Buckeye Men’s Gymnastics Takes Second in Tri-meet – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Feb. 19, 2006
The No. 2 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (8-1; 5-0 Big Ten) dropped their first contest of the season to No. 1 Oklahoma (9-0, 4-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), 216.550-215.900, Saturday in front of a crowd of 1,185 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. No. 7 California (2-5, 1-4 MPSF) finished in third with a team total of 210.700.
The Buckeyes won three of six events. Ohio State won pommel horse (34.650), vault (37.150) and parallel bars (36.500). Oklahoma won floor (36.450), rings (38.000) and high bar (36.900).
“It was a very good meet,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “We (Ohio State and Oklahoma) definitely are the Top 2 teams in the country. We had opportunities to beat Oklahoma and it shows that we’re going to have to work and train hard to get ready for nationals.”
On floor, freshman Eddie Hay (Butler, Pa./Butler Gymnastics) led the Buckeyes with a first-place finish and career high 9.550.
Junior co-captain Willie Ito (Huntington Beach, Calif./South Coast Gymnastics) took third on pommel horse tallying an 8.950. Oklahoma’s Jamie Henderson won the event scoring a 9.150 and California’s Tim McNeil placed second with a 9.000.
DJ Bucher (So., Mason, Ohio/Queen City Gymnastics) was the top finisher for Ohio State on rings with a 9.150. Oklahoma won the event by capturing first and second place. Jonathan Horton took first with a 9.850 and Jamie Henderson placed second with a 9.650. California’s Tyler Block rounded out the Top 3 with a 9.550 for third.
Jimmy Wickham (So., Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gymnastics) earned first place on vault and tallied a career high 9.650. The Buckeyes captured vault with six performances earning a 9.000 or above. On parallel bars, Ohio State claimed first and third. Bucher won the event tallying a 9.550 and Ito took third with a 9.200. California’s McNeil earned second with a score of 9.250.
The high bar proved to be a challenge for most of the Buckeyes, although Ito earned a 9.600 to tie the Sooners’ Horton for first. The Golden Bears’ McNeil rounded out the Top 3 with a 9.350 finish on the event.
The Buckeyes remain at home for a co-ed meet with the Ohio State 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.
