Michigan Advances to NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Finals After Strong Qualifying Performance

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan men’s gymnastics team secured its place in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship finals with a second-place finish in Session II of the qualifying round on Friday, April 17, at the State Farm Center. The Wolverines posted a team score of 324.623, earning advancement alongside Session II winners Stanford (327.992) and third-place finisher Illinois (319.658).

Michigan’s performance was highlighted by strong contributions across multiple apparatuses. On parallel bars, Carson Eshleman and Pierce Wolfgang opened the rotation with scores of 13.433 and 13.266, respectively. The team gained momentum through the high bar event, where Wolfgang posted 13.666 and Landen Blixt added 13.533. Eshleman delivered the session’s highest individual score with a 14.166 on high bar, whereas Fred Richard anchored the rotation with a season-best 14.600 and followed with a 13.766 to aid Michigan achieve a team-high high bar total of 55.131.

On floor exercise, Jake Islam and Eli Osuna kept the momentum going with scores of 13.500 and 13.433, with Osuna’s effort coming just 0.067 points shy of his career high. Despite a solid overall effort, Michigan remained behind Stanford throughout the session and entered the finals as the second qualifier from Session II.

The Wolverines will now compete in the championship finals on Saturday, April 18, at 7 p.m. ET, facing the three teams that advanced from Session I: Oklahoma (322.825), Ohio State (320.294), and Nebraska (320.059). Michigan enters the finals as the defending national champion, having won the 2025 title with a score of 332.224.

All qualifying and final rounds of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships are being hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at the State Farm Center, with competition taking place April 17–18.