Feb. 1, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State men's gymnastics team will welcome No. 8 Minnesota to Rec Hall on Sat., Feb. 2 in a showdown of Big Ten powers. The meet, which will also feature the No. 14 Nittany Lion women's gymnastics squad facing West Virginia, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Despite uncharacteristic struggles in several events last weekend, Penn State handily defeated Temple, 353.350-337.350, at Rec Hall to up its 2008 home record to 2-0. Junior Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) continued his torrid pace to start the 2008 season, capturing titles in three of the four events in which he competed in No. 1 Penn State's 353.350-337.350 win over No. 9 Temple. He won the pommel horse, vault, and parallel bars, giving Sandy at least three first place finishes in each of this season's meets. In total, he has claimed 11 titles, including two all-around crowns, thus far in 2008. Sandy owns the top-ranked Nittany Lions' top score in five of six events and the all-around and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the floor exercise, parallel bars, and the all-around.
Jason Chu (Los Angeles, Calif.) continued to impress, winning the floor exercise and all-around titles. Competing for the first time in his collegiate career in the floor, Chu secured the top spot with a 15.450 performance. He also placed second in the vault and parallel bars, sixth in the pommel horse and rings, and eighth in the high bar to post an 87.600 in the all-around.
Sophomore Noam Shaham (Kfar Saba, Israel) captured the first title of his young career, winning the still rings with a score of 14.900. He also placed third in the parallel bars (14.250). Senior Derek Helsby (Orlando, Fla.) matched the team season high, a 14.900, to claim victory in the high bar. He also finished in second in the pommel horse (14.400) and third in the still rings (14.500).
Minnesota is coming off a 342.800-341.800 home loss to the University of Calgary last weekend. The Golden Gophers began the 2008 season with a fifth-place showing at the Windy City Invitational (340.350) and a narrow road win over Illinois (344.400-343.850). Headlining Minnesota are junior Kit Beikmann, the 2007 Big Ten pommel horse champion, senior Mitchell Mays, the nation's No. 1-ranked vaulter, sophomore Andre Berry, the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and two-time All-American sophomore Adam Reichow. Four-year head coach Mike Burns, a 1981 Penn State graduate, leads the Gophers.
Penn State owns a 9-1 record versus Minnesota in a series that dates back to 1941. However, the Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers have not met head-to-head in the regular season since 2000 when they competed in a tri-meet at Michigan. Also, outside of the Big Ten Championships in 1994 and 2001 and last season's National Collegiate Championships, Minnesota has not competed in Rec Hall since Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference.
Fans can follow all of the action from the Penn State gymnastics double dual on the Internet with live scoring updates or with live video through a webcast from Rec Hall. Click on the "gametrack PSU" link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com, to gain access.
Next weekend, a Penn State contingent made-up of seniors Derek Helsby and Vladi Klurman (North Miami Beach, Fla.), junior Shaun Antonio (Rio Rancho, N.M.), and assistant coach Kevin Tan will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete individually in the prestigious Winter Cup Challenge from Feb. 7-9. Tan is the two-time defending Winter Cup still rings champion while Klurman qualified for the finals in four events at the 2007 event.
After consecutive road meets against Big Ten foes Illinois (Feb. 16) and Ohio State (Feb. 24), the Nittany Lions will return home on Sun., March 8 to face William & Mary and Navy in a 2 p.m. tri-meet at Rec Hall.