Weekly Release #10
3/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sat., March 22-23 -- at Big Ten Championships (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Thu-Sat., April 4-6 -- at NCAA Championships (Norman, Okla.)
What's Ahead for the Wolverines
The University of Michigan men's gymnastics team will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to take on Big Ten Conference foes and try to regain the title at the Big Ten Championships. The two-day event will pit Michigan against six of the top teams in the nation. The competition will kick off Friday (March 22) at 7 p.m. CST at the Sports Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota with the team competition and all-around finals. The top individuals from Friday's competition will compete for the individual event titles at 7 p.m. CST on Saturday (March 23).
Last Year at the Big Ten
Led by a third-place all-around finish by then-junior Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS), the Wolverines finished second at the 2001 Big Ten Conference Championships at Penn State's Rec Hall in State College, Pa. The No. 2-ranked Wolverines scored a 216.000 but were denied a third straight Big Ten title by No. 4 Ohio State (217.275). It was the first time the Wolverines had not captured the title since 1998.
Michigan vs. Big Ten Teams
The Wolverines' current conference record for this season is 3-4. Michigan has beaten No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Minnesota at the Windy City Invitational (Jan. 12). They came back a week later (Jan. 19) and defeated Minnesota for their other Big Ten victory of the season.
Wolverines Look to Seize Fifth Straight Title
Over the past four seasons the Wolverines have had a strong hold on the Big Ten parallel bars championship. Justin Toman (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS) won the title in back-to-back years (1998-99), while Kris Zimmerman (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier HS) claimed the top honor in 2000. Scott Vetere (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown HS) was finally able to capture a parallel bars championship of his own in 2001 after runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000.
The Wolverines' hopes for a fifth straight title rest in the hands of Toman, Zimmerman, Daniel Diaz-Luong, Brad Kenna (Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS) and sophomore Chris Gatti (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford HS).
U-M Ends Regular Season with Loss to French
Despite a season-high team score of 216.800, the Wolverines were defeated by the French National Team 220.725-216.800 in the Corritore Classic on Friday (March 15) in front of 1,318 fans at Cliff Keen Arena.
The Wolverines were led by senior Brad Kenna and junior Conan Parzuchowski (Northville, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS). Kenna, in his last home meet as a Wolverine, captured the floor exercise title (9.200) and finished third on the vault (9.300). He also finished in fourth place on the horizontal bar with a score of 9.200. Parzuchowski captured the still rings title with a 9.475. He also contributed to the Wolverines' superior score on the vault with a 8.900.
Michigan Says Goodbye to Senior Class
The Wolverines said farewell to four seniors during the March 15 meet against the French National Team, as it marked the final home appearance by Daniel Diaz-Luong, Brad Kenna and Justin Toman. Senior co-captain Scott Vetere is redshirting the season after suffering an injury during the summer and will compete during the 2003 season. Also being recognized was senior Kevin Roulston (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township HS), who used up his last year of eligibility in 2001.
Zimmerman Sets Record
Junior Kris Zimmerman set a new Wolverine horizontal bar record on Friday (March 15) against the French National Team with his 9.575. He broke the record set last year by current senior Daniel Diaz-Luong (9.500).
Wolverines Hold On to No. 8 Ranking
In the latest GymInfo national ranking the Wolverines remained in the No. 8 spot for the fourth consecutive week with an average score of 210.675. This past weekend's season high does not count in the GymInfo rankings because it was an exhibition against a non-collegiate team. The Maize and Blue is currently ranked second on the parallel bars, fourth on the still rings, sixth on the vault, ninth on both the floor exercise and pommel horse and 13th on the horizontal bar. Big Ten teams hold six of the top eight spots in the team rankings -- No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 6 Iowa and No. 8 Michigan. The rankings are currently based upon the two-score average.
GymInfo National Rankings (3/18/02)
(by Two-Score Average)
1. Penn State 215.775 2. Ohio State 215.537 3. Oklahoma 215.150 4. Illinois 214.212 5. Minnesota 213.425 6. Iowa 213.162 7. California 211.987 8. MICHIGAN 210.675 9. Massachusetts 210.375 10. Stanford 208.587 11. Temple 208.550 12. William & Mary 207.275 13. Nebraska 206.125 14. Cal-Santa Barbara 205.537 15. Army 204.125
Individual Gymnasts Ranked Nationally
Individually the Wolverines continue to be among the nation's elite. For the second consecutive week juniors Conan Parzuchowski and Kris Zimmerman lead the way for the Wolverines with eighth-place rankings on the still rings and parallel bars, respectively. Brad Kenna is immediately behind Zimmerman in the parallel rankings in ninth place. Jamie Hertza (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) follows close behind, ranking 10th on the pommel horse.
Individual Season Bests
| Gymnast | FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | AA |
| Brian Berends | -- | -- | -- | 8.450 | -- | 8.600 | -- |
| Geoffery Corrigan | 7.600 | 8.800 | -- | 8.850 | 8.600 | -- | -- |
| Daniel Diaz-Luong | 8.550 | 9.600 | 9.200 | 9.150 | 8.400 | 9.050 | 52.950 |
| David Flannery | 7.550 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8.450 | -- |
| Chris Gatti | 8.700 | 8.400 | 9.050 | 8.400 | 8.950 | 8.850 | 51.500 |
| Kevin George | -- | 8.800 | 8.900 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jamie Hertza | 8.950 | 9.400 | -- | -- | -- | 8.350 | -- |
| Brad Kenna | 9.400 | 8.350 | -- | 9.300 | 9.150 | 9.200 | -- |
| Conan Parzuchowski | 8.700 | -- | 9.700 | 9.150 | 8.200 | 8.400 | -- |
| Brian Skvarla | 7.200 | -- | 8.500 | 8.700 | -- | -- | -- |
| Justin Toman | 9.100 | -- | 9.300 | 9.350 | 9.050 | 9.050 | -- |
| Edward Umphrey | 9.150 | 8.350 | 8.900 | 9.350 | 8.350 | 8.300 | 49.450 |
| Scott Vetere | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Kris Zimmerman | 9.000 | 9.050 | 9.300 | 9.200 | 9.150 | 9.575 | 51.400 |
Team Season Bests
| Event | Score | Date | Site |
| Team Total | 216.800 | 3/15/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Floor Exercise | 36.200 | 2/16/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Pommel Horse | 36.100 | 3/3/02 | Berkeley, Calif. |
| Still Rings | 37.075 | 3/15/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Vault | 36.850 | 3/15/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Parallel Bars | 35.750 | 2/16/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Horizontal Bar | 36.825 | 3/15/02 | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
Contact: Louis Levine (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
