ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 12, 2014 – 2012 Olympian Sam Mikulak of Corona del Mar, Calif./University of Michigan, won the seventh NCAA individual event title of his career tonight at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships inside Crisler Center on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. With his seventh individual crown, which came on the parallel bars, Mikulak is now tied for the most individual title wins in a career with 1984 Olympic gold medalist Jim Hartung, who competed for Nebraska, and Illinois’ Joe Giallombardo.
On the floor exercise, Alec Robin of the University of Oklahoma tumbled a front double full to barani and dismounted with a stuck triple twist. His 15.425 gave him the title. Chandler Eggleston, 15.400, and C.J. Maestas, 15.150, both of Illinois, finished second and third, respectively.
Minnesota’s Ellis Mannon won the pommel horse title with an intricate and crowd-pleasing routine that included flaired spindles and travels. He earned a 15.425 to win the crown, while Michael Reid of Oklahoma scored 15.175 for second. U.S. national team member Akash Modi of Stanford University earned a 14.825 to finish third on the event.
Michael Squires of Oklahoma won his second straight NCAA still rings title with a score of 15.800. He executed an Azarian cross and swing to inverted cross before dismounting with a full-twisting double layout. Maestas was second, scoring 15.725, and Ryan Ponce of Springfield College earned a 15.550 for third.
Robin picked up his second win of the night, performing a stuck Kasamatsu one-and-a-half vault. He scored a 15.250. Illinois’ Chandler Eggleston was second, 15.225, followed by Stanford’s Sean Senters with 15.100.
Mikulak’s nearly flawless parallel bars routine was punctuated with a stuck double pike dismount and scored a 15.875. Modi was second, 15.600, and Michigan’s Syque Caesar was third with a 15.325.
On the horizontal bar, Illinois’ Jordan Valdez grabbed the crown with both a layout Tkatchev and a layout Tkatchev with a half twist. He posted a 15.525. Ohio State University’s Jake Martin was second, posting a 15.475. U.S. national team member Sean Melton of Ohio State finished third with a 15.225.