Big Ten Championship Session Two

Recap

The Big Storyline: Michigan put up a solid performance and its most complete hit since January to win its 26th conference title. Minnesota fell to fourth after counting a 9.0 on beam, opening the door for Michigan State to cap its strong night with a runner-up finish. Ohio State had a tough beam rotation after a solid start and fell to fifth. Iowa’s 196.950 from the early session held strong enough for third. 

Postseason Implications: Penn State didn’t do enough to secure a regionals spot. Ohio State fell out of the seeded spots and will be placed geographically along with Iowa, Illinois and Maryland. Michigan State, meanwhile, secured a three-seed while Minnesota will be a two-seed and Michigan a one-seed.

Records: Sierra Brooks joins the conference meet record books with her 10.0 on vault.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Sierra Brooks, Michigan
• Newcomer of the Year: Skyla Schulte, Michigan State
• Coach of the Year: Mike Rowe, Michigan State

Preview

• No. 3 Michigan | 197.960 NQS | 198.525 season high
• No. 8 Minnesota | 197.395 NQS | 198.025 season high
• No. 12 Michigan State | 197.125 NQS | 197.575 season high
• No. 16 Ohio State | 196.775 NQS | 197.525 season high

You can find seeding information and rotation order on the Big Ten website.

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one…

This meet will feature some of the best gymnastics being done in the country. It’s both a rematch of the 2021 Minnesota upset over Michigan and a big stage for surging Michigan State and Ohio State programs. It will take mistakes from Michigan to open the door, but Minnesota is capable of beating all of the Wolverines’ scores since mid-February. Michigan hasn’t put up a 198-plus number since its program record at Rutgers on February 4, and dropped to 196.475 at Nebraska. The latter is a number any team in this session, and several from the afternoon, could top. Of course, it’s unlikely the Wolverines falter that much, and they are far and away the heavy favorites. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this…

Minnesota is a lovely beam team. If you want to catch the Gophers and Lexy Ramler there, tune in around 6 p.m. ET. Michigan does must-watch gymnastics top to bottom, but vault is especially spectacular. The Wolverines hit vault in rotation three, around 6:30 p.m. In the same rotation, Ohio State will be on bars, an event that has been a breakout strength the second half of the season. Don’t miss Michigan State on floor, either, in the fourth rotation around 7 p.m.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on?

Michigan is able to head into regionals anywhere from tied for No. 1 to No. 4, thus guaranteed a one-seed. Minnesota can’t join the top four but will want a big away number here to lock down a two-seed and not slip into the third tier. Michigan State is just hanging on to a three-seed with Oregon State looming while the Buckeyes are teetering right on the edge of the seeded slots. A big number could help fend off Arkansas and UCLA from below. Note that for NQS purposes the meet counts as away for all teams, including host Ohio State.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Michigan: 25 titles, last won in 2019
• Minnesota: 6 titles, last won in 2021
• Ohio State: 5 titles, last won in 1987

Records Watch

• Team: 197.850 (Michigan, 2000) | Vault: 49.725 (Nebraska, 2012) | Bars: 49.625 (Michigan, 2004) | Beam: 49.550 (Penn State, 2000) | Floor: 49.700 (Michigan, 2014)
• All Around: 39.800 (Ray) | Vault: 10.000 (Wymer, Kabnick, K. Rowland, Mable, Wojcik) | Bars: 10.000 (Peters, Ray) | Beam: 10.000 (N. Smith) | Floor: 10.000 (Sampson, Wong)

Last Time Out

A sub-par floor rotation from the Wolverines opened the door for Minnesota last year, and the Gophers sailed through it to win their first championship title since 2006. Michigan State didn’t compete due to the ongoing pandemic, and Ohio State had a disappointing showing for an eighth-place finish. Lexy Ramler took the all-around, bars and beam titles while Natalie Wojcik was perfect on vault to become the champion there. Ona Loper and Gabby Wilson won shares of the floor title. Ramler was also named gymnast of the year.