Buckeyes Win 2001 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship! – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
April 6, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio- The Ohio State men’s gymnastics team posted a season-high score to claim the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics national title Friday night at the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships in St. John Arena. It is the Buckeyes’ third national title (1985, ’96) and the first under fourth-year head coach Miles Avery.
Buckeye senior and Nissen-Emery Award winner Jamie Natalie (Hockessin, Del.) scored a personal and NCAA season-best 55.700 to win the all-around title for the second-consecutive season. Raj Bhavsar (So., Houston, Texas) placed second with a score of 55.150. Both gymnasts earn All-America honors for their Top 6 finishes. Natalie is the first two-time NCAA All-Around Champion since former Buckeye Blaine Wilson won in 1996 and ’97. The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes, who also won the 2001 Big Ten Championship, posted a score of 218.125 in the national finals, followed by No. 1 Oklahoma with 217.775. California was third (216.775) with Michigan placing fourth (216.175). Penn State and Michigan State rounded out the finishers.
Ohio State held a slim lead throughout the competition. In the final rotation, the Buckeyes posted a season-high team score on vault to clinch the championship. Ohio State was led by Natalie (9.375) and Bhavsar (9.350), who placed first and second in the event, respectively. Daren Lynch (Sr., Londonderry, N.H.) tallied a 9.250 to tie for seventh, while Earnest Nelson (Jr., Rowlett, Texas) posted a 9.100.
Buckeyes claimed the top spot in three events in addition to the all-around. Natalie was first in vault with a 9.375 and Bhavsar was the parallel bars champion with a NCAA season-best 9.650. Lynch tied for the rings crown with a 9.500.
Freshman Jamey Houle (Enfield, Conn.) tied for 10th on parallel bars (8.85) and Dick Huntwork (So., Pickerington, Ohio) was eighth in parallel bars (8.925).
The Top 8 finishers on each event qualify for the individual event finals which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in St. John Arena. Natalie advances on four events (floor exercise, pommel horse, vault and high bar), while Lynch will compete on rings and vault. Bhavsar is a finalist in vault and parallel bars and Huntwork advances to the parallel bars final. Natalie is the defending NCAA Floor Exercise Champion.
2001 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships Team and All-Around Finals and Individual Preliminaries April 6, 2001, 7 p.m. St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Team Scores 1. Ohio State (218.125) 2. Oklahoma (217.775) 3. California (216.775) 4. Michigan (216.175) 5. Penn State (212.125) 6. Michigan State (211.875)
Top Finisher and Ohio State Individual Qualifiers Floor Exercise 1. Cody Moore, California (9.600) 8T. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.200) 3. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.400)
Pommel Horse 1T. Clay Strother, Minnesota (9.600) 1T. Jon Plante, Michigan State (9.600) 5T. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.300)
Rings 1T. Daren Lynch, Ohio State (9.500) 1T. Chris Lakeman, Penn State (9.500)
Vault 1. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.375) 2. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State (9.350) 7T. Daren Lynch, Ohio State (9.250)
Parallel Bars 1. Raj Bhavsar, Ohio State (9.650) 2. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.225) 8. Dick Huntwork, Ohio State (8.925)
High Bar 1. Cody Moore, California (9.500) 3. Jamie Natalie, Ohio State (9.400)
