Ohio State gymnast Kameron Nelson had an NCAA Championships to remember Saturday.
Nelson became the first Buckeye to earn All-American status in three separate events since 2017, when Sean Melton completed the same feat. Nelson finished third in the nation on floor with a score of 14.766 and added a fifth-place finish on vault (14.800) and sixth-place in the all-around competition (81.665).
He was one of three Ohio State tumblers to reach the podium in an event. Donovan Hewitt collected a third-place finish on rings with a score of 14.600, while Caden Spencer placed fourth on high bar with a 14.066.
Hewitt and Spencer were the first All-Americans for the Buckeyes in their respective disciplines since the above-mentioned Melton in 2017. Also competing for the Buckeyes was Kazuki Hayashi on floor (12.566) and high bar (12.666), Parker Thackston on pommel horse (11.700), Kristian Grahovski on rings (13.333), Jacob Harmon on parallel bars (13.766) and Tyler Rockwood on parallel bars (11.733).
World Championship Gold For Two Former Icers
Two former Ohio State women’s hockey players helped Team USA to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships Sunday in Brampton, Ontario. The United States defeated Canada by a 6-3 final in the title match.
Forwards Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka were the former Buckeyes bolstering America’s attack. Fellow Ohio State alumni Emma Maltais and Natalie Spooner took home silver with Team Canada.
Barnes and Bilka were strong contributors throughout the tournament, posting eight and seven points, respectively. Barnes added an insurance goal for Team USA in the closing minutes against an empty net to help secure the win in the championship contest.
It was the first gold for Team USA since 2019 and its 10th overall at the World Championships.
One of Ohio State’s current players skated at the world championships as well, with rising sophomore Sofie Lundin collecting four points for Team Sweden.
Men’s Volleyball To MIVA Semifinals
Ohio State men’s volleyball will compete for a spot in its conference championship match Wednesday, taking on seventh-seeded McKendree as the No. 3 seed in MIVA’s bracket.
The Buckeyes bested sixth-seeded Lindenwood in the quarterfinals to earn a spot there, downing the Lions in straight sets 3-0. None of those sets were decided by more than three points as Lindenwood kept it close for much of the match, but at the most critical junctures Ohio State got the job done.
Freshman opposite hitter Shane Wetzel led the way with 17 kills and eight digs. A win in Wednesday’s semifinal would pit OSU against the winner of top-seeded Ball State and fourth-seeded Lewis.
