No. 1 Ohio State Men’s Gymnastics Begins Season at Windy City Invitational – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 8, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s gymnastics team commences its regular season schedule with a trip to Chicago for the Windy City Invitational at 8 p.m. EST in the UIC Physical Education Building.
Big Ten schools, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota, along with host school Illinois-Chicago, compete in the annual competition.
2004 TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Jamey Houle (Sr., Enfield, Conn.) and Jamie Shepard Sr., Dayton, Ohio), along with junior Randy Monahan (Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa.), were voted the 2004 captains by their teammates. All three student-athletes were awarded the honor at the team’s annual tribute to past Buckeye greats in the Varsity Exhibition Jan. 3 at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility.
BUCKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
The Ohio State men’s gymnastics team was ranked first in the coaches preseason Top 15 poll. The Buckeyes garnered nine of the 14 first-place votes to edge out two-time defending national champion Oklahoma.
“It’s nice to receive the respect from the coaches by them voting for us,” Miles Avery, OSU head coach, said.
“They realize we have most of our team back and have added impressive freshmen.”
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in their home opener at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 in St. John Arena.
Last year vs. Minnesota OSU’s Randy Monahan scored a 9.275 on high bar to win the event and former Buckeye Dick Huntwork set season records on all-around (52.975), floor (9.525) and pommel horse (8.5).
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
Ohio State returns two All-Americans who look to continue their success in 2004. Junior Kerry Adderly (Orlando, Fla.) earned All-America honors on floor with a score of 9.312. Randy Monahan garnered the accolade when he placed fourth on the all-around, posting a career-high 54.55.
Both Adderly and Monahan have compiled a career total of two All-America honors.
2003 WINDY CITY INVITATIONAL
Ohio State finished first in the 2003 Windy City Invitational, posting a score of 213.0. The Buckeyes won every event in the meet, with the exception of vault where they placed second.
Randy Monahan started the 2003 season strong, winning the all-around with a career-high 53.85. Monahan also set a career high on vault with a 9.35.
Senior Jamey Houle tied career highs on pommel horse and set a new personal all-around mark of 51.75, which placed him third.
Cody Trobaugh (Jr., Dallas, Texas) posted career records on floor (8.55), rings, (8.80) and parallel bar (8.8).
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Standing as the No. 3 team in the nation, Illinois returns all except one competitor from the roster of a year ago. Sophomores Adam Pummer and Justin Spring return to a squad that finished fifth in the NCAA championships and sixth in the Big Ten championships.
Spring is a two-time All-American and was a member of the USA World University World Games team.
Other All-Americans back for another year with the Illinois program are Bob Rogers, Peter Shostchuk and Scott Wetterling.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. FIGHTING ILLINI
Last season OSU defeated Illinois, 215.85-212.2 in Champaign, Ill.; OSU’s team score was a then-season-high. The Buckeyes posted season-highs on floor (36.35), vault (36.7), parallel bars (35.45), high bar (35.65) and all-around.
Individually, Ohio State had an competitor on every event. Randy Monahan took first on rings and high bar with a 9.3 and 9.2, respectively. Monahan’s score on rings was a then-career high. On vault, Cody Trobaugh scored a career-high 9.45 to place first and Ronald Ferris (So., Austintown, Ohio) posted a first-place finish on parallel bars. Ferris’ 9.15 was a career high.
SCOUTING IOWA
No. 6 Iowa enters the 2004 season with 11 lettermen returning. Of the 11, All-American and Big Ten high bar champion Linas Gaveika will lead the Hawkeyes, along with All-American Michael Reavis.
The Hawkeyes completed the 2003 campaign 7-6 and finished third in the Big Ten championships and sixth in the NCAA championships.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. HAWKEYES
OSU was victorious over Iowa when the teams last met March 9, 2002 at St. John Arena. The Buckeyes compiled a score of 217.225, while the Hawkeyes posted a 213.600.
Jamey Houle won the high bar with a season-high 9.150 and Randy Monahan placed first in all-around competition with a season-high 52.850.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
As the No. 4 team in the country, Michigan will rely heavily on its young class to guide the Wolverines to a bid into the NCAA championships.
Sophomore Andrew DiGiore is the reigning Big Ten and NCAA champion on vault. Other key members of the 2004 squad include 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Justin Laury and junior captain Chris Gatti.
Last season the Wolverines finished fourth in both the Big Ten and NCAA championships.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. WOLVERINES
OSU topped Michigan, 221.2-214.35, at St. John Arena. The Buckeyes score was a season high. Ohio State posted season highs on rings with a 38.25 points, vault with a 37.55 and parallel bars with a 36.35.
