Jan. 30, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The No. 5 Penn State men's gymnastics team, aided by a program record score of 59.100 in the pommel horse, remained undefeated on the season with tri-meet victories over host No. 13 Temple (341.400) and No. 16 Army (259.500) on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. The Nittany Lions set a team season high for the third consecutive week, totaling a 351.800.
Penn State's four qualifying scores in the pommel horse, supplied by sophomore Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel) (15.100), junior Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio) (15.000), redshirt freshman Francisco Vazquez (San Juan, P.R.) (14.600), and freshman Adrian Evans (Boulder, Colo.) (14.400), either tied or established personal career bests en route to setting the highest team mark in the event since the NCAA switched to FIG scoring in 2008. Aronovich won the event while Pineda placed second.
The Nittany Lions also posted team season high scores in the still rings (60.300) and the parallel bars (58.600). Sophomore Scott Rosenthal built on his outstanding start to the season, winning the rings with a career high score of 15.700. Pineda (15.300) and sophomore Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.) (15.000) gave Penn State a 1-2-3 sweep in the event. Aronovich captured the parallel bars for his second title of the day, scoring a career-high 15.400. Sophomore Mackenzie Dow (Cranford, N.J.) also recorded a career best in the event, a 14.700, to tie for second.
Senior captain Matt Albrecht (Guelph, Ont.) again stood out as PSU's top performer in the high bar, winning the event for the third time this season. Freshman Nestor Rodriguez (Guaynabo, P.R.), in his collegiate debut in the event, placed second.
Sophomore Matt Chelberg (Athens, Ohio) registered a 15.700 in the vault for the second time this season, earning a tie for second. Albrecht secured a share of third place, giving him two top three finishes for the competition.
Redshirt junior Warren Yang (Nepean, Ont.) highlighted an otherwise subpar Penn State effort in the floor exercise, placing second with a score of 14.500. The Lions' team score of 55.900 was their lowest of the season.
Next weekend, a Penn State contingent tentatively to be made-up of junior Miguel Pineda, sophomores Tony Beck (Catasauqua, Pa.), Matt Chelberg, and Parker Raque, and freshman Wasef Burbar (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete individually in the prestigious Winter Cup Challenge on Feb. 3 and 5.
The remaining Nittany Lions will begin preparations for an upcoming dual meet with Springfield College, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 12 in Rec Hall. Penn State has not faced the Pride in dual meet competition since 1979 when current head coach Randy Jepson's predecessor Karl Schier led the Lions to a dominating home victory. Two weeks ago at the West Point Open, PSU outscored fifth place finisher Springfield, 347.000-319.400, en route to its 13th consecutive team title at the annual competition hosted by Army.
PENN STATE RESULTS
Floor Exercise - 55.900
Warren Yang - 14.500 (2)
Matt Chelberg - 14.200
Matt Albrecht - 13.700
Colin Hill - 13.500
Parker Raque - 12.700
Francisco Vazquez - 11.800
Pommel Horse- 59.100
Felix Aronovich - 15.100 (1)
Miguel Pineda - 15.000 (2)
Francisco Vazquez - 14.600
Adrian Evans - 14.400
Preston Gall - 13.900
Matt Albrecht - 13.000
Still Rings - 60.300
Scott Rosenthal - 15.700 (1)
Miguel Pineda - 15.300 (2)
Parker Raque - 15.000 (3)
Nihir Kothari - 14.300
Matt Chelberg - 14.100
Nestor Rodriguez - 14.100
Vault - 61.800
Matt Chelberg - 15.700 (2T)
Matt Albrecht - 15.600 (3T)
Mackenzie Dow - 15.400
Francisco Vazquez - 15.100
Parker Raque - 15.100
Miguel Pineda - 15.000
Parallel Bars - 58.600
Felix Aronovich - 15.400 (1)
Mackenzie Dow - 14.700 (2T)
Miguel Pineda - 14.400
Nestor Rodriguez - 14.100
Nihir Kothari - 14.000
Matt Albrecht - 13.500
High Bar - 56.100
Matt Albrecht - 14.500 (1)
Nestor Rodriguez - 14.300 (2)
Wasef Burbar - 13.900
Parker Raque - 13.400
Mackenzie Dow - 12.800
Warren Yang - 12.600