Michigan
Big Ten Team Finals
Wolverines Earn Sixth Consecutive Big Ten Championship
4/3/2026 10:22:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Event: Big Ten Championships Team Finals
Scores: #2 Michigan 323.500, #4 Nebraska 320.700, #7 Illinois 316.700, #5 Ohio State 314.800, #6 Penn State 310.850
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 4 -- at Big Ten Championships Event Finals (Lincoln, Nebraska), 7 p.m. CT
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team earned its sixth straight Big Ten Championship, winning the team finals on Friday (April 3) with a score of 323.500 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Wolverines' sixth consecutive team title ties the longest streak in program history, matching the streak of six from 1961-66. Only Illinois has a longer championship streak, winning 11 from 1950-60.
Nebraska finished as the runner-up with a score of 320.700, and Illinois took third place with a 316.700.
Senior Fred Richard earned his fourth All-Around individual title, making him just the second gymnast in Big Ten history to do so after John Roethlisberger of Minnesota (1990-93).
Michigan trailed after the first two rotations thanks to falls on high bar, but a big floor exercise rotation allowed the Wolverines to take the lead at the halfway point. Another fall on pommel horse was not enough for U-M to fall out of first, but its lead over second-place Nebraska was a narrow 0.400 points heading into the final two rotations. The Huskers cut into the Maize and Blue's razor-thin lead after the fifth rotation, but big vault performances sealed Michigan's win.
How it Happened
Rotation 1
Carson Eshleman (13.000) and Pierce Wolfgang (13.600) put up solid scores on parallel bars to open the meet before Richard scored a 14.150 to head into the anchor position. Solen Chiodi posted a 13.450 to close out the rotation, but a 55.600 from Penn State on vault put Michigan in second.
Penn State (55.600) leads U-M by 1.400 points.
Rotation 2
Wolfgang opened the second rotation with a stick and a strong 14.000 on the high bar before Landen Blixt suffered a fall to score a 12.150. Eshleman stumbled on his dismount, and Richard saw a fall of his own, but a pair of scores under 13.000 points from Penn State on parallel bars allowed the Wolverines to close the scoring gap.
Michigan (107.250) cuts the Nittany Lions' lead, trailing by just 0.350 points.
Rotation 3
Chiodi opened the floor exercise rotation for the Wolverines, posting a 13.300. Blixt bounced back from his fall on the high bar to score a 13.700 before Richard stuck his landing for a 13.700. Charlie Larson closed out the rotation with another Michigan stick, earning a 14.100 to put the Maize and Blue ahead for the first time in the meet.
U-M (162.050) leads Ohio State by 2.800 points.
Rotation 4
Zach Granados led off on pommel horse with a 13.600, but Kyle Walchuk suffered a fall to score an 11.950. Richard got the rotation back on track with a 13.200, and Aaronson Mansberger closed it out with a 14.100. A big rotation from Nebraska on vault moved it into second and cut into the Michigan's lead, but the Wolverines remained in front with two rotations to go.
Michigan (214.900) leads Nebraska by 0.400 points.
Rotation 5
A pair of scores under 13.000 from Robert Noll and Eshleman opened the rotation on the still rings, but a solid 13.450 from Richard allowed him to go up by 1.450 points in the all-around title race and keep U-M ahead. Akshay Puri closed it out with a 13.900, and the Wolverines maintained their narrow lead heading into the final rotation.
U-M (267.300) leads Nebraska by 0.300 points.
Rotation 6
Chiodi posted a strong score of 13.700 on vault to open the final rotation before a big 14.300 from Blixt gave Michigan momentum with a pair of routines left. Larson scored another 14.300, with freshman Chase Pappas posting a 13.900 in the anchor position. Nebraska put together a solid rotation on high bar, but could not overcome the deficit and finished 2.800 points behind Michigan
The Wolverines (323.500) win the Big Ten championship.
Up Next
Michigan will close out the Big Ten Championships on Saturday (April 4) at 7 p.m. CT inside Pinnacle Bank Arena with the event finals, where the Big Ten's individual event champions will be crowned.
Players Mentioned
