The Gophers men’s gymnastics team finished fourth out of six teams in the first of two NCAA championships qualifying sessions on Friday.

Minnesota scored 424.7 as a team, two points behind third place Illinois.

Michigan and Oklahoma also advanced to Saturday’s team championships at Recreation Hall on the Penn State campus in University Park, Penn. The top three teams from each session advance to compete on Saturday.

Minnesota struggled on pommel horse, its worst even this season. The Gophers score of 65.85 was the lowest at the session and the team’s second-lowest score on the event this season.

The team’s best event was the floor exercise. Minnesota’s 73.8 was its best score on the event since Feb. 16 against Oklahoma.

Six Gophers gymnasts will compete Saturday night during the team finals for the opportunity to compete in the event finals Sunday.

Sophomore Ellis Mannon won the pommel horse competition with a 15.25. Sophomore Steve Jaciuk qualified for the parallel bars and the high bar competitions.

Individuals competing on Saturday

Floor: Sean Bauer, Justin Morinishi, Matt Frey

Pommel Horse: Ellis Mannon

Still Rings: Jack Metcalf

Parallel Bars: Steve Jaciuk

High Bar: Steve Jaciuk

Notes

Junior Nathan Fortunato received the Elite 89 award Thursday night for his academic achievement. Fortunato, who has a 4.0, has the highest cumulative grade-point average of any student-athlete at the NCAA championships.