Two-Time Defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State Men’s Gymnastics Looks to Win Third-Consecutive Conference Crown – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 27, 2007
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Columbus, Ohio – Ranked No. 1 for the first time this season, the Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (7-4 overall) enters the 2007 Big Ten Championships with a 2-1 conference dual record. The league championships will be held at 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minn.
“Obviously, we are glad to be considered one of the favorites going into the championships,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “This was the focus the whole year. We wanted to be at our best for the Big Ten Championships.”
The Buckeyes will look to record a first in OSU history by winning a third conference title in as many years. Avery’s squads have won back-to-back conference crowns twice during his tenure. With Avery at the helm, Ohio State won Big Ten championships in 2001 and ’02 and again repeated as champs in ’05 and ’06. The Scarlet and Gray first accomplished the feat in 1993 and ’94 season, as well as in ’96 and ’97.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR APRIL 12-14
Tickets for the 2007 NCAA men’s gymnastics championships (April 12-14), hosted by Penn State at Rec Hall, are available for sale through the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office and www.GoPSUsports.com. Fans can purchase tickets for a single session or a package that includes all four sessions of the championship.
All-session ticket prices for adults and youth are $28 and $16, respectively. Single session tickets for Thursday are $8 (adult) and $5 (youth) while single day tickets for Friday and Saturday sessions are $12 (adult) and $6 (youth). Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a single session discount of $3. The NCAA Championships kick off April 12, with two qualifying sessions. The first session will begin at 1 p.m. and session two will start at 7 p.m. The team finals will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 13, and the event finals will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday.
THREE BUCKEYE TEAMS OWN TOP RANKING PRIOR TO CHAMPIONSHIPS
The men’s gymnastics team joins Ohio State football and men’s basketball as all three teams have noted the top seat in their respective polls before entering into postseason action. With a 7-4 overall record, Avery’s squad moved into the No. 1 spot for the first time in the 2007 season after defeating then-No.1 Michigan, 220.5-215.85, March 17 at St. John Arena. The men’s basketball team moved to the top of the coaches poll after its win over Minnesota (Feb. 18) and earned the No. 1 ranking in both the AP and coaches polls after downing Wisconsin (Feb. 24). In the fall, Buckeye football was first in the national polls for the entire season.
OHIO STATE CONTROLS HOME FLOOR
Avery’s squad closed out Big Ten action with a 2-1 record after dealing then-No. 1 Michigan its first dual loss of 2007 with a season-high team score, 220.5-215.85. The Buckeyes won all events but floor at the meet and noted season highs on pommel horse (36.35), vault (36.3), parallel bars (37.1) and high bar (37.3).
Ohio State received a big performance from junior DJ Bucher as he captured first on all three of his events (pommel horse, rings and parallel bars) for the second time this season. Following the meet, Bucher was named the NCAA Division I National Gymnast of the Week by the College Gymnastics Association and the Big Ten Gymnast of the Week. At the conference challenge, the Buckeye came in first on pommel horse (9.3), rings (9.5) and parallel bars (9.65).
The Buckeyes recorded a 2-0 record at St. John Arena this season. The squad noted two of its Top 3 team scores in front of its home crowd, including a season-high 220.5 vs. the Wolverines. The score was Ohio State’s highest since the 2005 NCAA Championships (225.450). At the 2007 home opener, Avery’s team defeated his alma mater Temple Feb. 3, 216.35-198.55, and noted its third highest team total.
ALL-AROUND CALIBER – ITO NAMED NISSEN-EMERY AWARD FINALIST
Willie Ito was named to a field of eight seniors for the Nissen-Emery Award by the College Gymnastics Association. Each year, the Nissen-Emery Award is presented to the nation’s outstanding senior male collegiate gymnast. The winner will be announced at the NCAA/CGA banquet April 11 in University Park, Pa., and marks the start of the NCAA championship weekend. Ito is the first Buckeye finalist since volunteer assistant coach Randy Monahan was nominated in 2005.
2007 NISSEN-EMERY AWARD FINALISTS
Jack Bouchard – Iowa
Brain Carr – Oklahoma
Matt Cohen – Penn State
Peter Derman – Stanford
Willie Ito – Ohio State
Justin Laury – Michigan
Jake Lee – Minnesota
Tim Morrison – UIC
OSU NISSEN-EMERY AWARD WINNERS
2001 – Jamie Natalie
1997 – Blaine Wilson
1994 – Kip Simons
1990 – Mike Racanelli
BEST IN THE NATION – MARCH 19
As the team moved into its first-place ranking, junior DJ Bucher rocketed into the spotlight as well. After taking first on all three of his events (pommel horse, rings and parallel bars), Bucher was voted the NCAA Division I National Gymnast of the Week as announced by the College Gymnastics Association March 19. In addition, the Mason, Ohio, native nabbed his second Big Ten Gymnast of the week laurel.
