The beginning of Big Ten women's gymnastics was an era of competition synonymous with Scarlet and Gray. For five years, the Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the conference field for five-straight league championships and a 58-6-1 record. The Buckeyes won their fifth title with the largest margin of victory in conference championships history, beating Michigan State by 3.7 points in 1987.

Head coach Larry Cox, who spent 24 years at the helm of the OSU gymnastics program, coached 15 individual conference champions during that period. The Buckeyes also claimed 11 of 15 individual gold medals in their first championship-winning seasons.

Propelling the success were two All-Americans in Tracy Rinker (1983) and Julie Sommers (1987). Rinker became the second Ohio State All-America selection when she registered a 9.40 on uneven bars at the 1983 NCAA Championship, earning national runner-up honors. She also tied for 18th in the all-around (36.10) at the NCAA meet. Rinker's national success came just after she blitzed the Big Ten Championship record book, shattering marks in the all-around, balance beam and uneven bars, as she led the Buckeyes to the school's first Big Ten crown.

Somers earned the same distinction on vault in 1987. Like Rinker, she garnered runner-up laurels at the NCAA Championship after tallying a 9.475 on the horse. Somers also was a key figure in OSU's run to the Big Ten title in 1987, the fifth consecutive for the Buckeyes. Following the conference title, she led OSU to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Big Ten 25 Years of Women's Championships

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