Men’s Gymnasts Tune Up for the Regular Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 3, 2002
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About the Meet
The Ohio State men’s gymnastics team will compete in the Alumni Exhibition at 2 p.m. Saturday in Larkins Hall. The current Buckeyes will face a team of former Ohio State gymnasts in the event. Among the alumni scheduled to compete are Mike Canales, Neil Niemi, Jay Nardelli and Daren Lynch.
What the Exhibition is for…
The Alumni Exhibition gives the current Buckeyes experience competing in front of a crowd before the regular season starts. The Buckeyes open up the 2002 season and their defense of the 2001 Big Ten and NCAA Championships, at the Windy City Invitational in Chicago Jan. 12.
The Captains
Ohio State head coach Miles Avery will annouce the captains for the Buckeyes this season at the Alumni Exhibition.
At The Helm
Miles Avery, the 2001 National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year, returns for his fifth season at the helm of 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.
A Return To The Summit
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 all two captains from last season, including Nissen-Emery Award winner Jamie Natalie, the Buckeyes must dig deep to find new chemistry and new leaders. “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.”
The 2002 Buckeyes
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. Earnest Nelson, a 2000 co-captain, and Mitch Claman lead the seniors into battle. Ben Falkner rounds out the senior class.
Jamie Shepard, a transfer from Michigan State, along with one of the nation’s strongest recruiting classes, could mean several new faces will be scoring points for the Buckeyes this season.
“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 a quality gymnast 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.”
The Buckeyes From Top to Bottom
One of the primary ingredients in a championship season often is strong upperclassman leadership. The 2001 team had it in the form of All-Americans Natalie and Daren Lynch, and former captain Jay Nardelli. In 2002, the senior class doesn’t boast quite as much firepower, but is still a formidable group.
The program will boast four seniors on the roster. Nelson returns as one of the most consistent components of the team, competing primarily on floor exercise, vault, pommel horse and high bar. Claman competed in every meet for the Buckyes last season, including performing on rings at the NCAA championships. Falkner, who posted career highs on rings and high bar last season, completes the senior class. The seniors have the opportunity to become the third consecutive senior class to complete their careers undefeated at home.
The junior class promises to be the strength of the team this season. Four members of the junior class could conceivably close the year as All-Americans. Leading the charge is Bhavsar, who placed second in the all-around at the 2001 NCAA Championships, finishing behind only Natalie, and won the parallel bars competition. Bhavsar earned a spot on the U.S. National Team after placing third in the Winter Cup and finished second on parallel bars against several of the world’s top gymnasts in the Moscow Stars of the World competition. In addition, he was a member of the U.S. team that placed second at the World Championships, the highest ever finish for the team. If he remains healthy, Bhavsar stands ready to replace Natalie as the best collegiate gymnast in the nation.
“Clearly, Raj is one of the best gymnasts in the country,” Avery said. “He was already ahead of most gymnasts last year and the rule changes just made him that much better. Other athletes will close the gap this year, but he should still be one of the top guys in the collegiate ranks.”
The duo of Michael Evans and Dick Huntwork is right on Bhavsar’s tail. Both gymnasts qualified to compete at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships this past summer for spots on the U.S. National Team. Huntwork claimed his second consecutive Most Improved Gymnast Award last season. He earned a trip to the NCAA individual event finals on parallel bars and just missed All-America honors with a seventh-place finish. Ryan Schwartzkopf could find himself near the top of the nation in the pommel horse this season. His personal high in the event last season was a 9.05, but after a summer of hard training, his stock could rise sharply. Matt Smith, a rings specialist, saw his first action as a Buckeye last season and will continue to contribute this year.
A trio of sophomores will challenge the juniors for team honors. Jamey Houle leads a class that surpassed expectations last season. Houle competed in every meet and just missed the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award. The all-arounder recorded his highest score of 9.100 on high bar and claimed an all-around score of 51.650 during the 2001 Big Ten Championships. Eric Van Sickle could be among the team’s best on pommel horse. He competed in every meet but one last season, recording a season high of 9.100 on pommel horse against Michigan State. Isaac Monicle did not compete last season but looks to contribute in 2002 after putting in a lot of hard work over the summer.
The Rookies
The Buckeyes have turned recruiting into an art form of sorts. The current junior class was widely regarded as the best in the nation and the 2002 freshman class has garnered many comparisons. Randy Monahan (Elizabethtown, Pa./Central Pennsylvania Academy of Gymnastics) becomes the third consecutive Junior Olympic national champion to enter Ohio State. Monahan follows in the tradition of 2000 champion Houle and 1999 champ Bhavsar. Monahan claimed the title after posting an all-around score of 54.150 in the championship.
Freshman teammate Kerry Adderly (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Metro Gymnastics) placed 18th in the J.O. competition, but is widely considered to be one of the top college prospects in the nation. Another member of the freshman class is Cody Trobaugh (Houston, Texas/Houston Gymnastics Academy). Trobaugh will be reunited with Evans, his former club teammate.
“Those three freshmen are extremely talented,” Avery said. “They’ll be fighting over who will contribute the most, which can only help our team. It’ll be fun to work with this much talent.”
Two freshmen gymnasts from the Columbus area, Phil McClellan (Amanda, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymanstics Center) and Tim Saxton (Pickerington, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center), also will join the Buckeyes this season. Their squad captured the state and regional championships last season.
2002 Preseason Coaches’ Poll first place votes in parentheses 1. Oklahoma (9) 2. Michigan (2) 3. Ohio State (3) 4. Cal-Berkeley (3) 5. Illinois 6. Penn State 7. Iowa 8. Minnesota 9. Nebraska 10. Stanford
