Strong Finish Puts Wolverines Into NCAA Team Finals

Thursday, April 7

West Point, N.Y.

1:00 PM

Michigan

NCAA National Qualifier

4/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Led by junior Justin Laury (Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS) and his all-around total of 55.775, the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team posted a 220.375 to place second in its national qualifying session Thursday (April 7) at the NCAA Championships held in the Holleder Center on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy. With their top-three placing, the Wolverines advance to tomorrow's team and all-around finals. Ohio State won the session (220.900) with Penn State grabbing third (220.350).

Michigan struggled out of the gate on its first event, counting a fall in their parallel bars event total. Laury, third up, was the first to hit for the Wolverines, scoring a 9.0 followed by a smooth routine from sophomore Andre Hernandez (Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS) for a 9.20. Senior co-captain Geoff Corrigan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS) batted cleanup for the team, notching a 9.40 to end the rotation.

In the second rotation on high bar, senior Dave Flannery (Niwot, Colo./Niwot HS) led off with a solid 9.15. Fellow senior Brian Berends (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville HS) followed with a 8.95 to set up Corrigan for a 9.15. As the Wolverines tried to find their rhythm Laury, last up, needed to deliver a big score and he didn't disappoint. After a close catch on his release move he flowed through the remainder of his routine and stuck his dismount cold to record a 9.40. After two rotations, Michigan's running total was a 72.35.

After a bye rotation and time to regroup, junior Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mitchell HS) started Michigan off on the right foot on floor exercise by nailing a routine complete with a stuck dismount for a 9.475. Freshman Daniel Rais (Livonia, Mich./Franklin HS) was next and in his NCAA debut notched a solid set and stuck dismount of his own for a 9.275. Senior Eddie Umphrey (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) showed why he was runner-up in the Big Ten on the floor, scoring a 9.40. Corrigan followed with a clean routine but was deducted three-tenths of a point for going out of bounds to muster a 9.15. Laury and junior Luke Bottke (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) closed out a strong Michigan rotation with nearly flawless routines and identical scores of 9.40. After four rotations Michigan was in fifth place with a 110.025.

In the fifth rotation on the pommel horse, Hernandez began with a hit routine and a score of 8.70. Sophomore Aaron Rakes (Lexington, Ky./Dunbar HS) fought for every tenth during his routine to notch an 8.80. After a fall from freshman Paul Woodward (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles HS) for a 7.975, Corrigan ignited his teammates by hitting his routine to score an 8.70. Junior Andrew DiGiore (Buffalo, NY/City Honors School) and Laury closed out the rotation by posting the Wolverines' two highest scores on the event with a 9.15 and 9.225, respectively. After a successful pommel horse rotation, Michigan had climbed into fourth with a total of 145.900.

Moving to the still rings in the sixth rotation, Rakes began with a clean 8.625 followed by Hernandez's 8.35. Signorelli was next and posted an 8.725. Strongman Umphrey brought down the house with near-perfect strength positions and a stuck dismount to record a huge 9.60. Corrigan followed with his own impressive display of strength to score a 9.325. Laury was Michigan's final competitor on the event and continued his string of hit routines with a 9.40 to give Michigan a tally of 37.05. With that performance, the Wolverines climbed one more spot to third in the team standings with a 182.950 and one event to go.

In the final rotation Michigan moved to the vault, an event it won at the Big Ten Championships. Bottke began with a clean vault and one step on his landing for a 9.325. Rais followed with an exceptionally high vault and a step on his landing also for a 9.325. Corrigan was next with a 9.10 followed by Umphrey's 9.05 to Laury's solid 9.35. DiGiore was last up with a near-stick on his two and a half twisting Kasamatsu-style vault for a 9.425 which bumped the Wolverines up to second place in the team standings.

The Wolverines resume competition tomorrow (Friday April 8) at 7 p.m. in the team finals when the 2005 NCAA team and all-around champions will be crowned.

Final Team Standings

Team Scores	FX	PH	SR	V	PB	HB	Total
1. Ohio State	37.575	35.800	36.875	36.850	35.800	38.000	220.900
2. MICHIGAN	37.675	35.875	37.050	37.425	35.700	36.650	220.375
3. Penn State	36.600	36.375	37.475	37.500	35.800	36.600	220.350
4. Stanford	35.950	36.050	37.875	36.875	35.025	36.600	218.375
5. Minnesota	36.625	36.050	36.675	36.975	35.475	35.600	217.400
6. WIlliam & Mary	34.750	33.250	35.600	35.825	34.600	34.500	208.525

Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores

FLOOR EXERCISE Gerry Signorelli 9.475 Dan Rais 9.275 Eddie Umphrey 9.40 Geoff Corrigan 9.15 Justin Laury 9.40 Luke Bottke 9.40 POMMEL HORSE Andre Hernandez 8.70 Aaron Rakes 8.80 Paul Woodward 7.975 Geoff Corrigan 8.70 Andrew DiGiore 9.15 Justin Laury 9.225 STILL RINGS Aaron Rakes 8.625 Andre Hernandez 8.35 Gerry Signorelli 8.725 Eddie Umphrey 9.60 Geoff Corrigan 9.325 Justin Laury 9.40 VAULT Luke Bottke 9.325 Daniel Rais 9.325 Geoff Corrigan 9.10 Eddie Umphrey 9.05 Justin Laury 9.35 Andrew DiGiore 9.425 PARALLEL BARS Dave Flannery 7.50 Gerry Signorelli 8.10 Eddie Umphrey 7.00 Justin Laury 9.00 Andre Hernandez 9.20 Geoff Corrigan 9.40 HORIZONTAL BAR Dave Flannery 9.15 Gerry Signorelli 7.95 Brian Berends 8.95 Andre Hernandez 8.65 Geoff Corrigan 9.15 Justin Laury 9.40 ALL-AROUND Justin Laury 55.775 (3) Geoff Corrigan 54.825 (4)