Dec. 14, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's gymnastics team was selected to place third in the 2012 Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference office announced on Wednesday. In addition, junior Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel) and freshman Craig Hernandez (Libertyville, Ill.) were named to the "Gymnasts to Watch" list.
Three-time defending Big Ten champion Illinois was chosen as the conference favorite while Michigan was voted second. Ohio State was picked to place fourth followed by Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa, respectively.
After earning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year honors in 2010, Aronovich followed his rookie campaign up with a standout 2011 sophomore season, setting career highs in five events (floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, and parallel bars) and in the all-around. He recorded Penn State's highest scores of the season in the pommel horse (15.100), parallel bars (15.400), and the all-around (87.150) and ended 2011 nationally ranked in the parallel bars, high bar, and still rings. Overall, Aronovich recorded 20 top three finishes, winning a total of 12 titles.
Aronovich was named National Gymnast of the Week for the first time in his career on March 3 after capturing two first place finishes (parallel bars and all-around) and a third place (high bar) versus Ohio State and then, one week later, earned his second career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor for placing first in the all-around and parallel bars and second in the high bar in road tri-meet with Minnesota and Iowa.
Hernandez, who trained at the Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill., is a three-time Junior Olympic pommel horse champion (2007, 2008, and 2011). A U.S. Junior National Team member in 2008, he competed at the 2009 VISA Championships and qualified for the Winter Cup all-around finals in 2010 and 2011.
Guided by 21-year veteran head coach Randy Jepson, the Penn State men's gymnastics team enters the 2012 campaign ranked No. 6 in the national preseason coaches' poll. The Nittany Lions return 17 letterwinners, including All-Americans Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio), Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.), Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.), and Wasef Burbar (Arlington Heights, Ill.), from last year's team that placed sixth at the 2011 National Collegiate Championships. Penn State will open the season on Jan. 14, when it hosts Army in a 7 p.m. dual meet at Rec Hall. Other home dates in 2012 include match-ups with Illinois (Feb.18, 7 p.m.), Minnesota (March 17, 7 p.m.), and Temple (March 24, 7 p.m.).