“It’s DJ’s consistency that makes him so important to this Ohio State team,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “He is one of the best gymnasts in the nation on his three events almost every night.”
Bucher’s first-place marks on pommel horse, rings and parallel bars were Big Ten bests on all three events for the week of March 12. On pommel horse, the junior grabbed his third event title of the year with a season-high 9.3. Bucher’s success continued as he tied Ohio State teammate Jake Bateman on rings with a first-place 9.5 to garner his third win on the apparatus this season. The Buckeye ended the night in first on parallel bars with a 9.65 and collected his fourth win.
So far, Bucher has noted two or more event wins in four of six OSU competitions. This is the first national award for the junior and the first for a Buckeye since volunteer assistant coach Randy Monahan won the weekly award in 2004.
TAKING OVER AT NO. 1
With a three-score average of 216.867, Ohio State stole the No. 1 ranking from its conference foe Michigan March 19. The Wolverines, who maintained the nation’s top average in the GymInfo rankings from Jan. 22 through March 12, slipped to No. 2 with a 216.8. Oklahoma improved to third (216.667), Stanford ended its season in fourth (215.993) and No. 5 Penn State dropped out of the nation’s Top 3 for the first time all season with a 215.883.
The Buckeyes share the No. 1 average on pommel horse (35.467) with Penn State and own No.1 averages on rings (37.683) and parallel bars (36.967). OSU has been impressive on parallel bars securing individual event wins on the apparatus at every meet this season. Junior DJ Bucher has won the event four times, Willie Ito has won twice and Nicholaus Searcy has won once. On the remaining three events, Ohio State holds fifth on floor (36.833), fifth on high bar (36.05) and sixth on vault (35.117).
FIVE BUCKEYES IN THE TOP 5
Individually, five Ohio State gymnasts own top averages on five events. Nissen-Emery Award finalist Willie Ito ranks fourth in the nation on all three of his events (pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar). On pommel horse, Ito has a 9.083 average and trails just behind Michigan’s Nissen-Emery finalist Justin Laury in third with a 9.1. The senior is tied with classmate Nicholaus Searcy for fourth on parallel bars (9.417) and holds fourth on high bar with a 9.283. Junior DJ Bucher leads the Buckeyes on parallel bars and ranks second in the country with a 9.553 average. Bucher is only .017 points behind Wolverine Andrew Elkind. For the Buckeyes on rings, Bucher holds the No. 3 spot in the rankings with a 9.55 and freshman Tai Lee is in fifth place (9.5). Junior Jimmy Wickham is the sole OSU gymnast to crack the Top 5 rankings on vault. Wickham is tied with David Sender of Stanford for second on vault (9.1).
CONFERENCE RANKINGS ROUNDUP
The Big Ten Conference squads enter the league championships with Ohio State leading the pack. In first, the Buckeyes own a 216.867 and are followed by Michigan (216.8) at No. 2 and Penn State in third (215.883). Minnesota (212.933), Illinois (212.35) and Iowa (207.517) round out the bottom half of the six team rankings in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
LEE AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS
In his freshman campaign, Tai Lee (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Metro Gymnastics) has scored a 9.35 or more and has won twice on rings in six Buckeye meets. In a standout performance, rings specialist Lee earned a career-high 9.75 for first place at Oklahoma. He ranks fifth on the apparatus in the national rankings with a 9.5 three-score average as of March 19. The only other freshman ranked in the country’s Top 20 gymnasts on rings is teammate Shachar Tal at 19th.
Lee also leads NCAA freshmen in the all-around ranking sixth (51.6) and holds the No. 2 rookie average on high bar (9.017) in the GymInfo rankings. Among his conference counterparts, the Buckeye owns the third-best average on parallel bars, fifth on pommel horse, seventh on vault and 11th on floor.
BUCKEYES IN POST SEASON ACTION
Since 1987, Ohio State has earned a Top 3 finish at the Big Ten Championships every year including nine first-place finishes. Under head coach Miles Avery, the Buckeyes have won four Big Ten titles in 2001, ’02, ’05 and ’06. Ohio State owns 11 conference team championships to date. Its first league title came in 1983 when OSU tied Illinois for first with a 276.65 team total in Iowa City, Iowa. Illinois leads the conference with 23 team championships. Of the remaining Big Ten programs, Minnesota notes 21 team titles, Michigan owns 14, Ohio State holds 11, Iowa has seven and Penn State has one.
