Michigan
NCAA Championships
Richard Wins All-Around Title, Wolverines Finish Third at NCAA Championships
4/19/2026 12:34:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Site: Champaign, Ill. (State Farm Center)
Event: NCAA Championships
Scores: #3 Stanford 329.825, #1 Oklahoma 328.495, #2 Michigan 324.857, #4 Nebraska 324.662, #7 Illinois 322.224, #5 Ohio State 316.093
Next U-M Event: Season Completed
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team finished third at the NCAA Championships on Friday (April 18) at the State Farm Center. Senior Fred Richard won his second straight and third career NCAA all-around title (83.598).
No. 3 Stanford claimed the national title with a score of 329.825, while No. 1 Oklahoma earned a runner-up finish (328.495).
The Wolverines sat in fifth after a rough first rotation on pommel horse. Michigan moved into second after a big rotation on vault, but sat 3.569 points behind the Cardinal at the halfway point. The Maize and Blue dropped into fourth with one rotation left, but a solid floor exercise rotation allowed U-M to earn a third-place finish.
Richard picked up silver medals on floor (14.400) and parallel bars (14.533), while Landen Blixt took home bronze on vault (14.366). Aaronson Mansberger finished second on pommel horse (14.566) and Carson Eshleman picked up silver on high bar (14.200) for the second year in a row. Six Wolverines combined for five medals and 11 All-America citations.
How it Happened
Pommel Horse
Zach Granados posted a 13.266 to lead off the meet before an 11.566 from Kevin Chow. A 13.766 from Richard gave U-M the momentum back, but a 14.566 from Mansberger as the anchor was not enough to overcome the deficit, and the Wolverines sat 3.102 points behind Stanford in fifth.
Still Rings
Freshman Joseph Hale earned a career-high 13.533 in his second appearance in the lineup this season and a 12.766 from Robert Noll followed. Richard once again reclaimed Michigan's momentum with a season-high 13.933 before Akshay Puri posted a 14.066, but Stanford increased its lead over U-M to 5.236 points.
Vault
A pair of 13.800s from Solen Chiodi and Richard put Michigan in a good position halfway through the rotation. Thanks to a stick and 14.366 from Blixt, as well as a 14.266 from Charlie Larson, the Maize and Blue chipped away at the Stanford lead and moved into second place.
Parallel Bars
Eshleman opened parallel bars with a 13.266, but a fall from Pierce Wolfgang on his dismount earned a score of 12.833. Chiodi added a strong 13.500 to the team total and Richard posted a 14.533 to come just under his season high, but Nebraska's vault score of 55.100 edged the Wolverines to third.
High Bar
Wolfgang bounced back with a stick and 13.433 as the high bar leadoff, with Blixt posting a 13.000 and Richard a 13.166. A huge 14.200 from Eshleman was not enough, and, despite cutting into Stanford's lead, the Wolverines dropped down to fourth.
Floor Exercise
A 13.033 from Chiodi was followed by a 13.866 from Blixt, but Larson suffered an uncharacteristic fall and scored an 11.933. A 14.400 from Richard as the anchor and a pair of scores under 13.000 on high bar from Nebraska allowed the Maize and Blue to finish third.
All-Around
Richard posted a season-high all-around score of 83.598, topping second-place finisher Max Odden of Nebraska by 4.900 points. The Stoughton, Mass., native is the first Wolverine to win back-to-back all-around titles since Sam Mikulak in 2013-14.
Players Mentioned
