The No. 5 Michigan men’s gymnastics team appeared shell-shocked, staring silently out at the competition floor while the fourth-ranked Fighting Illini started roaring in triumph, holding up the Big Ten Championship trophy.

But a few minutes after Illinois started celebrating, a whisper began to spread around Crisler Arena.

Michigan’s last parallel bars score was wrong.

Suddenly, the scoreboard changed, and sophomore Chris Cameron was awarded a 14.45 instead of a 13.85 — a correction that moved the Wolverines into a tie for first place with the Illini at 357.10 points.

The maize-and-blue clad competitors were already in the tunnel, waiting to re-enter the arena for the post-meet ceremonies. Their non-competing teammates across the floor began signaling to them, pointing their index fingers in the air.

“There was a turn of feelings for me, because I was very upset,” senior Joe Catrambone said. “To work this hard and get that close, if we were to lose by that little, it just rips your heart out. I think most of us would take a tie any day.”

It was the first time the Big Ten Championships ended in a tie since Illinois and Ohio State shared the title in 1983.

The title is Michigan coach Kurt Golder’s third with the Wolverines and the 15th for the program. For the first time since the 2000 season, the men’s and women’s teams both won Big Ten titles in the same year. The Wolverines placed 10 of 12 gymnasts in the event finals, more than any other team.

And on top of all that, the sophomore duo of Thomas Kelley and Cameron finished first and second in the all-around competition. Kelley hit all six of his routines for an 89.35 total. Cameron posted Michigan's highest scores of the night on floor exercise and pommel horse, and on Saturday placed second in floor finals.

As the drama-filled night wound down, Michigan and Illinois mounted the podium together, the Illini wearing bright orange and carrying the trophy and the Wolverines decked out in brand-new Big Ten Champion caps and T-shirts. Catrambone and fellow senior Scott Bregman couldn’t hold back their emotions, tears running down their faces as they posed for pictures with their teammates.

For the first time in their four years, the tears were of joy, not sadness and disappointment. After three seasons of finishing fourth at the Big Tens when they had a chance to win, the Wolverines delivered when it counted.

Four of the six events on Friday night went according to plan. Michigan started strong on high bar and floor, and in the third rotation, the pommel horse squad boosted Michigan from third place into the lead.

Redshirt sophomore and pommel horse specialist Adam Hamers, who later finished fifth in event finals, got the team back on track after a miss to open the rotation. Three of his teammates — junior co-captain David Chan, Cameron and fifth-year senior Paul Woodward — followed with scores in the 15-point range.

As Michigan moved to the still rings, it also moved directly in front of the team's huge fan section, full of parents, gymnastics alumni and friends. Senior Ralph Rosso stuck his dismount and immediately began gesturing to the cheering section to reach new noisy heights. Senior co-captain Phil Goldberg screamed as he landed his double layout, thumping the block M on his chest.

After a tough vault rotation, Michigan hung onto the lead by 2.35 points. The Wolverines' momentum seemed to dissipate on parallel bars as the Illini hit set after set on rings. But after the correction on Cameron’s routine, the Wolverines' performance on the last event proved to be just enough.

Michigan finished the night exactly where it wanted to — atop the Big Ten podium.

“All of it feels great,” Golder said. “To get back after nine years and go one-two in the all-around is a coach’s dream. That’s what I’ve worked so hard for the past nine years, to get back to that level again.”