Jan. 14, 2011
Team Results
Floor Exercise Results
Pommel Horse Results
Still Rings Results
Vault Results
Parallel Bars Results
High Bar Results
All-Around Results
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The No. 7 Penn State men's gymnastics team extended its title-winning streak at the West Point Open to 13 consecutive, compiling a team score of 348.400 to outdistance the field on Friday evening at host Army's Christl Arena in West Point, N.Y.
The Nittany Lions continued their dominance of east region teams, besting Temple (329.700), Army (320.000), Navy (319.600), Springfield College (319.400) in addition to club team Brockport (263.600) to claim the 2011 crown at the 20th annual West Point Open. Penn State won five events as a team and six different Nittany Lions secured at least a share of an event title. Three Nittany Lions advanced to the individual finals in each event, the maximum number allowed under competition rules.
For the second straight year at the West Point Open, Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio) headlined a dominating top-three sweep of the still rings. The junior won the event with a stellar score of 15.400 while sophomore and reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Week Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.) placed second (15.200) and sophomore Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel) and redshirt freshman Nihir Kothari (Malvern, Pa.) tied for third (14.900). Penn State's team score of 60.400 is the program's highest since posting a 62.000 at the National Collegiate Championships in 2008,
Sophomore Mackenzie Dow (Cranford, N.J.) and redshirt junior Colin Hill (Sterling, Mass.) led a 1-2-3 Penn State finish in the parallel bars, tying for the title with a score of 14.600, a career-high mark for both Nittany Lions. Senior Warren Yang (Nepean, Ont.) placed third, just off the pace with a 14.500.
Senior team captain Matt Albrecht (Guelph, Ont.) captured his first ever title in the high bar, scoring a career-high 14.800.
Despite struggling in the pommel horse overall as a team, Penn State managed to claim both first and third place in the event. Competing in his first collegiate meet, freshman Preston Gall (Columbus, Ohio) made a quick impression, taking the top spot (13.700). Albrecht and Dow shared third place with a score of 13.200.
While Penn State did not win the vault as a team, redshirt freshman Francisco Vazquez (San Juan, P.R.) secured his first career title win in the event with a score of 15.700.
Sophomore Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.) won his second consecutive all-around title to start the season, topping his week one score by posting a six-event cumulative total of 84.300. He also placed first in the floor exercise, scoring a career-high 15.200, and tied for second in the high bar (14.400).
Competition at the West Point Open resumes on Sat., Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. with the individual event finals. The top eight finishers from each of Friday night's events advance to vie for individual honors on Saturday evening. The complete list of Penn State gymnasts who have qualified is as follows:
Floor Exercise: Parker Raque, Wasef Burbar, Colin Hill
Pommel Horse: Preston Gall, Matt Albrecht, Mackenzie Dow
Rings: Miguel Pineda, Scott Rosenthal, Nihir Kothari
Vault: Francisco Vazquez, Matt Albrecht, Parker Raque
Parallel Bars: Mackenzie Dow, Colin Hill, Warren Yang
High Bar: Matt Albrecht, Parker Raque, Mackenzie Dow