Columbus, OH – In a Valentine’s Day thriller at the Covelli Center, the Washington Huskies pulled off a major upset, defeating No. 19 Ohio State with a season-high score of 196.475–196.300. The narrow 0.175-point victory was fueled by a career-best performance from sophomore Kira Bolden, who earned MVP honors for the Huskies. Washington’s consistency across all four rotations proved just enough to overcome a record-breaking floor performance by the Buckeyes in front of their home crowd.

➡️  Ohio State vs Washington photos

Washington set the tone early on the uneven bars, recording a solid 49.000. Lilly Tubbs and Mary McDonough paced the GymDawgs with matching scores of 9.850, sharing the event title. The Huskies then moved to vault, where they extended their momentum with a season-best 49.100. Bolden was the standout in the second rotation, sticking a powerful vault to earn a career-high 9.875 and claim the individual event crown.

Ohio State, trailing through the midpoint, found their spark on the balance beam. Courtney McCann anchored the rotation with a season-high 9.900 to take the event title, while senior Tory Vetter added a steady 9.850. Despite the strong showing on beam, the Buckeyes still found themselves playing catch-up as Washington remained remarkably consistent. The Huskies responded on the floor exercise with a 49.225, led once again by Bolden, whose high-energy routine earned a career-high 9.925.

The meet reached a fever pitch in the final rotation, where Ohio State delivered their best floor rotation of the season. The Buckeyes exploded for a massive 49.525, a score that nearly flipped the result. JJ Coleman was the star of the night for the home team, capturing the floor title with a career-high 9.950. She was supported by Baylie Belman, who posted a 9.925, and Tory Vetter, who secured the all-around title with a total score of 39.300.

Ultimately, Washington’s poise on the balance beam in the final rotation sealed the win. Deiah Moody delivered a clutch, career-high 9.900 to win the beam title, leading the Huskies to a 49.150 finish on the event. While the Buckeyes’ floor scores were higher, Washington’s lack of major deductions across the earlier events provided the cushion they needed to escape Columbus with the victory and their highest team total of the 2026 campaign.

With this win, Washington improves to a more confident position in the Big Ten standings as they prepare to host Minnesota next Friday. Ohio State, despite the loss, will take the momentum of their season-best floor score into a tough road test at Michigan State. Both teams showed they have the ceiling to compete with the conference’s elite as the postseason approaches.