No. 2 Ohio State Men’s Gymnastics Returns for Meet Against No.1 Oklahoma and No. 7 California – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Feb. 14, 2006
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The No. 2 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (7-0; 5-0 Big Ten) welcomes No. 1 Oklahoma (7-0, 3-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) and No. 7 California (2-3, 1-3 MPSF) for the Buckeyes’ only tri-meet this season at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. John Arena in Columbus. The last time the three teams met for a tri-meet was Feb. 13, 2004, at St. John Arena. Ohio State finished behind both Oklahoma (219.600) and California (218.175) with a third-place score of 217.400.
“I’m looking forward to the meet this weekend,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “Anytime you have the chance to compete against a top team, like Oklahoma, it is exciting. The guys are excited and we hope to come away with another win.”
BUCKEYES WELCOME BAILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
This year, Columbus elementary schools have adopted Ohio State men’s gymnasts. In this program, the athletes visit the schools to read to and interact with the pupils. In addition, the schools are invited to attend a men’s gymnastics home meet. This week, the Buckeyes welcome Bailey Elementary School to the tri-meet to watch its adopted gymnasts, junior co-captain Nicholaus Searcy and freshman Andy Saurber.
Blaine Wilson NAMED HONORARY CAPTAIN
Former Buckeye Blaine Wilson was named honorary captain for the competition against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 7 California. At Ohio State, Wilson accumulated 10 outright Big Ten individual championships and one co-championship from 1994-97. He earned All-Big Ten every year as a Buckeye and named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year from 1995-97. He also led the 1996 Ohio State squad to an NCAA championship title. LAST TIME OUT
The then-No. 1 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team topped UIC, 205.850-204.050, Feb. 11 in Chicago. The Buckeyes combined to win four of the six events including a season high score of 34.000 on pommel horse.
Ohio State junior Kris Kline (Westerville, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center) placed second in his first all-around scoring 49.200. Kline tied teammate Willie Ito (So., Huntington Beach, Calif./South Coast Gym) for second place on pommel horse (8.650).
“As anticipated, we scored lower than in our first meets,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “We gave some of the younger guys experience and we weren’t at full strength, but we will be ready for next week against two of the top teams in the country, Oklahoma and California.” The Buckeyes swept vault with a team score of 36.750. Sophomore David Ortiz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Queen City Gymnastics) won the event with a career and season high 9.450. Jimmy Wickham (So., Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gymnastics) and co-captain Nicholaus Searcy (Jr., Dublin, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center) claimed second and third with a 9.350 and 9.050, respectively. Searcy’s 9.050 is a career high for the Buckeye on vault.
Ohio State won parallel bars with a 33.200 under the leadership of Searcy who earned a second career high of the night and first place finish on parallel bar (9.350).
On high bar, Ortiz tied teammate Grant Osborne (Jr., Fort Collins, Colo./USOTC) with a 9.400 on high bar to help the Buckeyes capture the event with a team total (34.800).
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA
Last week, the Golden Bears met Stanford for the third time this season and lost, 210.700-209.950. California started the season with a loss to Stanford, 205.65-205.55, in its season opener (Jan. 13). The team placed second of six squads at the Stanford Open (Jan. 21). The Golden Bears dropped to Stanford again at the open, 208.652-206.425, but topped MPSF rival Nebraska (198.475).
Sophomore Tim McNeill (Falls Church, Va./Capital Gymnastics) a 2005 pommel horse and vault All-American earned a spot on the U.S. National Team at the 2006 Winter Cup Challenge where he placed third on pommel horse with a combined score of 29.000. In dual competition, McNeill turned in a first-place finish on pommel horse (9.250) against Stanford. At the Stanford Open, he won parallel bars with a score of 9.100.
Tyler Block (So., Kennsington, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics) a 2005 All-American on rings, also participated at the Winter Cup Challenge for the Bears. At the Stanford Open, Block finished third on rings scoring 9.200. Last year, he won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s individual title on parallel bars (9.350) and won the event again during the team finals with a score of 9.375.
Standout freshman Kyson Bunthuwong (El Ceritto, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics) joined California and in his first meet won parallel bars with a score of 9.150 and finished second on high bar with an 8.850. He was one of four gymnasts to represent California at the Winter Cup Challenge.
BUCKEYES VS. GOLDEN BEARS
Ohio State and California are tied in the all-time series record, 3-3. Last year, the Buckeyes tied the series by beating both California and Stanford at a tri-meet with a team score 215.350, at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Feb. 12.
LOOK BACK – OHIO STATE VS. CALIFORNIA (2005)
The then No. 1 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team tallied a 215.350 to top California (214.450) and Stanford (213.950) at the Nakamori Invitational at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
Four Buckeyes captured four of the six events with then sophomore Grant Osborne leading the way with a first-place finish on pommel horse (9.400) and a third-place tie on floor (9.075). Willie Ito notched a 9.650 to claim high bar. The 2005 freshman duo of Jimmy Wickham and Pejman Ebrahimi (Granada Hills, Calif./LeClub Gym.) compiled a 9.500 and a 9.550 on vault and parallel bars, respectively to finish first and tied for first.