The Buckeye program notes 66 Big Ten individual champions. Last year, Willie Ito grabbed the high bar title. Ohio State has had a gymnast win the high bar title the past three years. Former-Buckeye Ronald Ferris captured the event in 2004 and ’05. DJ Bucher also won on pommel horse at the 2006 championships. Three-time Olympian Blaine Wilson still owns the most Big Ten individual career titles overall with 11.
AT THE HELM – OSU COACHES POCKET LEAGUE HONORS
For the fourth time in nine seasons, Miles Avery was tabbed Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2006, an honor he shared with Iowa head coach Tom Dunn. Since the award was first presented in 1988, a Buckeye coach has received the laurel eight times, the most for any conference program. Peter Kormann earned the award in 1993, ’94, ’96, and ’97 and Avery was tabbed coach of the year in 2001, ’02, ’05 and ’06.
FIRST YEAR WONDERS
Jake Bateman was named the 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year to become the fifth Buckeye to receive the honor and the first since the 2000 season when former-Buckeye Raj Bhavsar earned the recognition. Ohio State and Minnesota are tied with a league-high five freshman of the year honors since 1988. Kip Simmons was the first OSU gymnast to garner the award in 1991.
OSU FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
1991 Kip Simmons
1994 Blaine Wilson
1996 Tim Elsner
2000 Raj Bhavsar
2006 Jake Bateman
2006 BIG TEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS IN REVIEW
In Iowa City, Iowa, then-ranked No. 3 Buckeyes won their second-consecutive conference title with a score of 215.625 to notch the program’s 11th team title. Illinois finished behind the Buckeyes with a second-place score of 214.800 and No. 7 Iowa rounded out the Top 3 with a 213.750. In fourth, fifth and sixth were Michigan (210.775), Penn State (210.250) and Minnesota (205.500), respectively.
“We won back-to-back Big Ten championships and that’s something to be proud of,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said.
The Buckeyes started the championships on pommel horse, the sport’s toughest event. Then-sophomore DJ Bucher paced Ohio State on pommel horse with a first-place 9.1 and co-captain Willie Ito added a season-high 8.7 for sixth place. In the second rotation, Pedro Pineda led the squad on rings with a season-high 9.175 to tie Michigan’s Phil Goldberg for fifth.
Still trailing the competition, Ohio State vaulted to second place after the team earned a 36.95 on vault in the third rotation. Five of six Buckeyes earned scores above 9.0 on vault to catapult the team in the standings. Kristopher Kline notched a career-high 9.3 on vault, as did Jake Bateman to lead Ohio State. David Ortiz scored a 9.2 and Jimmy Wickham and co-captain Nicholaus Searcy tallied 9.15s.
On parallel bars, Avery’s team had a 35.55 as Bucher had the highest Buckeye finish in third (9.4). Ohio State moved into first after scoring a team total 36.45 on high bar. Ito won the event title on high bar with 9.5 and Ortiz tied for second with a 9.45. The Buckeyes won the final rotation of the championship (37.15), as four of five Buckeyes again scored above a 9.0 on floor. Wickham tied for second on the event and earned the highest score on floor for the Buckeyes with a 9.55. Then-freshman Eddie Hay posted a 9.3, Bateman tied his career-high on floor with a 9.25 and Kline tallied his second career-high of the night with a 9.05.
2006 BIG TEN INDIVIDUAL BUCKEYE HONORS
At the individual championship finals Bucher and Ito claimed event wins on pommel horse and high bar, respectively. Both gymnasts were named to the 2006 Big Ten All-Conference team.
At the closing of the championships, Bateman won the 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. The honor was the first for an Ohio State gymnast since the 2000 season when former-Buckeye Raj Bhavsar earned the recognition.
“It was great,” Bateman said. “Just to know how many great gymnasts have passed through the Ohio State program it is an honor to receive the award.”
Ohio State head coach Miles Avery shared the 2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year award with Iowa head coach Tom Dunn. It was his second-consecutive coach of the year award and fourth in his Ohio State career. Avery also earned the honor in ’01 and ’02.
UP NEXT FOR OHIO STATE
After the Big Ten Championships, Ohio State returns to Columbus to ready for the 2007 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships April 12-14 at Rec Hall located on Penn State’s campus. Teams from the Big Ten, Eastern College Athletic Conference and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation are automatic qualifiers for the 65th NCAA championships.
