Ohio State Gymnast Qualifies for VISA USA Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
July 16, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio – At the USA Gymnastics national championships qualifier Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo., Ohio State senior Kristopher Kline (Westerville, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center) was the lone Buckeye to qualify for the 2006 VISA USA Championships. Kline will be joined at the national meet by former Ohio State gymnast Raj Bhavsar (2000-03), who also qualified for the national championships slated for Aug.16-19 in St. Paul Minn.
Kline finished in the Top 10 on three of four events he competed in during the second session of competition. The Buckeye earned a 14.90 on floor (6th), 14.10 on pommel horse (t-10th) and 15.55 on vault (4th). On rings, Kline finished with a 13.45 (25th).
“I’m really pleased with the way Kristopher (Kline) focused on this competition,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “He stepped up and proved he could compete on the national level.”
Junior Jimmy Wickham (Gulfport, Miss./Planet Gymnastics) suffered a broken arm during his floor routine in the first session of the national qualifier. He scored a 14.00 on floor for a fifth-place finish. Already a U.S. National Team member, Wickham was pre-qualified for the national championships.
The remaining current Buckeyes who competed at the national qualifier, Nicholaus Searcy (Sr., Dublin, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center), Pedro Pineda (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center) and Eddie Hay (So., Butler, Pa./Butler Gymnastics), did not qualify for the August championships.
Bhavsar qualified after ending the second session of competition with three Top 3 finishes on pommel horse (second), rings (third) and parallel bars (third). Former Ohio State gymnast Ronald Ferris also competed at the qualifier on floor and high bar but did not advance to the next round of competition.
USA Gymnastics Visa Championships National Qualifier
July 15, 2006
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Session I Wickham Floor 14.00 (5)
Session II Bhavsar Pommel horse 14.80 (2) Rings 15.40 (3) Vault 15.10 (12) Parallel bars 15.25 (3)
Ferris Floor 13.10 (28) High Bar 13.15 (20)
Hay Floor 13.75 (25)
Kline Floor 14.90 (6) Pommel horse 14.10 (10t) Rings 13.45 (25) Vault 15.55 (4)
Pineda Pommel horse 10.50 (32) Rings 13.55 (24) Parallel bars 12.25 (32)
Searcy Vault 14.80 (16) Parallel bars 14.15 (19T)
