Gymnastics Mixed Pairs Competition – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Nov. 30, 2001
About the Meet
The Ohio State men’s and women’s gymnastics teams will compete in the Mixed Pairs Competition at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena. Twelve teams, with one men’s and one women’s gymnast each, were selected by a computer draw to compete in the event. The pairs will compete in three rotations, with the top eight pairs advancing to the second rotation and the top four moving on to the final rotation.
Defenders
The only pairing not randomly selected in the meet was the duo of juniors Raj Bhavsar and Sarah Spring. The tandem won the Mixed Pairs Competion as freshmen in 1999. This meet marks the first chance for the duo to defend its title, as the event was cancelled in 2000.
The Pairs
The pairings in order of competition:
Eric Van Sickle and Jenni Lymanstall
Cody Trobaugh and Jill Tucker
Earnest Nelson and Laura Sommerville
Isaac Monical and Tiffanie Janke
Randy Monahan and Shelley Harris
Dick Huntwork and Amanda Allen
Jamey Houle and Megan Porter
Ben Falkner and Beth Groskopf
Mike Evans and Liz Meaney
Mitch Claman and Mary Beth Doerr
Raj Bhavsar and Sarah Spring
Kerry Adderly and Steph Buerkel
Individuals:
Jamie Shepard (Pommel Horse), Ryan Schwartzkopf (Pommel Horse), Matt Smith (Rings), Sheri Greig (Beam or Vault), Julie Levi (Vault or Floor), Stefanie Marshall (Bars), Rickee Wirtzberger (Beam or Floor), Janine Ziernicki (Bars), Kelly Cumberland (Beam).
Previewing the Women’s team
The 2001 season was a great one for the Ohio State women’s gymnastics team, full of school records and impressive wins. But there still is a lot to accomplish in 2002. After stellar performances last season, the Buckeyes are looking to build on their wealth of experience and talent and put it all together to achieve their ultimate goal – reaching the NCAA Championships.
“I thought last year’s season was so good in terms of consistency and performance that I expect to take that up another notch,” Larry Cox, head coach, said. “We’ve got the experience coming back and we have some good freshmen coming in to contribute that competed at the national level. We have a lot of good leadership, and I’m excited about Mary Beth Doerr being team captain – only the third one in 23 years. We have a lot going for us. I’m looking to carry a good regular season into a great postseason.”
Seniors will lead women’s team
The Buckeyes’ senior class of Amanda Allen, Stephanie Buerkel, Mary Beth Doerr and Jill Tucker has been a solid one throughout its tenure at OSU. Cox is expecting them to be mentors for the entire team, especially the talented freshman class.
“That class has been wonderful every year,” Cox said. “They have been very consistent and have improved every year. We’ve got Jill Tucker, who qualified on floor to the national championships in 2000. She certainly knows what it takes to advance at the end of the season. We’ve got our leadership in that class, so I’m really looking for that more than anything.”
Buerkel has been a consistent all-around performer throughout her career, but a back injury limited her to just floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars last year. Cox expects her to be back in the all-around this year.
Doerr is a two-time All-Big Ten recipient on uneven bars and has fallen just twice on bars during her three-year career. Allen also provides consistency on bars, beam and floor for the Buckeyes.
Women’s head coach Larry Cox
Larry Cox, the three-time regional Coach of the Year, heads into his 23rd season as the Ohio State women’s gymnastics coach.
One of the country’s most prominent women’s gymnastics collegiate coaches, Cox has guided Ohio State to a NCAA Regional appearance in each of his 22 seasons at the helm. He led the Buckeyes to five-consecutive Big Ten titles between 1983-87. During that same decade, Cox’s squads finished no lower than third in the Big Ten, except in 1980 and 1988. His squads also won six NCAA Regional titles, advancing to the NCAA Championships between 1983-90.
Cox earned co-Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2001, leading the Buckeyes to a 13-3 dual-meet record. The Buckeyes set several school records while earning another berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Previewing the men’s team
The Ohio State University men’s gymnastics program is faced with one of the most difficult tasks in sports, defending a national championship. After a 2001 season that saw the Buckeyes take the NCAA and Big Ten crowns, the program now is the biggest target in collegiate gymnastics. With the departure of two captains from last season, including Nissen-Emery Award winner and two-time NCAA all-around champion Jamie Natalie, the Buckeyes must dig deep to find new chemistry and new leaders.
“We are certainly excited for this season,” Avery said. “This team has as much promise as the team from a year ago. We added three exceptional freshmen as well as two quality gymnasts from Michigan State’s program. With the improvements we’ve made over the summer, I think we can make another legitimate run at a title.”
Men Start with a Strong Base
Even with the loss of three seniors, including two national champions, to graduation, there is no lack of depth or talent for Ohio State in 2002. Once again, the foundation of the team will come from a talented core of upperclassmen, led by All-American Raj Bhavsar. Bhavsar, a member of the U.S. National Team, was part of the squad that won the silver medal at the 2001 World Champoinships, marking the highest finish ever for the U.S. in the event.
“The underclassmen of last year, including Michael Evans, Raj Bhavsar and Dick Huntwork, should step up and be the leaders of this team,” Miles Avery, OSU head coach, said. “We have always worked under the premise that the more opinions, the better.”
Men’s Head Coach Miles Avery
Miles Avery, the 2001 National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year, returns for his fifth season at the helm for the Buckeyes.
Avery was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes for nine seasons before he was named head coach in 1998. In his tenure, the Buckeyes have extended their streak of NCAA appearances to 21.
