DiGiore Earns Second Consecutive Big Ten Vault Title

Saturday, March 20

Champaign, Ill.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

Big Ten Individual Event Finals

3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Sophomore Andrew DiGiore (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors HS) repeated as Big Ten Conference champion in the vault to lead the University of Michigan's five competitors Saturday (March 20) at the Big Ten Championships Individual Event Finals at Illinois' Huff Hall. The competition featured the top eight individual in each event from the previous night's team and all-around competition.

DiGiore (9.450) edged out Penn State's Steve Tobin (9.425) for the vault title.

DiGiore led the Michigan contingent by repeating as Big Ten vault champion with a score of 9.45. With this performance DiGiore earned a spot on the 2004 All-Big Ten team.

Sophomore Justin Laury (Marietta, Ga./McEachern) captured second place on the still rings with a display of great strength and a stuck dismount for a 9.575. Laury also qualified for the high bar but, after hitting his face on a release move, could not finish his routine.

Fellow sophomore Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mitchell HS) hit a clean routine to place fourth on the floor exercise with a score of 9.275. Junior Eddie Umphrey (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) grabbed eigth place on the rings with a solid routine and a score of 8.875, and junior Geoff Corrigan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS) competed on the parallel bars and notched an 8.55 for eigth place.

In recapping last night's team competition, Michigan placed fifth posing a score of 216.375. Illinois placed first with a score of 221.975, followed by Penn State in second (220.100), Ohio State in third (218.425), Iowa in fourth (216.800) and Minnesota in sixth (213.275).

The Wolverines, who finished fifth in the Big Ten team competition with a score of 216.275 Friday night (March 19), have a weekend off before returning to the University of Illinois for the 2004 NCAA Championships (April 2-4) at Assembly Hall.

Event Winners/U-M Finishes

FLOOR EXERCISE 1. Justin Spring, Illinois 9.725 4. Gerry Signorelli, U-M 9.275 POMMEL HORSE 1. Ben Newman, Illinois 9.800 STILL RINGS 1. Kevin Tan, Penn State 9.850 2. Justin Laury, U-M 9.575 8. Eddie Umphrey, U-M 8.875 VAULT 1. Andrew DiGiore, U-M 9.450 PARALLEL BARS 1. Kevin Tan, Penn State 8.950 8. Geoff Corrigan, U-M 8.550 HORIZONTAL BAR 1. Ron Ferris, Ohio State 9.650 -- Justin Laury, U-M (scratch)