Columbus, OH – The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan women’s gymnastics team used a historic performance on the balance beam to secure a hard-fought 197.375–197.075 victory over No. 19 Ohio State on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Competing at the Covelli Center, the Wolverines overcame an early deficit to hand the Buckeyes a narrow defeat in front of their home crowd. Despite the loss, Ohio State celebrated a significant milestone, posting their first team score above 197.000 since the 2024 season.

➡️  Ohio State vs Michigan photos

The meet was largely defined by Michigan’s clinical precision in the final rotation. Entering the beam as their last event, the Wolverines recorded a 49.600, which stands as the third-highest beam score in program history. This late-meet surge was led by graduate student Carly Bauman and sophomore Kayli Boozer, who both posted stellar 9.950s to share the event title. For Boozer, it marked her fifth consecutive beam title, further cementing her status as one of the premier specialists in the nation.

Ohio State did not make the victory easy, holding a slight lead after the first rotation and outperforming Michigan on the floor exercise with a season-high 49.375. Buckeye standout Tory Vetter was the star of the afternoon for the home team, capturing the all-around title with a season-best score of 39.525. Vetter’s consistency was on full display as she also earned shares of the individual event titles on both the uneven bars and floor exercise, each with a score of 9.900.

The competition for individual honors was a back-and-forth affair throughout the evening. Michigan’s Sophia Diaz and Ohio State’s JJ Coleman shared the vault title with matching 9.900s, while Michigan’s Sophie Parenti reached a career milestone by clinching the uneven bars title with a personal-best 9.900. While the Buckeyes showed depth and improvement across the board, Michigan’s ability to remain steady under pressure during the final moments allowed them to pull ahead.

With this win, Michigan improves their season record to 5–2 (2–2 in Big Ten play) and looks toward a high-stakes road meet against No. 5 UCLA. Ohio State, now 3–2 (3–1 Big Ten), remains at home to host Washington next weekend. The Buckeyes will look to build on the momentum of their season-high team score as they continue their climb in the national rankings.