Kerry Adderly placed first on floor with a score of 9.4. Randy Monahan posted season and career highs on vault and high bar with scores of 9.55 and 9.45, respectively.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Voted as the No. 8 team in the nation, Minnesota has a key returnee in junior Guillermo Alvarez. Alvarez was named to the 2003 All-Big Ten team for the second consectutive season for his performances in the all-around. He also garnered Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors a conference-high three times.
After finishing fifth in the Big Ten championships, the Golden Gophers will look to junior Clinton Mays and senior Mitch Griffin to lead the team to the Big Ten and NCAA championships.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. GOPHERS
Ohio State fell to Minnesota, 211.975-215.575 in Minneapolis, Minn., March 9, 2003. OSU topped Minnesota on floor, 37.255-37.025, and vault, 37.625-37.225. The Buckeyes posted a then-season high on floor.
Randy Monahan placed first on high bar, scoring a 9.275.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
With the core of the team returning, No. 14 Illinois-Chicago looks to climp atop the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Key returnees include junior Neil Faustino, senior Matt Musielak and sophomore Nick Stavros.
Faustino completed the 2003 ECAC championships with a second place finish in the all-around. Faustino recently competed in the 22nd Southeast Asian Games in Ha Noi, Vietnam, where he earned a gold medal on rings.
Musielak was the 2003 ECAC high bar champion and Stavros looks to continue his success following a strong freshman campaign.
The Flames finished fourth at the ECAC championships and had 11 student-athletes qualify for the 2003 NCAA championships.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. FLAMES
The Buckeyes posted a win over Illinois-Chicago, 210.65-207.6 in St. John Arena Jan. 25, 2003 in the school’s home opener.
Randy Monahan tallied 52.95 points and took first place in the all-around competition.
Kerry Adderly had then-career records on rings (8.95) and parallel bars (9.0).
WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME
Former Buckeye Michael Evans is beginning his first year as the student undergraduate assistant coach at OSU. Evans was a four-year letterwinner for Ohio State (2000 – ’03) and therefore is familiar with the Buckeye program.
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Evans is working toward a degree in business marketing.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Ohio State boasts five freshmen who will make an immediate impact on the 2004 Buckeye squad.
Kristopher Kline (Fr., Westerville, Ohio) is a four-time national gymnastics qualifier and was coached by former Buckeye Mike Serra at Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center.
Also an alum of Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center and a protege of Serra, Billy Baker (Fr., Zanesville, Ohio) was the state champion in the all-around and the high bar in 2000. Baker also was a member of the Junior Olympic national team and a six-time national qualifier.
Willie Ito comes to Ohio State having participated on the U.S. Junior National Team (1999-’03) where he was the all-around champion in 2000. Ito also was a four-time high bar junior national champion and a three-time parallel bars junior national champion. He is currently training for a spot on the Olympic and world championship teams.
As a member of the junior national team (1999-’00) and (2001-’03), Grant Osborne has trained at the U.S.O.T.C in Colorado, Springs, Colo. After qualifying for the U.S. national championships for the sixth consectutive year (1998-’03), Osborne has placed as high as second in the all-around competition (2002).
Redshirt freshman Jahir Johnson (Fr., Toledo, Ohio) is a six-time regional qualifier and a three-time national qualifier. Johnson also has participated in both the Class IV and VI Ohio Championships, where he captured the all-around titles.
LAST TIME OUT- SCARLET AND GRAY INTRASQUAD
For the intrasquad competition, the team was divided into two groups, scarlet and gray, and competed in all five events. When the scores were tallied, the scarlet team prevailed over the gray, 81.8 – 80.775.
Willie Ito (Fr., Huntington Beach, Calif.) executed the highest scoring performance with a 9.25 on pommel horse for the gray team. Grant Osborne (Fr., Fort Collins, Colo.), of the scarlet team, posted a team high of 8.95 on pommel horse.
“We definitely saw some signs of excellence today, but at the same time we know there are things we need to work on,” Doug Stibel, men’s gymnastics assistant coach, said.
2004 PROMOTIONAL CALENDAR
Throughout the men’s gymnastics home schedule, fans can enjoy group packages at discounted prices. Offers are valid on tickets and concession items. As well during the Penn State meet, the final home competition of the season, any gymnastics club attending will have the opportunity to register to win a piece of gymnastics equipment.
FIND OUT ON THE WEB
Keep track of the latest men’s gymnastics news, scores and stats by logging on to the official Ohio State athletic website at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
