No. 1 Ohio State Gymnastics Faces No. 3 Illinois in Co-Ed Competition – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
Jan. 28, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State men’s gymnastics team plays host to Illinois in a co-ed meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. John Arena.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Standing as the No. 3 team in the nation, Illinois boasts all except one competitor from the roster of a year ago. Sophomores Adam Pummer and Justin Spring return to a squad that finished fifth in the NCAA championships and sixth in the Big Ten championships.
Spring is a two-time All-American and was a member of the USA World University Games team.
Other All-Americans back for another year with the Illinois program are Bob Rogers, Peter Shostchuk and Scott Wetterling.
Earlier in the season, the Fighting Illini took second at the Windy City, scoring a 214.425. Next, Illinois traveled to State College, Pa., where it was upset by then No. 5 Penn State, 212.775-219.150. Illinois bounced back with a victory over No. 8 Minnesota, posting a school record score of 218.900.
HEAD COACH YOSHI HAYASAKI
Yoshi Hayasaki enters his 28th year at the helm of the Fighting Illini program. Hayasaki has been a member of the Illinois staff since 1974. He served as head coach from 1974 through 1993, then took three years to manage both the men’s and women’s teams as the director of gymnastics. Upon returning to coach the men’s team in 1998 after a five- year hiatus, he led a team that failed to advance past regionals the previous year to a third-place finish at the NCAA championships. In 2000, Hayasaki was named the Central Regional Coach of the Year after leading the Orange and Blue to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships. He also earned the Honor Coach Award for his 25-plus years of service to the gymnastics coaching profession. In 2003, he led the team to fifth place finish and produced four individual All- Americans, which was the most for a UI team since 1962. A former two-time NCAA all-around champion and U.S. national champion, Hayasaki’s crowning moment at Illinois was leading the Illini to the 1989 NCAA national championship, earning his second consecutive Big Ten Coach of the Year award and regional and national coach of the year honors along the way. It was the first NCAA championship in any sport at Illinois in over 30 years.
2003 – BUCKEYES VS. ILLINI
Last season OSU defeated Illinois, 215.85-212.2 in Champaign, Ill, Feb. 1. OSU’s team score was a then-season-high. The Buckeyes posted then season highs on floor (36.35), vault (36.7), parallel bars (35.45), high bar (35.65) and all-around.
Individually, Ohio State had a winner on every event. Randy Monahan (Jr., Elizabethtown, Pa.) took first on rings and high bar with a 9.3 and 9.2, respectively. Monahan’s score on rings was a then-career high. On vault, Cody Trobaugh (Jr., Dallas Texas) scored a career-high 9.45 to place first and Ronald Ferris (So., Austintown, Ohio) posted a first-place finish on parallel bars. Ferris’ 9.15 was a career high.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup Challenge. The meet’s starting time is to be announced.
Last season, six members of the squad, along with one alumnus, competed in the competition. Junior Kerry Adderly (Orlando, Fla.) advanced to the floor event final, earning fifth place.
BUCKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
Ohio State returns to the top spot in the national rankings after spending one week at No. 2 behind then-No. 1 Penn State. The Buckeyes currently have an average team score of 215.767.
As a team, OSU is No. 1 on pommel horse with a score of 36.567. The Scarlet and Gray also hold the top spot on parallel bars (35.267) and high bar (36.717).
Ohio State is ranked third on vault with an average score of 36.500.
Individually, Willie Ito is second in the nation on pommel horse with an average score of 9.433. Randy Monahan is No. 1 on high bar (9.633) and the top all-around competitor with an average score of 55.267. Monahan also is second on vault, tallying a 9.400.
THE SWEEP
Ohio State won every event in its meet against Illinois-Chicago, Jan. 24 and individually, had a Buckeye finish in first place on all six events.
Willie Ito (Fr., Huntington Beach, Calif.) finished first on pommel horse (9.4). Randy Monahan won the floor (9.1), vault (9.45) and high bar (9.4) titles. Cody Trobaugh recorded a 9.5 to win rings and posted a 9.1 to finish first on parallel bars.
The last time the Buckeyes swept all six events was against Nebraska in 2003.
FINISHING IN THE TOP 3
The Buckeyes had at least two competitors finish in the Top 3 in all events during the Illinois -Chicago meet. On floor, Randy Monahan was first (9.1) and Jamey Houle (Sr., Enfield, Conn.) placed second (8.85). Willie Ito recorded a 9.4 on pommel horse to finish at the top spot. Houle finished third, scoring a 9.1. Cody Trobaugh captured the rings title, posting a 9.5 and Monahan scored a 9.25 to finish second. On vault, Monahan was first (9.45) and Houle recorded a career high 9.15 to place third. Ohio State swept the Top 3 spots on parallel bar, with Trobaugh finishing first with a 9.1. Second was Nicholaus Searcy (Fr., Dublin, Ohio), who scored an 8.95. Monahan was third with a 8.9. On high bar Monahan was first, posting a 9.4. Jamie Shepard (Sr., Dayton, Ohio) scored a 9.1 to finish third.
I HAVE FOUND MY NICHE
Freshman Willie Ito captured the top position on pommel horse against Illinois-Chicago. Ito’s victory on the apparatus is his third consecutive.
Earlier in the season, Ito scored a 9.250 during the Windy City and recorded a career high 9.650 in the meet against Minnesota.
TWO FOR TWO
Junior captain Randy Monahan successfully captured both Big Ten Men’s Gymnast of the Week and NCAA Men’s Gymnast of the Week accolades for the weeks Jan. 11 and Jan. 18. Monahan earned the honors for his performances in the team’s Windy City Invitational and Minnesota meets, Jan. 10 and 17.
During the Windy City, Monahan won the all-around competition with a score of 54.150 to help lead the Buckeyes to a first place finish out of six teams. Monahan also captured the rings and high bar titles, posting a then-career high 9.50 and 9.65, respectively.
Following the Buckeyes’ victory over the Golden Gophers, at St. John Arena, Monahan was again named the gymnast of the week, as he recorded a career and NCAA high 56.500 on the all-around. Monahan posted career highs in four events – pommel horse (9.550), rings (9.600), parallel bars (9.150) and high bar (9.850). Capturing first place on rings, vault and high bar, Monahan finished in the Top 3 in all events.
The award is Monahan’s third, as he also received the honor last year following the Windy City Invitational meet.
NATIONALLY RENOWNED
In addition to his Big Ten accolades, Randy Monahan also was named the national gymnast of the week by the publication Inside Gymnastics Jan. 15 and Jan. 21 for his performances at the Windy City and against Minnesota.
“It is definitely an honor to receive this award,” Monahan said. “I had a good performance at the Windy City. I hope to keep going strong throughout the rest of the season.”
RECORD SETTER
Buckeye junior Randy Monahan’s all-around score of 56.50 against Minnesota was the highest in the NCAA since the new scoring rules were implemented for the 2001 season. The previous high was 56.35, set by Daniel Furney of Oklahoma.
THREE IN A ROW
Randy Monahan is the first Buckeye since the 2001-02 campaign to win three consecutive all-around titles, as he won his third consecutive all-around in the competition against Illinois-Chicago with a score of 55.15. Previously in 2003, Monahan captured the title in the Windy City Invitational and the dual meet against Minnesota.
Monahan claimed back-to-back all-around titles in 2003 during the Windy City and Illinois-Chicago meets.
The last time a member of the Scarlet and Gray was able to win three straight all-arounds was in 2002, when former Buckeye Raj Bhavsar won five consecutive all-around titles, including the Big Ten and NCAA titles.
STEADY CONTRIBUTOR
Freshman Willie Ito steadily has made his presence felt throughout the Big Ten, as he has garnered four Top 3 finishes over OSU’s past two meets. During the Windy City Invitational, Ito finished tied for first on high bar (9.65) and in the Buckeyes’ meet against Minnesota, Ito earned first place on parallel bars with a career high 9.400.
Ito recorded a 9.25 on pommel horse at the Windy City for a third-place spot, while improving to second on pommel horse with a career-high 9.650 a week later against Minnesota.
2004 TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior Jamey Houle, along with junior Randy Monahan were voted the 2004 captains by their teammates. Both student-athletes were awarded the honor at the team’s annual tribute to past Buckeye greats in the Varsity Exhibition Jan. 3 at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility.
LAST TIME OUT-ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
Ohio State defeated No. 8 Illinois-Chicago, 214.45 – 208.15, Jan. 24 in Chicago at the UIC Physical Education Building. OSU won all six events and at least two Buckeyes finished in the Top 3 on all events.
Freshman Willie Ito finished first on pommel horse (9.4), his third consecutive victory on the event. Randy Monahan won the floor, vault and high bar titles, scoring a 9.1, 9.45 and 9.4, respectively. Cody Trobaugh recorded a 9.5 to win rings and posted a 9.1 to finish first on parallel bars.
The Buckeyes swept the Top 3 positions on parallel bars, with Trobaugh first, Nicholaus Searcy second, recording an 8.95, and Monahan third, scoring an 8.9. Senior captain Jamey Houle recorded his second career high of the season on vault, posting a 9.15. Monahan captured his third consecutive all-around title, scoring a 55.15.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
Ohio State returns two All-Americans who look to continue their success in 2004. Junior Kerry Adderly earned All-America honors on floor with a score of 9.312. Randy Monahan garnered the accolade when he placed fourth on the all-around, posting a career-high 54.55.
Both Adderly and Monahan have compiled a career total of two All-America honors.
