ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 6 men’s gymnastics fell to No. 5 Michigan, 326.250-311.550, in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday, March 7. The PSU score marked the second lowest score of the season for the Blue & White, which posted just four sticks on the day and faced two event scores under 50.
Penn State started the meet strong, with the floor routine nearing a season best for the squad at a 53.200, less than four tenths less than the top score this year. Brayden Erickson led the Nittany Lions with a 13.400, but even his score finished .250 shy of the lowest Michigan score. The Wolverines finished the first rotation with more than a two-point lead over the Nittany Lions.
The gap only widened on the second rotation, where PSU missed on three of four routines to trail by nearly six points headed into the first break.
Matt Underhill posted just a 7.7 execution on his rings routine but still led all Penn Staters with a 13.300 on the event. He finished third overall, behind two Wolverines, as Michigan pushed its lead out to 8.6.
Underhill and Shaun Smith highlighted the vault rotation, each posting a 13.950. They tied for third on the event with Michigan’s Robert Noll. The Wolverines won their fourth event with the vault title and expanded their lead to nine full points.
A pair of misses on the parallel bars set back Penn State double digits. Landon Simpson, who stuck his dismount, finished with the team’s highest score of the rotation at a 13.900, good for second overall.
Akseli Karsikas concluded the day on a high note, finishing second overall on the high bar with a 13.800 behind Michigan’s Pierce Wolfgang, who edged Karsikas out with a 14.000.
UP NEXT
Penn State gets a week of rest before hosting Ohio State for the team’s Senior Day on Sunday, March 22. Action between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions is set to begin at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.