No. 3 Men’s Gymnastics Downs No. 8 Michigan, 214.300-212.700 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 11, 2006
Results
The No. 3 ranked Ohio State men’s gymnastics team defeated No. 8 Michigan, 214.300-212.700, Saturday at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. For the win, the Buckeyes earned 10 Top 3 finishes and won four of six events to close their season undefeated (7-0) in Big Ten action.
“I’m a little disappointed with the effort tonight,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “This meet was a step back for us because we didn’t look like a team in the running for a Big Ten championship. We have a lot of work to do this week in order to prepare for the championships.”
Ohio State’s freshmen led the squad in the first rotation. On floor, Eddie Hay (Fr., Butler, Pa./Butler Gymnastics) and Jake Bateman (Fr., Kingsport, Tenn./Premier Gymnastics) earned a 9.300 and 9.250, respectively, for second and third-place finishes. Bateman’s 9.250 notches an event career-high. Michigan’s Gerry Signorelli (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo./Mitchell H.S.) won the event with a 9.400.
With a first-place finish on pommel horse, the Buckeyes grabbed their first team event 33.600-33.100. Sophomore DJ Bucher (Mason, Ohio/Queen City Gymnastics) won pommel horse with a 9.200.
Bateman tallied his second career-high of the night and a first-place finish with a 9.400 on rings and Pedro Pineda (So. Galloway, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics) tied for second with a season-high 9.100, yet Ohio State dropped the event to Michigan, 35.900-36.200.
The Buckeyes bounced back to capture the three remaining events. On vault, Jimmy Wickham’s (So., Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gymnastics) 9.550 won the event title as Ohio State outscored its opponent 37.100-36.800. On parallel bars, sophomore Mike Marino (Ellington, Conn./Tim Daggett’s Gold Medal Gymnastics) earned a career-high 9.050 to claim his first event title this season. Bateman rounded-out the event in third with a score of 8.850. The team won the event posting a 35.150.
Two Ohio State gymnasts earned Top 3 finishes on the final apparatus to secure a 36.950-35.700 event win. David Ortiz (So., Cincinnati, Ohio/Queen City Gymnastics) placed second on high bar with a career-high 9.500 and co-captain Willie Ito (Jr., Huntington Beach, Calif./South Coast Gymnastics) placed third with a score of 9.450. Wolverine Joe Catrambone scored a 9.550 for first place.
As Ohio State closes its regular-season action, the squad gears-up for the Big Ten championships March 24-25 in Iowa City, Iowa.
