Nebraska Shoots for Ninth NCAA Title at West Point

The <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska men’s gymnastics team begins the first of what could be a three-day NCAA brawl on Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m. CST in West Point, N.Y.  The Huskers will compete during Session II of the day-long event against perennial opponents Oklahoma, Cal and Iowa, in addition to Illinois and Army who hosts the event for the first time in 55 years. 

 

NU is slated to begin the competition on the pommel and follow through Olympic order, must finish within the top three in their session in order to advance to the team finals on Friday.  The fact that NU will begin on one of their stronger events could make a major difference in the outcome of the meet, as the Huskers have historically performed at a higher level when they begin on an apparatus in which they are confident.

 

Nebraska is already familiar with every team in its session expect Illinois.  The NCAA Championships will mark the fifth time NU has met up with the Sooners this season, with Oklahoma winning the first four matchups.  The Huskers also lost to California at the MPSF Championships on March 25.  However, the Nebraska did topple both Iowa and Army earlier in the season.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Nebraska got its first glimpse of the Session II field on Wednesday afternoon as they participated in a pre-meet workout at the Holleder Center.  The Huskers also attended the NCAA banquet where Minnesota's Guillermo Alvarez was awarded the Nissen-Emery Award, an honor given to collegiate gymnastics most talented senior.

 

Six other top teams will compete in Session I of the team qualifier, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Penn State, No. 8 Stanford, No. 9 Minnesota and No. 12 William and Mary.  Only Stanford represents the MPSF conference in the first session, which is dominated mostly by Big Ten competitors.  The top three teams from each session will meet on Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m. for the team finals at which time the all-around finals will also take place.  Individual event finals qualifiers are determined during the team qualifier on Thursday and will compete for All-Ameria honors on Saturday, April 9 at 6 p.m.

 

  

 

Scouting the NCAA Competitors

No. 1 OhioState Buckeyes

Head Coach: Miles Avery

Top Gymnast: Randy Monahan

Record: 15-2-1

2005 Big 10 Finish: 1st (225.35)

2004 NCAA Finish: 4th (221.35)

 

The No. 1 ranked Buckeyes enter the NCAA Championships after claiming the Big 10 title two weeks ago in Ann Arbor, Mich.  OhioState also earned a trio of event titles, one of which came from senior Randy Monahan on the still rings (9.687).  Monahan also earned his fourth career All-Big Ten selection, and is a finalist for the Nissen-Emery award, given to the sports top senior gymnast.

 

The Buckeyes’ other event titles came from freshman DJ Bucher on the parallel bars (9.737) and senior Ronald Ferris, who defended his high bar title with a first place mark of 9.862.

 

After what began as an impressive season in 2004, OhioState finished the season with a fourth-place finish (221.35) at the NCAA Championships.  The Buckeyes also failed to claim any individual event titles.

 

No. 2 Illinois Fighting Illini

Head Coach: Yoshi Hayasaki

Top Gymnasts: Justin Spring/Ben Newman

Record: 14-1-1

2005 Big 10 Finish: 2nd (224.125)

2004 NCAA Finish: 3rd (222.225)

 

After going undefeated in the regular season, the Illini experienced their first loss of the year to OhioState at the Big Ten Championships.  The Buckeyes also dealt Illinois a tie earlier in the season.

 

Junior JustinSpring took second in the all-around (55.575) for the Illini and also grabbed the runner-up spot on the parallel bars (9.712).  Senior Ben Newman sported Illinois’ only first-place finish, earning a score of 9.70 to win the pommel horse, an apparatus where he ranks first nationally.  Newman is also a finalist for the Nissen-Emery award.

 

Illinois finished third at the 2004 NCAA Championships and a pair of individual event titles, one by senior Robert Rogers on the pommel horse (9.775) and the other from Spring on the high bar (9.775). 

 

No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners

Head Coach: Mark Williams

Top Gymnast: Jonathan Horton

Record: 12-1

2005 MPSF Finish: 1st (225.65)

2004 NCAA Finish: 2nd (222.30)

 

The Sooners claimed their sixth MPSF title on March 25 as they hosted the 2005 MPSF Championships.  Individually, Oklahoma took four event titles, including an all-around win from freshman standout Jonathan Horton (56.475).  Horton also won the still rings with a 9.825.  Other event winners were junior Jamie Henderson on the pommel horse (9.625) and his brother, senior David Henderson on the vault (9.625).

 

This year, the Sooners will look to reclaim their national championship streak, which ended in 2004 after two consecutive titles in 2002 and 2003.

 

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines

Head Coach: Kurt Golder

Top Gymnast: Eddie Umphrey

Record: 9-7

2005 Big Ten Finish: 3rd (222.775)

2004 NCAA Finish: 5th (220.525)

The highlight of Michigan’s season came early on when it topped Oklahoma, 222.275-219.050, to give the Sooners their first regular-season loss in three years.

 

At the Big Ten Championships, senior Eddie Umphrey gained the Wolverines’ highest individual place with a second-place finish on the floor exercise (9.55).  Umphrey also finished third in the still rings (9.662). 

