Michigan
NCAA Team and All-Around Finals
Wolverines Repeat Fourth-Place Finish at NCAA Meet
4/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
NORMAN, Okla. -- Led by senior Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS), who earned All-America honors for his fourth-place all-around finish, the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team placed fourth in the nation with a score of 215.050 at the NCAA Championships Team and All-Around Finals on Friday (April 5) at the University of Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center.
For the second straight year the host school won the NCAA title. Oklahoma claimed its fourth national championship with a score of 219.300, putting up the top team score on the still rings, vault and horizontal bar to beat out defending champion Ohio State, which finished at 218.650. California (217.650) was third.
The Wolverines started the competition on the parallel bars, where they struggled to a score of 34.500, missing three of its six routines. The top score for the Wolverines was Diaz-Luong's 9.05, which ended up tying him for fifth place; the top-eight finish earned him a spot in Saturday's Individual Event Finals. Also faring well were Kris Zimmerman (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier HS) with an 8.850 and freshman Edward Umphrey (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) with an 8.350.
In sixth place after the first rotation the Wolverines moved on to the horizontal bar and hit five of their six routines to record a team score of 36.000. Diaz-Luong led the team on the event with a 9.250, tying for fourth overall, followed closely by Brad Kenna (Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS) with a 9.100 that earned him a tie for sixth. Also counting toward the team score for the Wolverines were Justin Toman's (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS) 8.800 and Chris Gatti's (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford HS) 8.850. After two rotations the Wolverines remained in sixth place with a 70.500.
On the floor exercise the Wolverines were led by Toman and Diaz-Luong, who matched season highs with scores of 9.100 and 9.050, respectively. The Wolverines pulled into fifth place at the halfway point with their 35.825 to reach a team total of 106.325.
Leading the way for the Wolverines on the pommel horse was freshman Kevin George (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS), who scored a personal-best 9.250 which was good for eighth place. Also having success for the Wolverines on pommel horse was Diaz-Luong, who scored a 8.850. After four rotations the Wolverines had a score of 141.750, which put them in sixth place.
In the fifth rotation the Wolverines moved to their strongest event of the year, the still rings. The Wolverines posted a 36.900, led by a 9.650 and third-place individual showing by junior Conan Parzuchowski (Northville, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS). Also posting high scores for the Wolverines were seniors Diaz-Luong (9.050) and Toman (9.250) and freshman George, who set his second personal best of the day with an 8.950. Through five events the Wolverines remain in fifth place with a 178.375.
On the last event of the evening, the vault, the Wolverines were led by Umphrey, who scored a 9.400 that earned him a tie for sixth place. Daniel Diaz-Luong (9.250) and Kenna (9.050) added solid scores to help the Wolverines to a 36.675, enabling them to climb into fourth place in the final standings.
The Wolverines have now finished in the top four nationally in each of the last four years, winning the national championship in 1999, placing runner-up in 2000 and taking fourth in 2001 and 2002.
Five Wolverines -- Diaz-Luong (horizontal bar, parallel bars), Kenna (horizontal bar), George (pommel horse), Parzuchowski (still rings) and Umphrey (vault) -- return to action tomorrow for the NCAA Individual Event Finals at 7 p.m. CST at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Final Team Standings
| Team Scores | FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | Total |
| 1. Oklahoma | 36.800 | 35.625 | 37.050 | 37.200 | 35.675 | 36.950 | 219.300 |
| 2. Ohio State | 37.375 | 36.700 | 36.550 | 36.750 | 35.725 | 35.550 | 218.650 |
| 3. California | 35.875 | 37.400 | 35.325 | 36.775 | 36.475 | 35.800 | 217.650 |
| 4. MICHIGAN | 35.825 | 35.150 | 36.900 | 36.675 | 34.500 | 36.000 | 215.050 |
| 5. Iowa | 35.325 | 36.400 | 35.450 | 36.600 | 34.100 | 35.350 | 213.225 |
| 6. Stanford | 35.600 | 34.850 | 35.925 | 36.675 | 34.200 | 35.525 | 212.775 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
FLOOR EXERCISE Jamie Hertza 8.950 Geoff Corrigan 8.725 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.050 Justin Toman 9.100 Edward Umphrey 7.700 Brad Kenna 8.050 Event Total: 35.825 (4) POMMEL HORSE Jamie Hertza 8.650 Kevin George 9.250 (8) Daniel Diaz-Luong 8.850 Kris Zimmerman 6.300 Justin Toman 8.400 Event Total: 35.150 (5) STILL RINGS Chris Gatti 8.850 Kevin George 8.950 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.050 Justin Toman 9.250 Edward Umphrey 8.600 Conan Parzuchowski 9.650 (3) Event Total: 36.900 (2) VAULT Geoff Corrigan 8.950 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.250 Justin Toman 8.925 Conan Parzuchowski 8.825 Brad Kenna 9.075 Edward Umphrey 9.400 (T6) Event Total: 36.675 (T4) PARALLEL BARS Edward Umphrey 8.225 Chris Gatti 7.800 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.075 (T5) Kris Zimmerman 8.850 Justin Toman 7.550 Brad Kenna 8.350 Event Total: 34.500 (4) HORIZONTAL BAR Geoff Corrigan 8.550 Chris Gatti 8.850 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.250 (T4) Kris Zimmerman 8.450 Justin Toman 8.800 Brad Kenna 9.100 (T6) Event Total: 36.000 (4) ALL-AROUND Daniel Diaz-Luong 54.425 (4) Justin Toman 52.025 ( ) denotes place in Top 8
Thursday Results (Qualifying Session I)
Contact: Louis Levine (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
