The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2025 BY JOHN BORTON M any strive to be the best, channeling their blood, sweat, tears, passion and infinite effort into at- taining that goal. Only one makes it to the very top — in any sport, in any given year. Step aside, everyone else. Michigan's men's gymnastics team stuck the landing, at the summit of this particular Everest. When the NCAA Championships con- cluded in a wild, ecstasy-saturated Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, head coach Yuan Xiao's Wolverines stood alone. You can't get better than the (leaders and) best, and Michigan literally brought the champion- ship back home this year. "We earned that," Xiao declared af- terward. "We deserved that. For me, that's a great place to end the national championship." It was for Michigan fans as well. For the staff of The Wolverine, it rendered voting for the University of Michigan's Male Team of the Year an easy task, de- spite the heartening success of many other programs — including one that performs in Crisler on a regular basis. Sixth-year graduate student captain Paul Juda executed the final vault to secure Michigan at the top, but even then, the result lingered in doubt for an excruciating couple of minutes. When the Wolverines saw the final top three rankings — Michigan (332.224), Stan- ford (332.061) and Oklahoma (327.891) — they exploded in jubilation and relief, and the celebration continues. "This is an extremely amazing group of young men," Juda assured recently. "I al- ways said we're the best team on campus, and I'm really happy we're finally getting the recognition that we so very much de- serve. The phrase that's written so many different places on campus — Those Who Stay Will Be Champions — is undoubtedly true. But great things do take time. "If you'd have told me my freshman year that I'd have the journey I've ex- perienced, and it would take six years, I would have wanted it sooner — as any- body would. Great things truly did take time, and it took our team the right cir- cumstances, the right time, the right pieces. I think we needed to get so close so many years in a row before we were able to truly do it." Juda isn't exaggerating about the close calls. In the post-COVID men's gym- nastics NCAA Championships leading up to this year's, Michigan placed third nationally in 2021, third in 2022, second in 2023 and second last season. MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR GYMNASTICS When the Wolverines saw the final top three team scores — Michigan (332.224), Stanford (332.061) and Oklahoma (327.891) — they exploded in jubilation and relief. Front row (left to right): Charlie Larson, Rithik Puri (kneeling), Paul Juda. Back row: Aaronson Mansberger, Evgeny Siminiuc and Jordan Gaarenstroom. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY NATIONAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! CHAMPIONS! Men's Gymnastics Lands Atop The Mountain 2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW