Ann Arbor, MI (U-WIRE) -- As Michigan men's gymnastics coach Kurt Golder always says, the key to success is to build momentum early and carry it through until the very last event. But, this was not the case when No. 4 Michigan lost to No. 1 Ohio State, 226.9-218.3 on Sunday.

"Well, it's always hard to build off of nothing in the beginning," junior Gerry Signorelli said. "It's like a kick in the balls, and it's just hard to get going after that."

The mix of injured senior captain Geoff Corrigan -- due to a foot injury -- and questionable officiating proved to be a deadly combination. The team lacked its usual energy and spirit and was sulking on the bench midway through the meet.

Golder has never enjoyed his trips down I-75, and, over the years, he has lost desire to fight the inevitable. He has come to terms with the idea that, despite the Wolverines best efforts and All-American strong lineups, the Buckeyes will always come away with the win, due to what Golder considers shady judging.

"That's part of the reason I have never brought a full lineup here, and I will probably never," Golder said. "What's the point of taking your good guys on the road and having them get robbed from a competition when they are better off just resting for the championships?"

The loud crowd and unfamiliar environment got the better of the Wolverines, and they were noticeably rattled while waiting to begin their routines. The meet was Ohio State's final home meet and was senior night for three of the Buckeyes.

"I think we came out a little bit hesitant," Signorelli said. "We were away from home. We should have just come out here and tried to own the place and be confident."

The Wolverines were unable to escape their shortcomings on the pommel horse, which has haunted them all season. They failed to stick a routine until freshmen Paul Woodward -- the fourth gymnast in the rotation -- stuck his pommel horse routine, and scored a 9.35. Juniors Drew DiGiore and Justin Laury followed suit, staying on the apparatus, but it wasn't enough to keep the meager momentum flowing.

"Throughout the year, we have always had a hard time starting on pommel horse," senior Dave Flannery said. "It's also hard for us without the crowd. And, everyone didn't do their top set, saving themselves for Big Tens."

One of the few positives that Michigan was able to take back to Ann Arbor was senior Brian Berends's high bar routine. Berends -- who has recently been out due to injury and returned last weekend against Stanford -- "rocked" his routine, in the words of Golder, scoring a 9.5 and giving the team a late spark.

"It's a great feeling to get back in the lineup," Berends said. "After a few guys missed, I knew I had to come up and hit big. I missed a couple things I could have done better, but, overall, I'm pretty happy how it turned out."

Signorelli, sophomore Aaron Rakes and junior Andre Hernandez all hit their routines after Berends, scoring 9.2, 9.15 and 9.35, respectively.

The Wolverines are looking forward to show Ohio State how good they truly are in two weeks when Michigan hosts the Big Ten Championships. The team also feels that having the Championships in Ann Arbor will give them the extra edge they always seem to be missing on the road.

"I think we are really fortunate that Big Tens are at home," Flannery said. "We always perform well at home, and the crowd behind us will help. We just need to get in the zone and do what we know we can do."

While the Wolverines have a lot of work to do before the championships come to town, they are certain it's all mental and will be refocused come March 25.

"I think we, mentally, need to prepare for Big Tens and put our game face on," Berends said. " I think we need to show them when they come to our house that we're the ones that they need to be watching out for."

(C) 2004 Michigan Daily via U-WIRE