 

The Wolverines finished fifth overall at the 2004 NCAA Championships and earned two All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the all-around from junior Justin Laury (54.675) and another fifth from junior Luke Bottke on the floor exercise (9.337).

 

No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions

Head Coach: Randy Jepson

Top Gymnast: Luis Vargas

Record: 16-5

2005 Big Ten Finish: 4th (220.50)

2004 NCAA Finish: 1st (223.35)

 

The defending national champion Nittany Lions head into the NCAA Championships after finishing a disappointing fourth at the Big Ten Championships.  PennState began the season with a bang, grabbing 12 consecutive victories before suffering its first loss to OhioState on Feb. 11.  The Lions’ success included its eight straight win of the West Point Open, an event where Nebraska finished third.

 

Penn State’s Luis Vargas, the defending all-around champion, did not compete in the all-around competition at the Big Ten Championships and is not currently ranked in that event.  Without Vargas’ scores across the board, the Lions have turned the talent of individuals such as junior Chad Buzcek and freshman Santiago Lopez.  Lopez finished second on the floor exercise (9.475) at the Big Ten Championships.

 

Despite Vargas’ absence from the all-around, he is still a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award.  An honor usually given only to seniors, Vargas is being considered as a junior as he will not return for his senior season.

No. 6 Cal Golden Bears

Head Coach: Barry Weiner

Top Gymnast: Graham Ackerman

Record: 10-4

2005 MPSF Finish: 2nd (219.725)

2004 NCAA Finish: 6th (220.325)

 

After finishing second at the MPSF Championships, Cal heads to the NCAA competition hoping to improve upon a sixth-place finish in 2004.  Helping the Golden Bears in that task will be senior Graham Ackerman who was recently selected as the MPSF Gymnast of the Year and is a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award.  Ackerman was one of two Cal gymnasts to earn an MPSF title with his second consecutive first place finish on the floor exercise (9.725). 

 

Cal’s other title came from freshman Tyler Block on the parallel bars (9.35).

 

The Golden Bears are a fairly well-rounded team with the scores to prove it.  However, they lack representation in the all-around where they have yet to rank a gymnast in the top-20 national ranks.

 

No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes

Head Coach: Tom Dunn

Top Gymnast: Michael Reavis

Record: 13-12

2005 Big Ten Finish: 5th (219.80)

2004 NCAA Finish: 7th (216.90)

 

The Hawkeyes are led this season by senior Michael Reavis who recently took top honors on the floor exercise (9.762) at the Big Ten Championships.  Reavis is also a strong all-around competitor and currently ranks third in the national polls.

 

The Huskers got their first dual win of the season against the Hawkeyes on Feb. 26 in Iowa City, Iowa.  The victory spurred a three-meet winning streak for Nebraska, which ended at the MPSF Championships on March 25.

 

The Hawkeyes missed out on qualifying for the 2004 NCAA team finals by less than a point, but managed to place one All-American with a second-place finish by senior Linas Gaveika on the parallel bars.

 

No. 8 Stanford Cardinal

Head Coach: Thom Glielmi

Top Gymnast: Sho Nakamori

Record: 7-7

2005 MPSF Finish: 3rd (217.925)

2004 NCAA Finish: 8th (214.60)

 

Led by the remarkable young talent of freshman Sho Nakamori, the Cardinal have had a fairly even season.  At the MPSF Championships, Nakamori qualified for the event finals in two events and finished second overall in the all-around (54.775).  Stanford gained one event title in the meet from junior Nate Downs on the high bar (9.65).

 

The Cardinal have had to regroup and reformat their team this season after the loss of 2004 Nissen-Emery award winner Dan Gill.  However, Nakamori proves promising, and Stanford has still managed to post scores in the 217 to 219 range.

 

No. 9 Minnesota Gophers

Head Coach: Mike Burns

Top Gymnast: Guillermo Alvarez

Record: 3-14

2005 Big Ten Finish: 6th (216.40)

2004 NCAA Finish: 9th (214.525)

Minnesota is the only team in the twelve-squad field to enter the 2005 NCAA Championships with a losing record.  The Gophers have struggled to put marks in the win column this year, but have competed against a myriad of top teams including Ohio State, Illinois and Oklahoma.

 

Individually, senior Guillermo Alvarez has led the Gopher effort, earning a vault title (9.512) at the Big Ten Championships and also finishing third in the all-around (55.475).  At the 2004 NCAA Championships, Alvarez was a three-time All-American, finish fifth in the all-around (54.675), fourth on the floor (9.45), and sixth on the pommel horse (9.425).

 

Alvarez’s success however, was not enough to carry Minnesota which finished ninth overall at the 2004 National’s and last this season in the Big Ten.

 

No. 11 Army Black Knights

Head Coach: Doug VanEveran

Top Gymnast: Brian Lee

Record: 20-7

2005 ECAC Finish: 1st (214.025)

2004 NCAA Finish: 12th (207.675)

 

The Black Knights won the ECAC Championships this season for the first time in 43 years and thus secured a bid to the NCAA competition, which they host.

