Men’s Gymnastics Takes On Michigan State at Home – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Feb. 7, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The third-ranked Ohio State men’s gymnastics team welcomes sixth-ranked MSU into St. John Arena
Buckeye Gymnasts Return Home
The Ohio State men’s and women’s gymnastics teams return to St. John Arena for the first co-ed meet of the season, as both squads battle Michigan State tonight at 7 p.m. Both Buckeye teams enter the competition with high national rankings – the men at No. 3 and the women at No. 13.
Buckeyes Double Your Pleasure
The Friday co-ed meet with Michigan State marks the second of four straight meets in which the Buckeye men’s and women’s teams will compete together. Last week, both teams traveled to Illinois and came up with big wins. After Friday, the teams will travel to Iowa (Feb. 17) and host a double dual co-ed meet Feb. 24, with the men welcoming Penn State and the women hosting a dual with West Virginia.
Meet Miles Avery
Miles Avery is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Buckeyes. In his third season at the helm, he led OSU to a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships and a runner-up spot in the Big Ten Tournament. Before being named head coach, Avery had been an assistant coach at OSU for nine years. In addition to coaching at the collegiate level, Avery has also been on the coaching staff for many international competitions, including the 1998 Goodwill Games, the 1996 Olympic Games and the 1994 World Championship.
The Team Rankings
Ohio State holds the No. 3 spot in the nation, behind Oklahoma (No. 1) and archrival Michigan (No. 2). This marks the first time Michigan has lost its hold on the top spot this season. Michigan State has moved up in the rankings each week, jumping up one spot to No. 6 this week. Big Ten teams appear to be turning the Top Ten into their own exclusive club, claiming seven of the 10 positions. Illinois-Chicago, who was ranked No. 10 when it battled the Buckeyes, dropped to No. 14 in recent weeks, but slid back up to No. 11 this week. UC Santa Barbara (ranked 19th) is the lone OSU opponent not ranked in the Top 15.
In the individual events, Ohio State leads the nation on high bar and is second on vault, third on still rings and fourth on parallel bars.
Scouting The Competition
The Spartans enter the week ranked No. 6 in the nation, climbing from their pre-season No. 10 ranking. Michigan State and Ohio State met Jan. 13 in Chicago during the Windy City Invitational. Ohio State claimed third while Michigan State took sixth place. The Spartans are currently 0-7 in the Big Ten and 2-7 for the season. Their two victories came against Illinois-Chicago. Most recently, MSU was upset at eighth-ranked Minnesota. The Spartans are coached by 13-year veteran Rick Atkinson.
The Opposing Coach
Spartans head coach Rick Atkinson is in his 13th year at the helm of the MSU men’s gymnastics program. In that time, he has amassed a 94-91 record, including eight winning seasons. Michigan ended the 1999 regular season ranked sixth in the nation and took fifth place in the Big Ten Championships.
Atkinson is only the second coach in the 48-year history of men’s gymnastics at Michigan State. He spent several seasons as a Spartan assistant coach before gaining control of the team. Atkinson was a collegiate star, earning two-time All-America honors on floor, winning the Big Eight floor exercise championship and placing second on floor in the NCAA championships. Atkinson was a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award as a senior.
Nationally Ranked Buckeyes
Senior Daren Lynch leads the nation on still rings with an average score of 9.625. Lynch’s average is the second best recorded this year in collegiate gymnastics and is almost two full points ahead of his closest competition on still rings. Lynch achieved a 9.800 on rings against Illinois, giving him the highest single score on any event in the NCAA. Other Buckeyes ranking in the Top 10 in the country include Raj Bhavsar (6th) on rings, Earnest Nelson (4th) on vault, Jamie Natalie (5th) on parallel bars and Jay Nardelli (3rd) on high bar. Raj Bhavsar is second in the all-around with an average of 52.450.
Last Week at Illinois
The Ohio State Buckeyes walked away with a close win over the fifth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, 211.800-211.350, in Champaign, Ill., Saturday. The meet marked the highest total scores of the season for both teams, with Ohio State eclipsing the 210.400 it scored Jan. 22 against Michigan. Ohio State placed first in five of the six events, but had to rely on a stunning comeback to seal the victory.
Ohio State was paced by two first place finishes by Lynch on rings and vault. Lynch’s 9.800 on rings is the highest single event score for the Buckeyes this season. Nelson tied for first place with Lynch on vault, while Bhavsar pulled a 9.500 on still rings to claim second place in that event. Nardelli took first on high bar with a score of 9.350 and Natalie tied for first on parallel bars with a score of 9.000. Natalie also took second on high bar and pommel horse, behind Van Sickle. Bhavsar’s 52.100 was good enough for second place in the all-around competition behind Illinois’ Leo Oka. Natalie took third in the all-around.
Personal Bests at Illinois
Two of Ohio State’s youngest stars showed improvement during the Buckeyes’ battle with the Fighting Illini. Freshman Jamey Houle recorded personal best scores on floor exercises and parallel bars, recording an 8.400 on floor and 8.650 on bars. Fellow freshman Eric Van Sickle’s 8.900 on pommel horse also was a personal best.
Hosting Champions
After making historic St. John Arena its permanent home in 1999, the men’s gymnastics team will have the honor of hosting the 2001 NCAA Championships in the facility. The National Qualifier will be held at 7 and 7 p.m. April 5, with the National Team Finals at 7 p.m. April 6 and the National Individual Finals April 7. The 13,276-seat venue will give many Columbus residents the opportunity to see top-level NCAA men’s gymnastics. Tickets to the championships may be purchased at the Ohio State Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-GO BUCKS.
The Streak
The Buckeyes have qualified for the NCAA Championships 20 consecutive years, a streak that more than quadruples that of any other NCAA Division I university in men’s gymnastics.
Buckeye Defectors
Michigan State could have a slight advantage when it steps into St. John Arena to take on the Buckeyes, as the Spartans have three Ohioans on their roster, one more than the Buckeyes themselves. Jamie Shepard (Dayton), Russell Young (Poland) and Nate Dotson (Whitehouse) all hail from the Buckeye state. OSU claims only Dick Huntwork (Pickerington) and local freshman Eric Van Sickle from nearby Hilliard as hometown boys. OSU actually has more native Texans on the gymnastics team than Ohioans. The Buckeyes, however, do not have any Michiganders on the roster this season.
Tough at Home
The men’s gymnastics team has won 12-consecutive meets at home in St. John Arena. No member of the current Buckeye squad has suffered a loss at home as a collegiate student-athlete.
New Rules in 2001
Every four years, or quadrennium, the International Gymnastic Governing Council alters the routines and judging criteria of the sport, forcing gymnasts worldwide to learn different routines. The lack of familiarity with the new routines often leads to lower scores in the early meets of every quadrennium. OSU head coach Miles Avery predicts growing pains for every collegiate team, including the Buckeyes this season.
“It takes a little while to catch up with the new rules.” he said, “So it’s a little slow right now, but it’s a little slow for everyone in the world. Fortunately, this is a seasoned team. We’ll do well.”
