No. 7 Ohio State Drops, 360.55-353.05, to Defending National Champion Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Buckeyes record second-consecutive season-high team total with 353.05 points
COLUMBUS, Ohio Despite posting its second-consecutive season-best team total, the seventh-ranked Ohio State men’s gymnastics team (4-7 overall; 3-4 Big Ten) fell to No. 2 Penn State, 360.55-353.05, Sunday in St. John Arena. In addition to the Buckeyes high score, the mark of 360.55 set a new season-high team score for the Nittany Lions. The conference co-ed dual will air on tape delay on the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 and at 4 p.m. March 2.
At the meet, the junior class led Ohio State to its season-high with three event wins. Eddie Hay scored a season-best 15.75 on floor for first place,Andy Saurber had a 14.55 on pommel horse for the win and tri-captain Jake Bateman notched a season-best on parallel bars with a 15.5, recording his third first-place finish on the apparatus in 2008. Bateman took second in the all-around with a career-high 89.55 while freshman Brandon Wynn recorded season highs on four events en route to a season-high 87.0 score in the all-around for fourth place.
“We need to continue building on what we are doing in the gym during the week and translate that over to our meets every weekend,” Miles Avery, Ohio State head coach, said. “Right now, it certainly is important for us to stay healthy.”
An injury to floor and vault specialist Jimmy Wickham in the first rotation sidetracked Ohio State early in the evening. The team dropped floor to Penn State, 61.0-59.0. Hay noted the meet’s top score with a 15.75 and was followed by two Nittany Lions. Casey Sandy, who won the all-around with a 91.0, finished second with a 15.4 and Warren Yang finished third with a 15.35. Bateman had the next highest Buckeye score, tying for seventh with a 14.75.
Ohio State came out on top in rotation two, winning pommel horse, 56.15-55.65. Saurber nabbed his first-career win on the apparatus with a 14.55 as teammate Tony Duongregistered a season-best 14.3 for third. Also scoring for the Buckeyes was redshirt freshmanMichael Bell in fifth with a 13.8 and Bateman, tied for seventh, with a 13.5. Wynn scored his first of four season bests with a 12.75 on pommel horse.
Wynn had his best finish of the evening on rings, recording a season-high 15.35 for second. The rookie’s score set a new team high for 2008, surpassing Batman’s score of 15.15 notched vs. Illinois (Jan. 26). Penn State senior Tommy Ramos won the event with a season-best 15.7. For Ohio State Bateman tied conference opponent Vladi Klurman for seventh on rings with a 15.1 as the Buckeyes dropped the event, 61.6-59.65, to the Nittany Lions.
Despite missing Wickham on vault, Avery’s team kept the competition on vault close, only losing the event, 63.7-62.45. Before being pulled from the competition due to an injury sustained on floor, the senior from Gulfport, Miss., had led Ohio State on vault at each of its previous four meets. Penn State captured the Top 3 spots in the fourth rotation with Vladi Klurman leading the way with a season-best 16.25. Bateman, a native of Kingsport, Tenn., led the Buckeyes with a fourth-place finish of 15.85 while sophomore Justin Myersand Wynn tied for fifth with a 15.7. All three gymnasts registered new season-bests on the event.
On parallel bars, Bateman took first, recording his second season-high of the night with a 15.5. Freshman Wynn tallied another personal-best on parallel bars and finished third (14.75) as the squad fell, 59.05-57.2, to Penn State.
To end the evening, the Buckeyes notched a season-high team total of 58.6 on high bar but were unable to top the Nittany Lions’ score of 59.55. Tri-captain Bateman again turned in Ohio State’s top performance, finishing third with a season-high 14.85. Following in fourth was Myers, tied with Penn State’s Nick Virbitsky, with a personal-best 14.7.
Ohio State will take a bye week before hosting No. 3 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. March 8 in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes will celebrate the senior class of DJ Bucher, Duong, David Ortiz and Wickham at the dual vs. the Sooners.
