ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Fourth-ranked Michigan completed its first undefeated regular season since 1974, cruising to a 445.75-401.75 victory against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at the Crisler Center. Michigan now sets its sights on defending its 2013 Big Ten championship next Friday and Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
The Wolverines (19-0) were led on the night by senior Sam Mikulak, who took home four individual event titles on the night (floor, pommels, vault and high bar). In addition to the season-best team score, Michigan scored season bests on vault and parallel bars and high bar. Additionally, U-M swept all six event titles.
Michigan began the night on floor, where Mikulak scored a career-high 15.85, and junior Stacey Ervin scored a 15.80. Classmate Hub Humphrey took third on the event with a 14.50, as U-M scored a 74.85 in the first rotation.
In rotation two on pommels, Mikulak once again led with a 15.25, while seniors Matt Freeman took second (14.60), and Dylan James scored a 14.40 for the event sweep. U-M led the Flames 146.15-131.20 after the second rotation.
Michigan then went on to sweep the next four events and led by as many as 36 points heading into the final rotation.
The Maize and Blue scored 73.35 on rings, with Freeman taking the title, and 74.90 on vault, as Tristian Perez-Rivera marked a 15.25 for his second career vault win. Sophomore Konner Ackerman equaled the score, as the pair shared the event title.
U-M then closed out the night with a 76.70 on parallel bars and a 74.65 on high bar, as Mikulak secured his sixth career parallel bars title and 11th high-bar win of his stellar career.
