Michigan gymnastics has banner day in Big Ten competition

Saturday was a banner day for Michigan’s men’s and women’s gymnastics programs.

The second-ranked women captured their 27th Big Ten championship by posting a robust score of 198.000, finishing ahead of second-place Michigan State (1.97.550) and Minnesota (197.250) at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

The Wolverines, whose 198.000 in the Big Ten championship ties a program record, have now won eight conference titles in the past nine years.

Meanwhile, the third-ranked men topped No. 5 Illinois 411.250-405.550 in Ann Arbor to claim the program’s third straight regular season Big Ten title. The team recorded season-best scores on high bar and vault en route to improving to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

For the women, fifth-year senior Abby Heiskell won her second straight Big Ten all-around title and was propelled by a 10.0 on the beam, the first at the Big Ten Championships since 2000. She also won her second-straight uneven bars title along with teammates Sierra Brooks, who was named the 2023 Big Ten gymnast of the year, Carly Bauman and Natalie Wojcik, who all scored 9.950s.

Michigan tied its program-best score of 49.725 on uneven bars.

The team will learn its NCAA regional site during the selection show on Monday. Regional competition begins Thursday, March 30. The NCAA championships are April 13-15.

©2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.