Wolverines Place Sixth at NCAAs, Mikulak All-Around Runner-Up

Friday, April 20

Norman, Okla.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

NCAA Team and All Around Finals

Wolverines Place Sixth at NCAAs, Mikulak All-Around Runner-Up

4/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

April 21, 2012

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Site: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
Event: NCAA Team & All-Around Finals
U-M Team Result: 6th Place of 6 Teams (351.050)
Records: U-M (15-13)
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, April 21 -- at NCAA Individual Event Finals (Norman, Okla.), 7 p.m. CDT

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team placed sixth (351.050) and sophomore Sam Mikulak (Corona del Mar, Calif./Corona del Mar) tied for runner-up in the all-around (87.90) on Friday night (April 20) at the NCAA Team and All-Around Finals inside Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center. Mikulak will join freshman Stacey Ervin (Troy, Mich./Truman) at Saturday's (April 21, 7 p.m. CDT) NCAA Individual Event Finals. Ervin will compete on floor and vault, while Mikulak will be on parallel bars and high bar.

Michigan took to parallel bars in rotation one, where Mikulak began his 2011 NCAA all-around title defense with a 15.75 on the event. A pair of freshmen in Adrian de los Angeles (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) and Ervin each notched 14.55s to aid in the Wolverines' tally of 59.10 and U-M sat in fourth after the first full rotation.

The Wolverines moved to high bar in the second rotation, where Mikulak notched a career-high 15.75. As a team, the Maize and Blue collected a 58.50, as freshman Taylor Harrower (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) scored a career-best 14.35 and classmate de los Angeles marked a 14.60. Moving to floor, Ervin received a career-high 15.60, while Mikulak collected a 15.05 as the Wolverines scored a 59.80. Next up was pommel horse. Freshman Nick Hunter (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) was inserted into the pommel lineup, and the moved paid off, as he scored a career-best 14.15. Sophomore Dylan James (Valencia, Calif./ William S. Hart) then followed with a career best of his own, scoring a 14.90, as Michigan collected a 57.10 on the event.

U-M scored a 57.15 on still rings, on which sophomore Jordan Gaarenstroom (Laguna Hills, Calif./Halstrom) scored a 14.45. Mikulak matched his classmate with a 14.45 but fell behind Oklahoma's Jake Dalton in the all-around competition, as the Sooner scored a 15.50 on parallel bars to take a 75.60-74.90 lead heading into vault, the sixth and final rotation.

The Wolverines took to vault in fifth place, but an outstanding effort by Stanford on floor, a meet-best 61.25, and a 59.40 by U-M dropped the Wolverines a spot in the final team standings. Ervin led the way once again on the table, scoring a 15.15 with a double handspring salto, while Mikulak and de los Angeles each earned 14.80s, after Harrower led off with a 14.65.

Team Standings	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB	Total
Illinois	60.00	60.75	59.45	60.10	59.80	58.75	358.85
Oklahoma	60.95	58.35	60.20	61.20	59.60	57.15	357.45
Penn State	59.95	59.00	60.60	59.55	57.80	57.90	354.80
Cal	59.70	60.00	57.90	59.25	57.80	58.35	353.00
Stanford	61.25	58.90	57.60	60.10	56.60	58.20	352.65
Michigan	59.80	57.10	57.15	59.40	59.10	58.50	351.05

Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores

Parallel BarsStacey Ervin             14.55Rohan Sebastian          12.20Nick Hunter              14.25Michael Strathern        14.10Adrian de los Angeles    14.55Sam Mikulak              15.75 (1)  High BarRohan Sebastian          13.90Taylor Harrower          12.20Michael Myler            14.25Michael Strathern        14.10Adrian de los Angeles    14.60Sam Mikulak              15.65 (1)   Floor ExerciseKevin Fraser             14.25Hub Humphrey             14.30Rohan Sebastian          14.85Adrian de los Angeles    14.20Stacey Ervin             15.60 (3)Sam Mikulak              15.05   Pommel HorseNick Hunter              14.15Matt Freeman             12.90Dylan James              14.90Michael Myler            12.45Adrian de los Angeles    14.05Sam Mikulak              14.00Rohan Sebastian *        13.80   Still RingsMatt Freeman             13.60Alex Bubnov              14.05Jordan Gaarenstroom      14.45Adrian de los Angeles    13.75Rohan Sebastian          14.20Sam Mikulak              14.45   VaultTaylor Harrower          14.65Michael Strathern        14.15Stacey Ervin             15.15 (9)Rohan Sebastian          14.55Adrian de los Angeles    14.80Sam Mikulak              14.80   All-AroundSam Mikulak              89.70 (t2)Adrian de los Angeles    85.95Rohan Sebastian          83.50   * Denotes All-Around ExhibitionTop 10 make event finals

N O T E S

• Michigan qualified Sam Mikulak and Stacey Ervin as individual qualifiers after earning three individuals last season.

• Five Wolverines -- Michael Strathern, Taylor Harrower, Adrian de los Angeles, Stacey Ervin and Dylan Hunter all made their NCAA postseason debuts on the night.

• After cracking the 60-plus plateau twice in qualifying, the Wolverines failed to achieve the mark in the finals in any event.

Q U O T E S

U-M Sophomore Sam Mikulak
On his day overall ... "It wasn't my best day. I started off hot but fell on pommel. I tried to throw my big vault out there, but it didn't really work in my favor. I'm happy with my effort and I'm happy that Jake (Dalton) won. He is a great competitor and I will see him in the future."

On the fall on pommel ... "Towards the end I just rushed my set and started thinking too much. It is disappointing to have that happen on all-around finals, but my season doesn't end here. I still have tomorrow and I'm going to get back in the gym and keep working hard."