Big Ten
No. 1 Michigan -- the defending NCAA and Big Ten champion -- begins postseason competition Friday at the Big Ten Championships hosted by Nebraska at the Bob DeVaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. Team and all-around finals are at 7 p.m. ET Friday, while individual finals will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Three individuals in Sam Mikulak (all-around, high bar), Stacey Ervin (floor) and Syque Caesar (parallel bars) look to defend their 2013 individual titles, while U-M looks to secure its 17th Big Ten title in program history and first back-to-back titles since the 1999-2000 season.
Michigan will begin its quest for the title defense on vault in the first rotation. U-M has never competed in Lincoln.
No. 4 Ohio State has won 12 Big Ten Championships, most recently claiming the team title in 2007. The Buckeyes also won titles in 1983, '85, '87, '93, '94, '96, '97, 2001, '02, '05 and '06.
In addition, Ohio State has earned 75 All-Big Ten laurels and won 71 Big Ten Individual Championships. Former Buckeye Blaine Wilson owns the most titles with 11, while Drew Durbin claimed five and Raj Bhavsar and Kip Simons each earned four. Most recently, former Buckeye Ty Echard claimed the 2012 Big Ten Individual Title on pommel horse.
No. 5 Minnesota, No. 6 Illinois, No. 7 Iowa and No. 8 Penn State will also be competing in the Big Ten Championships.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
No. 2 Stanford returns to action after a two week break as it pursues its fifth Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title at 5 p.m. Saturday in Norman, Okla.
Stanford claimed MPSF championships in 1993, '95, 2009 and '11. The Cardinal went on to win NCAA championships in each of those seasons.
Stanford has been strong all season and was outstanding in its three most recent competitions, scoring 445.150 at the Metroplex Challenge to defeat No. 1 Oklahoma (Feb. 14), posting a 443.650 to defeat No. 10 California (March 1) and recording a season-best 446.450 to knock off No. 4 Ohio State and California (March 8).
Stanford won four of six events and four gymnasts recorded individual victories, as the Cardinal defeated Ohio State and California in its most recent meet on March 8. Stanford has excelled in the five-up, five-count format in which each competitorâs score counts toward the team total. Since the format began on March 1, Stanford has posted scores of 443.650 (March 1) and 446.450 (March 8).
No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 9 California and No. 10 Air Force will also be competing in the MPSF Championships.
