Michigan
Oklahoma
Wolverines Score Season High in Loss to No. 1 Oklahoma
1/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
» The Wolverines established a new season-high team score of 427.850.
» Dmitri Belanovski stuck four of his six routines on the meet.
» U-M set season bests on floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #1 Oklahoma 444.400, #10 Michigan 427.850
Records: U-M (1-5)
Attendance: 956
Next U-M Meet: Saturday, Jan. 30 -- vs. Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team, competing in its 2016 home opener, fell to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, 444.400-427.850, on Saturday (Jan. 23) at Cliff Keen Arena. U-M established a new season-best team score with the mark and also set new season standards on floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars.
Michigan got off to a solid start on floor, marking a team tally of 72.80. After junior Anthony Stefanelli scored 15.15, sophomore Dmitri Belanovski anchored with a 14.50 that was highlighted by a stuck landing in the No. 6 spot. Conversely, Oklahoma marked a 72.25 on pommel horse, with Allan Bower pacing the side with a 15.00.
Belanovski continued to stellar start to the meet, marking a career-high 14.75 on horse in the No. 5 spot with a 72.25. The Sooners scored four 15-plus routines, led by Colin Van Wicklen's 15.400 to mark a huge score of 75.90.
On rings in the third, Belanovksi continued to impress, sticking his set and led U-M with a 14.60, while senior Colin Mahar chipped in a 14.30 to go along with a 14.20 from freshman Emyre Cole. U-M collected a 70.70 on the event, while the Sooners countered with a 73.95 on vault.
On vault in the fourth rotation, Stefanelli beat his career mark with a 15.35 to take second place. Michigan took two of the top three spots, as Cole scored a 15.15 to aid in a 73.90 mark on the table. Each hit clean Yurchenko 2 1/2s that brought the 954 fans in attendance to their feet.
Michigan improved greatly on a subpar performance on parallel bars in the second meet of the campaign, scoring a 69.70, besting last week's mark by more than six points. Belanovski earned his third stick of the meet, notching a career-best 15.00 to take fourth, while redshirt freshman Marty Strech marked a 14.65
With the meet out of reach, U-M closed out the contest on high bar and began strong, with senior Nolan Novak compiling a 14.65. Junior Jonathan Chin followed and scored a 14.70, while Strech had a 14.85 for a new career best.
The Wolverines entered three all-around competitors in the meet and were paced by Belanovski's 86.950 that tied for third. Strech took fifth with an 84.650, while Cole placed sixth with an 83.850. OU's Yul Moldauer took the top spot with an 88.55.
U-M continues its homestand next Saturday (Jan. 30), hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes -- who are currently ranked No. 4 -- at 2 p.m. from Cliff Keen Arena. The meet will be shown via the Big Ten Network on the following day (Sunday) at 10:30 a.m. with Bernie Guenther and John Roethlisberger on the call. For tickets, visit MGoBlue.com/tickets.
NOTES
• Freshman Mitchell Gornto took part in his first collegiate meet, as he led off on parallel bars.
• Oklahoma entered the meet as the No. 1 team in the country on every event with the exception of pommel horse. The Wolverines came close to taking a top mark on an event on vault, scoring a 73.900 to OU's 73.9500.
• The home meet was the first of the careers of Alec Krystek, Emyre Cole, Anthony McCallum, Samuel Su, Ryan Dunning and Mitchell Gornto.
Players Mentioned
