Michigan
NCAA East Regional
U-M Tumblers Roll to NCAA Berth
4/10/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Site: Champaign, Ill. (Huff Hall)
Event: NCAA East Regional Championships
U-M Team Finish: 2nd of 7 teams (231.050)
Next U-M Event: April 22-24 -- NCAA Championships (Lincoln, Neb.)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- For the first time since 1975, the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team is headed to the NCAA Championships.
Head coach Kurt Golder's squad secured a spot in the 1999 NCAA meet with a second-place finish at Saturday's (April 10) NCAA East Regional, hosted by the University of Illinois. The top-ranked Wolverines posted their second-best team score of the season (231.050) but were edged by No. 2 Ohio State (231.100) for the team title.
Fourth-ranked Penn State (229.550) placed third to earn the region's final spot in the NCAA Championships, scheduled for April 22-24 at the University of Nebraska. Teams denied tickets to Lincoln, Neb., were No. 3 Iowa, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 8 Illinois and No. 9 Massachusetts.
U-M won the pommel horse with a season-best score of 39.025 and took top team honors in the still rings as well, with a score of 38.850. However, perhaps the most noteworthy of Michigan's team scores was its 38.525 finish in the high bar, tying its season best set way back in January, at the team's home meet against Illinois-Chicago. Michigan also finished second in the floor exercise and parallel bars and fifth on the vault.
Jose "Lalo" Haro (Puebla, Pue. Mexico/Instituto Iberia) finished fourth in the all-around competition with a score of 57.450, followed by Scott Vetere (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown HS), who placed sixth with a score of 57.150. Top honors went to Jamie Natalie of Ohio State with a score of 58.100.
Michigan's Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop Devitt HS) captured the horizontal bar title with a career-best score of 9.850. Vetere tied for second in the pommel horse with a 9.825 and placed third in the still rings behind teammate Kenny Keener (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS), who took second with a score of 9.800. Brad Kenna (Barbertown, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS) was second in the vault with a 9.675, and Justin Toman (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS) finished third in the parallel bars (9.700).
The Wolverines have two weeks to prepare for their trip to the NCAA Championships and their first visit to the national meet since 1975, when legendary coach Newt Loken led U-M to a sixth-place finish.
Final Team Standings
| Team Scores | FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | Total |
| 1. Ohio State | 38.625 | 38.250 | 38.575 | 38.200 | 38.600 | 38.850 | 231.100 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 38.475 | 39.025 | 38.850 | 38.000 | 38.175 | 38.525 | 231.050 |
| 3. Penn State | 38.400 | 38.875 | 38.625 | 38.150 | 37.800 | 37.800 | 229.550 |
| 4. Illinois | 38.250 | 38.675 | 37.250 | 38.300 | 37.425 | 38.050 | 227.950 |
| 5. Iowa | 38.450 | 38.150 | 38.400 | 37.400 | 37.000 | 38.375 | 227.775 |
| 6. Michigan State | 37.500 | 38.650 | 37.200 | 38.075 | 37.150 | 38.100 | 226.675 |
| 7. Massachusetts | 37.775 | 38.125 | 37.250 | 37.650 | 36.800 | 37.650 | 225.250 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
FLOOR EXERCISE Randy D'Amura 9.500 Josh Levin 9.350 Scott Vetere 9.600 Brad Kenna 9.625 (T9) Justin Toman 9.650 (T6) LaLo Haro 9.600 POMMEL HORSE Tim Dehr 9.200 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.775 (T6) Scott Vetere 9.825 (2) Josh Levin 9.700 Justin Toman 9.725 (T8) LaLo Haro 9.625 STILL RINGS Brad Kenna 9.625 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.600 Kenny Keener 9.800 (2) Scott Vetere 9.775 (3) Ethan Johnson 9.500 LaLo Haro 9.650 (T10) VAULT Randy D'Amura 9.000 Tim Dehr 9.150 Brad Kenna 9.675 (2) Scott Vetere 9.400 Justin Toman 9.350 LaLo Haro 9.575 (T10) PARALLEL BARS Kevin Roulston 9.000 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.675 (4) Josh Levin 9.250 Scott Vetere 9.250 Justin Toman 9.700 (3) LaLo Haro 9.550 (T9) HIGH BAR Brad Kenna 9.300 Kevin Roulston 9.550 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.850 (1) Scott Vetere 9.300 Justin Toman 9.675 (6) LaLo Haro 9.450 ALL-AROUND LaLo Haro 57.450 (4) Scott Vetere 57.150 (6)
( ) denotes top-10 finish
Players Mentioned
