The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 13 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Zach Granados is a team captain and standout gymnast who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and was a Big Ten pommel horse bronze medalist in 2025. Helping the Wolverines capture the program's seventh-ever NCAA championship, he finished 15th on the pommel horse (13.466) at the NCAA finals. Here are some things about Granados you may not have known: Best Aspect Of Being From Virginia Beach, Va.: "I grew up on the water, so being close to the water is something that I really loved. It's probably my favorite part about being home, being right there on the beach and connecting with nature in that way." Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Bigalora [Wood Fired Cucina]." Best Meal He Can Cook By Himself: "Fried rice. My family is Fili- pino, so that was the first thing I learned how to cook." Favorite Professional Athlete: "Kobe [Bryant]. Just the relentless mentality is something that I carry with me a lot." Sport He Enjoys Besides Gymnastics: "I played baseball up until I was 12." Favorite Movie: "I really like things that are based on a true story, or that make it seem like it's based on a true story, so 'Catch Me If You Can.'" Favorite TV Show: "Recently, I've been watching 'Landman.'" Why He Chose Michigan: "For me, academics played a huge role in where I was trying to go, because unlike many other sports, gymnas- tics, eventually, I'll have to be done with it. So, I wanted to make sure I was setting myself up for the future, and there's really no better place than here to push myself academically but also put myself in a position to win national championships athletically." What He Hopes To Do After Michigan: "I actually have a job lined up in Chicago. I'll be doing tech consulting. So, I'm just looking to grow in the professional world and get some experience with that." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "It's definitely winning [the NCAA championship] at home. If and when we win this year, I don't think it'll top the feeling of being able to celebrate with all of our family and friends in the stands like that. It's probably the coolest feat I've ever been a part of in my whole career." Overall Experience At Michigan: "What I got here is more than I could've ever asked for. You have an idea of what college athletics is like when you're trying to become a college athlete, trying to go D-I. But, at the end of the day, it is really, really difficult, and if you don't love where you are and what you're doing, it's hard to go through the day-in, day-out, the tough training, stuff like that. But I think the group of people that the coaches bring in every single year is such a close-knit group of guys that doesn't make it feel like a job. Going through the trenches with the guys is just kind of what we do. The experience of competing as a team, which isn't something that hap- pens very often in gymnastics outside of the college world, has been an experience that I'll never forget. Some of my closest friends now are here at Michigan." — Clayton Sayfie ❱ Getting To Know Men's Gymnastics Senior Zach Granados Granados was a Big Ten pommel horse bronze medalist and also earned second-team all-conference honors in 2025. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY