UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State men's gymnastics ran in to one of the best teams in the nation in its regular season finale Saturday at Rec Hall, falling to No. 2 Michigan 414.200-400.500 in a Big Ten met.
Penn State closed the regular season at 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten. Michigan, which had already clinched the conference title, improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the league with its third win in six days.
The Lions had some notable individual performances during the meet, including yet another impressive showing on rings for senior Parker Clayton. In a meet that included multiple legitimate contenders for the national title on rings, Clayton finished second with a personal-best score of 14.4. Clayton totaled six individual wins in the event this season and two runner-up finishes.
Clayton's 14.4 is the third-best rings score in the nation this season. Michigan's Cameron Bock won the event with a score of 14.5, which ties teammate Paul Juda and Stanford's Riley Loos for the nation's top score this year. Four of the nation's top five scores this season came from four gymnasts that competed in the event at Rec Hall on Saturday.
Penn State showed again that it's going to be a threat on vault for years to come as a pair of freshmen finished second and third in the event. Michael Jaroh was the runner-up with a score of 14.6, while Colin Wingrove was right behind him at 14.5. Both scores were personal bests for the collegiate rookies.
Jaroh was also a part of a solid showing by the Lions on parallel bars. Andres Perez Gines scored 14.1 to finished third, Jaroh took fourth with a score of 13.95, and Matt Cormier was fifth at 13.5.
Nick Mock and Jack Baldwin continued their success on pommel horse this season. Mock was third with a score of 14.15, while Baldwin took fourth with a routine worth 14.1.
Following the meet, Penn State honored four seniors – Baldwin, Clayton, Alex Frack and Brennan Pantazis – for Senior Day.
"It was a great day to send off our seniors. We would have loved to do it with a victory, but Michigan was deep and solid in every event," Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said. "We had some great efforts on our part. Michael Jaroh was outstanding. Jack Baldwin came through with a great performance on pommel horse, and Nick Mock was solid, as well. And Parker Clayton had a personal high on rings."
Unfortunately for Penn State, Michigan's Paul Juda was at the top of his game Saturday and stole the show with an overall score of 86.350. He scored 14.2 or better in five of six events, including 14.95 on parallel bars and 14.7 on vault. He had three individual wins and two runner-up finishes.
It doesn't happen often that the Gene Wettstone Award is given to the visiting team at Rec Hall, but it was given to Juda for his standout performance Saturday. His overall score was the best in the nation this season.
Penn State now turns its attention to the Big Ten Championships, which will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 3. The Lions are still the defending champions in the event as they won the title when it was last competed in 2019.
"I think we still have some room to improve, which is the good news," Jepson said. "We've got two left with the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships, and we're going to come out swinging."
