (1) HIGH BARMichael Myler        13.35Devan Cote           13.40Sam Mikulak          13.90 (4)Syque Caesar         13.80 (5)Thomas Kelley        14.90 (1)Ian Makowske         14.10 (2)

N O T E S

• Junior Syque Caesar won his first Newt Loken Award for his outstanding performance on the parallel bars.

• The Wolverines avenged a 9.30-point loss to the Illini at the Windy City Invitational earlier this season on Jan. 15.

• In the last seven meetings since the 2009 Big Ten Championships, Illinois and Michigan have traded places as the prevailing team in competition.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Kurt Golder
On today's meet ... "We had some trouble on pommel horse but overall with this just not being a real complete team and not our strongest lineup I think we did really well. I think they rose to the occasion. Illinois spanked us when we met them earlier in Chicago and they beat us by nine points. So to beat them by four is quite a comeback and it says a lot about these guys."

On the rivalry ... "For about the last three or four years now it's either Illinois or Michigan winning the Big Ten. They beat us at home last year and the year before we beat them at home. It has gotten pretty intense and really fun. I always look forward to it."

U-M Junior Syque Caesar
On winning the Newt Loken Award ... "I've always wanted to win the Newt Loken Award so I was really happy about winning it. I have always been really consistent on parallel bars in the gym over the last two years but not so much in the meet. I guess this meet was probably the hardest and most stressful way of competing. I didn't get to do anything until four rotations later. If I'm able to handle this meet then I feel totally confident in being able handle the rest of the season and just trying to get my score higher."