No. 1 Men’s Gymnastics Meets Japan All-Stars in Exhibition – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 1, 2005
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (10-1-1; 5-1-1 Big Ten) will face the Japan All-Stars in an co-ed exhibition meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes will resume regular-season action when they travel to Norman, Okla., to face No. 4 Oklahoma (8-1; 5-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) at 8 p.m. EST Saturday.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
The Ohio State men’s gymnastics meet vs. Michigan has been re-scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday March 13.
A LOOK AT THE JAPAN ALL-STARS
Japan College All-Star Team
Yusuke Kojima
Yuki Yamaguchi
Kenya Kobayashi
Aoi Watanabe
Hiroaki Kusu
Koichiro Kinoshita
Ryosuke Baba
Kazuki Mizutori
Represented by eight collegiate gymnasts, the men’s Japan All-Star team boasts two competitors that were a part of the college championship team at the All Japan college championships. Five of the eight team members have placed in the Top 3 on different events at either the All Japan college championships or the Eastern College championships.
The squad competed in exhibition meets vs. Temple (Feb. 26) and Penn State (March 1) and will conclude its tour of the United States against Illinois and Northern Illinois March 6.
A GLIMPSE AT OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma started out strong by defeating Nebraska, Air Force, Washington and Arizona State to win the Rocky Mountain Open. In its first dual meet of the season, OU fell to No. 3 Michigan, 222.275-219.050, but rebounded with four-consecutive dual meet victories over Air Force, Nebraska (twice) and Minnesota.
Pacing the Sooners is freshman Jonathan Horton. The 2004 U.S. National Team member has finished first on at least one event in every meet this season, including placing first on two events in the Rocky Mountain Open and vs. Air Force and Nebraska.
Mark Williams was named head coach of Oklahoma in 2000 and produced immediate results with the Sooners winning the 2002 and 2003 national championships.
Williams has guided the Sooners to four conference titles, in addition to being named Coach of the Year by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation during that same time period. Williams also has been named NCAA National Coach of the Year twice. As the first coach in NCAA history to win two national titles in his first four years as head coach, Williams reached the 90-win mark (117-11 career) faster than any other coach in NCAA history and owns the highest winning percentage of any active NCAA coach at 91 percent.
BUCKEYES VS. SOONERS
This is the 19th meeting between Ohio State and Oklahoma. The Buckeyes own a two-meet advantage over the Sooners, including a 5-0 record vs. OU in dual competition since 1993.
A LOOK BACK – OKLAHOMA (2004)
Then-No. 1 Ohio State fell to then-No. 4 Oklahoma and then-No. 2 California Feb. 13, 2004 at St. John Arena. The Sooners recorded a 219.600 to claim first place, while the Golden Bears tallied 218.175 to finish second. The Buckeyes had a score of 217.400 to place third.
The Buckeyes claimed two events, scoring a 36.65 on rings and a 37.15 on vault.
Junior Randy Monahan captured his fifth all-around title of the season, scoring a 54.650. Monahan also claimed the rings title with a score of 9.650. Ronald Ferris recorded a 9.5 on pommel horse to finish first. Kerry Adderly scored two season highs, as he posted a 9.4 on both vault and high bar. A 9.2 on floor was enough for Cody Trobaugh to record his fourth career high of the season.
LAST TIME OUT – PENN STATE
Ohio State defeated No. 4 Penn State, 222.075-215.5, Feb. 26 at the Recreation Building in University Park, Pa.
OSU started out strong, outscoring PSU by more than a point (37.050-35.725) on floor. The Buckeyes swept the event with senior Randy Monahan leading the way with a first-place 9.55. Cody Trobaugh came in second, scoring a 9.35 and Grant Osborne rounded out the Top 3 with a score of 9.15 for a third-place tie.
The Buckeyes continued their success on the next two events, claiming the Top 3 spots on pommel horse and rings. Ronald Ferris was first on pommel horse, recording a 9.475 to help the Buckeyes to a 36.425-34.4 lead on the apparatus. Freshman DJ Bucher and Osborne finished second and third, notching a 9.3 and a 9.25, respectively. Monahan captured his second event of the night on rings when he compiled a 9.725 for first. Bucher and Trobaugh followed, tied for second, scoring a 9.6 a piece. The sweep pushed Ohio State ahead on the event by .85 points (38.025-37.175)
With three rotations remaining, the Buckeyes held a 111.50-107.3 advantage over the Nittany Lions. PSU won its only event of the meet on vault, where it outscored OSU, 37.35-37.0. Monahan was the top finisher for Ohio State with a second-place and season-high 9.5. Freshman Pejman Ebrahimi came in third, scoring a 9.35.
The Buckeyes rebounded with win on parallel bars, outscoring Penn State, 35.725-33.650. Bucher won his third-consecutive parallel bars competition and his fifth total on the season, recording a 9.725. Nicholaus Searcy finished second, notching a 9.3.
Ohio State claimed the final rotation of the evening, 37.85-37.2. Sophomore Willie Ito triumphed on the event for the third-consecutive meet, recording a 9.8. Monahan tied for second with a score of 9.55.
BUCKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
The Buckeyes are the nation’s leaders on four events – floor (36.825), pommel horse (37.067), rings (38.067) and high bar (37.558). OSU is third on parallel bars, averaging 36.550 points and is fourth on vault (37.058).
Individually, DJ Bucher is first on parallel bars, averaging 9.733 points and Randy Monahan is the top rings competitor, tallying 9.767 points. Monahan also is second and fourth in the nation on high bar (9.683) and floor (9.5), respectively. Placing third and fourth on high bar is Willie Ito and Ronald Ferris, scoring a 9.667 and 9.533, respectively. Ferris also is the Buckeyes’ top pommel horse performer, compiling a 9.55 for third place.
IN THE BIG TEN
As they are nationally, the Buckeyes are the Big Ten leaders on floor, pommel horse, rings and high bar. OSU is second on parallel bars and fourth on vault.
Randy Monahan and DJ Bucher are Ohio State’s top performers in the league, with Monahan placing first on rings (9.767) and Bucher first on parallel bars (9.733). Monahan also is second in the conference on high bar, averaging 9.683 points. Sophomore Willie Ito and junior Ronald Ferris follow Monahan with third (9.667) and fourth-place (9.533) rankings on the event. Ferris is the top Buckeye on pommel horse, placing third, with an average of 9.55 points.
SURGING FORWARD
Ohio State continued its record breaking season when it posted an all-time team best score of 223.975 against Nebraska Feb. 18. In addition to its record team score, the Buckeyes notched a Buckeye team record on pommel horse with a score of 38.6. The tally stands as the top team score on any apparatus since new scoring rules were implemented in 2001.
BUCKEYES IN THE RECORD BOOK
Junior Ronald Ferris and sophomore Willie Ito re-wrote the Ohio State record books during the meet against Nebraska Feb. 18. Ferris and Ito recorded all-time records, with Ferris compiling a 9.925 on high bar and Ito tallying a 9.9 on pommel horse.
With the 9.925, Ferris is tied with teammate Randy Monahan for the best score on an apparatus. Earlier in the 2005 season, Monahan notched a 9.925 on rings vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 22).
With his score of 9.9 on pommel horse, Ito surpassed his former OSU record of 9.675, re corded vs. Illinois Jan. 29. The career and Ohio State best marks the third time Ito has beaten his own score. Ito tied former Buckeye Ryan Schwartzkopf’s record of 9.65 last season vs. Minnesota (Jan. 17).
RAJ BHAVSAR NAMED VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH
Former Ohio State men’s gymnast Raj Bhavsar was named a volunteer assistant coach of the Ohio State men’s gymnastics team head coach Miles Avery announced. Bhavsar joins the coaching staff led by Avery and assistants Arnold Kvetenadze and Doug Stibel.
“It’s a great honor to be named a volunteer coach,” Bhavsar said. “It’s my way of giving back to the program and hopefully I will be able to give this team a little extra edge to win a national championship this year.”
“We are happy to have such a high-level, high-caliber and world-class gymnast in this position,” Avery said. “It’s great he wants to do this for us and give back to the program. He will be able to motivate the guys with his competitive style and intensity.
SAVING THE BEST FOR THE ROAD
With its mark of 223.4 vs. Illinois Jan. 29, Ohio State recorded the highest team score in the NCAA on the road since 2000.
The record previously was held by Penn State, who tallied a 221.875 at Oklahoma.
HOLDING STRONG
Freshman DJ Bucher compiled the highest score of the meet vs. Illinois when he tallied a first-place 9.85 on rings. Bucher also was the only gymnast to score above a 9.7 on two events, as he scored a 9.725 on parallel bars.
WHO’S THE FRESHMAN?
In his first collegiate meet, freshman DJ Bucher re-wrote the Ohio State men’s gymnastics record book with his 9.85 and first-place parallel bars finish at the Windy City Invitational. The Mason, Ohio, native owns the individual OSU record on parallel bars, surpassing Raj Bhavsar’s 9.650, which he tallied at the 2001 NCAA Championships. Both scores are records under the scoring system implemented after the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
TAKING CHARGE
OSU has swept all six events in three meets this season. Ohio State claimed every event against No. 9 Minnesota Jan. 15. In the win over then-No. 12 Illinois-Chicago, the Buckeyes continued their streak, winning each event. Recently, vs. No. 11 Nebraska, the Buckeyes claimed each event and recorded an OSU all-time best 38.6 on pommel horse.
Last season, Ohio State swept all six events only once (Illinois-Chicago).
2005 CAPTAINS
Seniors Randy Monahan and Cody Trobaugh were selected team captains for the 2005 season by their teammates.
The honor is the first for Trobaugh and the second for Monahan. The Elizabethtown, Pa., native served as co-captain last season.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will conclude its home schedule vs. No. 3 Michigan at 1 p.m. March 13 at St. John Arena.
Seniors Randy Monahan and Cody Trobaugh will be honored prior to the meet for their accomplishments during the past four years.
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.