 

Army is coached by Doug VanEveran who was named the ECAC Coach of the Year, as well as by Carmine Giglio, who was named Assistant Coach of the Year.

 

Individually, the Black Knights are led by veteran Brian Lee and the young talent of sophomore Mike Oliveira who took the ECAC parallel bars title (8.95).

 

This is the second consecutive year that Army has earned a place at the NCAA Championships,  In 2004, the Black Knights finished 12th with a score of 207.675.

 

No. 12William & MaryTribe

Head Coach: Cliff Gauthier

Top Gymnast: Ramon Jackson

Record: 17-11

2005 ECAC Finish: 3rd (210.35)

2004 NCAA Finish: Did Not Qualify

 

The Tribe are making their third NCAA appearance in four years in 2005 after losing their spot to Illinois-Chicago in 2004.  At the ECAC Championships, William and Mary finished third (210.35) behind Army and Temple, however its average team score on the season was enough to push the Tribe over the Owls for the national championship birth.

 

NCAA History

Nebraska first found itself in the winner’s circle at the NCAA Championships in 1979.  This success launched a string of NU titles for the next five years, ending in 1983.  Since then, the Huskers have seen three additional team championships in 1988, 1990 and most recently in 1994.

 

Individually, eight Nebraska gymnasts have captured all-around titles.  Former Olympian Jim Hartung earned consecutive titles in 1980 and 1981 and NU’s most recent all-around victory came from Jason Hardabura in 1999.

 

In 2004, the Huskers finished 10th (212.25) after failing to qualify for the team finals in their second consecutive championship appearance.  Three Nebraska gymnasts advanced to the event qualifier including Josh Rasile, Derric Wood and Paul Chumreonlert, while Mace Patterson qualified for the all-around finals.  However, Patterson suffered a chest injury during the opening rotation and was unable to compete.  Rasile was the only Husker to advance to the event finals, where he garnered All-America honors with a fifth-place finish on the still rings (9.525).

 

Formidable Freshmen

The 2005 freshman class in the MPSF is definitely one to be reckoned with.  This season, a trio of outstanding rookies have made their mark on the conference, which led to all three being nominated for the MPSF Gymnast of the Year.  Oklahoma’s Jonathan Horton, Stanford’s Sho Nakamori and Nebraska’s Stephen T?trault have added a tremendous amount of depth and talent to their respective teams this season.  At the MPSF Championships on March 25, Horton claimed the all-around title (56.475), while Nakamori came in second (54.775) and T?trault rounded out the podium in third (53.075).

 

Over the course of the year, all three have made permanent homes in the national rankings, with both Horton and T?trault claiming top spots in an apparatus at one time. 

 

Currently, Horton is ranked among the top five competitors in four events and owns the top spot in the all-around with a national qualifying average of 55.22.

 

Nakamori is ranked on the floor exercise, parallel bars and high bar, and also sits fourth in the all-around (54.205).

 

T?trault, who held the nation’s highest vaulting spot for three weeks, now sits third in that event (9.510) as well as seventh in the all-around (53.085).

 

All three gymnasts will meet up once again at the NCAA Championships.

 

The Big Time Big Ten

Of the 12 teams that qualified for the 2005 NCAA Championships, six are from the Big Ten. This means that every team in that conference advanced to the national competition, as opposed to four from the MPSF and two from the ECAC.

 

Four of the top five seeds at the event are Big Ten squads, which have consistently posted team scores into the 220 to 222 range.  Only Oklahoma from the MPSF fits into this prestigious category with the third-place seed and an average score of 222.80.  The rest of the MPSF lies in the middle of the pack, while the two ECAC teams, Army and William & Mary, round out the bottom of the order.

 

Not only is the Big Ten strong on the team front, but the conference also posts a number of impressive individual routines.  In the all-around, the top five finishers banked scores above the 54-mark, while in the MPSF, only the top two reached that score.

 

Husker Health Watch

Paul Chumreonlert returned to practice this week after suffering an ankle injury that forced him to scratch out of the MPSF event finals on March 26.  The injury was sustained during Chumreonlert’s vaulting pass and head coach Francis Allen made the decision to withhold the sophomore from the still rings the following afternoon in order to ensure his return for the NCAA Championships.

 

Chumreonlert is scheduled to return to his place on the pommel horse, still rings, vault and parallel bars roster for the team qualifier on Thursday, April 7.

 

National Staple

The Nebraska Huskers have qualified for 24 of the last 30 NCAA Championships.  Since 1975, NU has become a staple force in the national title race, winning eight team championships since 1970 and finishing runner-up on seven more occasions.

 

Beginning in 2001, Nebraska failed to make two consecutive NCAA meets, but has since qualified for three straight runs at a national title.

 

Travel Itinerary

Leave: Tuesday, April 5

           4:55 p.m. (depart) / 10:57 p.m. (arrive)

Return: Sunday, April 10

            10 a.m. (depart) / 4:25 p.m. (return)

Lodging: The Thayer Hotel

              674 Thayer Road

              West Point, N.Y.

              845-446-4731