Men’s Gymnastics Advances to NCAA Championship – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/30/2000 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 30, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes placed second in the first qualifying session of the NCAA Championship held in Iowa City, Iowa to advance to a record 20th-consecutive NCAA Championship final. The squad compiled a team score of 229.375, while Michigan recorded a 231.925 and Penn State scored 229.125 to also advance to the finals. California, Oklahoma and Iowa finished in the top three in the second session to also advance to the finals.
The Buckeyes struggled in their first two events, the vault and parallel bars, but were able to finish strong and clinch a berth in the team finals. The squad scored a season high on the pommel horse, led by Jamie Natalie (Jr., Hockessin, Del.), 9.850, Raj Bhavsar (Fr., Houston, Texas), 9.750, and Ryan Schwartzkopf (Fr., Columbus, Ind.), 9.700.
“I’m glad we qualified,” head coach Miles Avery said. “But we’re going to have to do a better job tomorrow if we’re going to win the national championship.”
Natalie turned in strong performances on other events as well, as he placed second in the all-around in the qualifying session with a 57.850. He was first (tied) on parallel bars (9.775), third (tied) on the pommel horse, third on the still rings (9.750), third on high bar (9.775) and fourth on the floor exercise (9.700). Daren Lynch (Jr., Londonderry, N.H.) was third on the still rings and fourth on the vault, while Bhavsar finished fourth in the all-around and tied for fifth on the parallel bars.
“We came out slow but fought hard to accomplish today’s goal of advancing to tomorrow’s finals,” Lynch, a team co-captain, said. “We’re going to come out aggressive tomorrow.”
The team and all-around finals will be held tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The top eight individuals on each event will advnance to the individual event finals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
NCAA Qualifier – Session I Iowa City, Iowa, March 30, 2000 Team FX PH SR V PB HB Total 1. Michigan 38.750 39.075 38.675 37.800 38.900 38.725 231.925 2. Ohio State 38.450 38.975 38.275 37.650 37.925 38.100 229.375 3. Penn State 38.075 38.625 38.200 37.900 38.225 38.100 229.125 4. Illinois 38.200 38.400 37.650 37.950 37.525 38.175 227.900 5. Nebraska 37.950 38.325 37.300 37.975 37.725 37.125 226.400 6. UMass 37.525 37.975 35.500 37.250 37.050 36.850 222.150
Individual Events Top finisher plus Ohio State results
All-Around 1. Derek Lieter, Nebraska 57.900 2. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 57.850 4. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 57.575 8. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 56.300
Floor Exercise 1. Derek Lieter, Nebraska 9.800 4. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.700 7t. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 9.650 11. Dick Huntwork, Ohio State 9.575 13t. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.525 19t. Michael Evans, Ohio State 9.450 30t. Daren Lynch, Ohio State 9.300
Pommel Horse 1. Justin Toman, Michigan 9.925 Brandon Stefaniak, PSU 9.925 3t. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.850 7. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.750 9t. Ryan Schwartzkopf, OSU 9.700 12. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 9.675 22t. Adam Elliott, Ohio State 9.450 29t. Jay Nardelli, Ohio State 9.250
Still Rings 1. Chris Lakeman, Penn State 9.825 3. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.750 4. Daren Lynch, Ohio State 9.700 6. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.625 26t. Jay Nardelli, Ohio State 9.200 26t. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 9.200 32. Dick Huntwork, Ohio State 9.000
Vault 1. Derek Lieter, Ohio State 9.700 3t. Daren Lynch, Ohio State 9.600 8t. Dick Huntwork, Ohio State 9.500 13t. Michael Evans, Ohio State 9.400 29t. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.150 38t. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.000 40. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 8.850
Parallel Bars 1. Kris Zimmerman, Michigan 9.775 Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.775 5t. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.700 20t. Jay Nardelli, Ohio State 9.300 25t. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 9.150 29t. Daren Lynch, Ohio State 9.100 41t. Dick Huntwork, Ohio State 8.600
High Bar 1. Travis Romagnoli, Illinois 9.875 3. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State 9.775 14. Earnest Nelson, Ohio State 9.500 16. Jay Nardelli, Ohio State 9.425 17t. Michael Morgan, Ohio State 9.400 23t. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State 9.200 37. Michael Evans, Ohio State 8.700
–GO BUCKS!–