FOCUSING ON OKLAHOMA
The defending NCAA Champions defeated Iowa last weekend, 212.000-206.650, by winning four of six events. Oklahoma captured floor, rings, parallel bars and high bar in the dual. The Sooners opened their season by finishing first of six teams at the Rocky Mountain Open (Jan. 13) with a team score of 208.850 over MPSF rivals Nebraska (196.100) and Air Force (170.050). Oklahoma won both of its meets against Air Force (Jan. 20), 210.150-171.650, and Michigan (Jan. 27), 216.200-203.900.
Senior captain Jamie Henderson (Crosby, Texas/Houston Gymnastics Academy) helped the Sooners win five of six events at the Rocky Mountain Open with a first-place finish of 9.450 on rings. Henderson noted another first-place finish on rings against Michigan with a season-high score of 9.650. Following his performance against Michigan, Henderson was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week.
Jonathan Horton (So., Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy) began the 2006 season by winning the Rocky Mountain Open floor title for the second straight year, tallying a 9.400. Against Michigan, Horton won the all-around scoring a 54.500. He was named to the U.S. National Team after finishing second in the all-around at the Winter Cup Challenge and was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week the following week for his performance at the challenge.
BUCKEYES VS. SOONERS
Ohio State posts a slight advantage over Oklahoma, leading the all-time series, 10-9. The Buckeyes are 1-4 against the Sooners in regular season action in the past five years. Ohio State picked up its win Feb. 28, 2000, in Norman, Okla.
2005 DUAL – OHIO STATE VS. OKLAHOMA
In the last meeting, the then-No. 1 Ohio State lost to then-No. 4 Oklahoma, 222.825-222.675, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla. Against the Sooners, then freshman DJ Bucher (Mason, Ohio/Queen City Gym.) finished third on pommel horse with a 9.300. On vault, Jimmy Wickham (Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gym.) finished second recording a 9.400. Then sophomore Willie Ito (Huntington Beach, Calif./South Coast Gym.) placed first on the high bar with a 9.850.
BUCKEYE NAMED TO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM
After outstanding performances on floor and vault Feb. 4, Ohio State’s Jimmy Wickham was named to the U.S. National Team at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas. Wickham (So., Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gymnastics) was the only Buckeye to earn a spot on the national team after the Winter Cup Challenge. He topped competition on floor with a first-place finish (15.650). Wickham’s score of 15.650 was the highest score awarded on floor during the two-day challenge and .450 higher than the closest competitor.
With a two-day combined total of 32.450, Wickham is the U.S. National Champion on vault and is fourth on floor scoring 29.950.
“Jimmy was amazing,” Avery said. “After not performing well on floor on the first day of competition, he did what he needed to do on the second day in order to make the U.S. National Team.”
OHIO STATE IN THE RANKINGS
The Buckeyes’ average team score of 210.283 earns them the No. 2 spot in the nation. Ohio State leads on parallel bars (35.233) and holds second place on high bar (36.183) in the GymInfo national rankings.
Ohio State has at least two Buckeyes in the Top 10 on five of six events in the individual rankings. On floor Jimmy Wickham and freshman Eddie Hay (Butler, Pa./Butler Gymnastics) are fourth (9.233) and eighth (8.983), respectively.
Willie Ito has an 8.650 average on pommel horse for fifth in the nation and sophomore DJ Bucher holds the seventh spot on the event with an 8.525.
Two Ohio State gymnasts rank in the Top 10 on vault. Wickham is sixth (9.283) and David Ortiz is 10th (9.167) in the country on the apparatus.
Bucher and Nicholaus Searcy are in the Top 3 on parallel bars nationally. Bucher is second in the rankings with a score of 9.475. Searcy follows in third with a 9.200.
The Buckeyes have four Top 10 individual finishes on high bar. Ortiz ranks second (9.283), Ito ranks seventh (9.017) and Bucher and freshman Jake Bateman (Kingsport, Tenn./Premier Athletics) share the 10th spot (8.950).
BIG TEN SQUADS IN THE RANKINGS
All six Big Ten men’s teams placed in the Top 10 in GymInfo’s national rankings. Ohio State leads the pack with 210.283. Following the Buckeyes are No. 3 Illinois (208.587), No. 5 Michigan (207.887), No. 6 Iowa (207.575), No. 8 Penn State (206.312) and No. 9 Minnesota (203.975).
UP NEXT FOR THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State remains at home for a co-ed meet with the women’s gymnastics team against the Penn State men’s and women’s gymnastics squads. The Buckeyes play host to the Nittany Lions at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at St. John Arena.
