Jan. 31, 2012
Live Coverage | Winter Cup Challenge website
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Three All-Americans from the No. 3-ranked Penn State men's gymnastics team will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. this week to compete as individuals at the prestigious 2012 Winter Cup Challenge. Senior Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio), junior Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.), and sophomore Wasef Burbar (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will perform against the nation's top American gymnasts with roster spots on the U.S. Senior Team on the line.
Head coach Randy Jepson and assistant coach Kevin Tan, a four-time Winter Cup still rings champion, will accompany the trio to Las Vegas for the competition.
The USA Gymnastics-sponsored event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Saturday, Feb 4. at the LV Sports Center. All three of the Nittany Lions will compete in preliminary session II, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET. The finals are set for a 10:15 p.m. ET start on Saturday.
Pineda, Raque, and Burbar were scheduled to compete at last year's Winter Cup Challenge but their trip was forced to be cancelled due to a large snow storm that impacted travel throughout much of the nation. All three are tentatively scheduled to perform in the all-around at the 2012 event.
Pineda, the Nittany Lion team captain for 2012, helps anchor a Penn State still rings line-up that is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation. Last weekend, Pineda captured the still rings and parallel bars titles at the individual event finals of the West Point Open. He also won the rings in a dual meet at Michigan on January 21 and finished second in the event in the team finals of the West Point Open with a season-high score of 15.700. A year ago at the National Collegiate Championships, Pineda recorded a career-high rings score of 15.900 in the national qualifier, helping Penn State post a program record team score of 62.300. In the individual event finals, he tied for second, securing for him his first career All-America honor.
Raque heads to Las Vegas on the heels of a standout performance at the 2012 West Point Open. The junior won the all-around with a career-high score of 85.500, placing first in the floor exercise and third in the still rings and vault. Raque went on to claim the floor exercise crown in the individual finals, giving him four titles in the event through the first four competitions of the season, and place second in the vault. Emerging as a clutch performer at the 2011 National Collegiate Championships, Raque set three career highs en route to earning All-America honors in the floor exercise and vault.
Burbar was not in the line-up for last weekend's West Point Open but began the 2012 season on a positive note, placing first in the high bar with a score of 15.200 in a win over Army. As a freshman last season, Burbar developed into one of the nation's top high bar performers. He owned all three of Penn State's top scores in the event, including a season high 15.350. At the National Collegiate Championships, Burbar placed sixth, earning All-America honors.
Performances at the 2012 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 15 men who will comprise the U.S. Men's Senior National Team through the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis, Mo. (June 7-10). The seven members of the 2011 World Championships Team retain their spots on the national team. The remaining eight spots will be determined based on the following criteria: the top-ranked all-around athlete who is not already on the senior national team; four based on the National Team Points System; two athletes selected by the Men's Program Committee; and one selected by the national team coordinator.
The top 42 gymnasts, according to the Men's Program Committee's points ranking system, will advance to the final competition, along with the top three gymnasts on each apparatus. The all-around and individual event champions will be determined via a combined two-day score.
While Pineda, Raque, and Burbar are in action, the remaining Nittany Lions will begin preparations for an upcoming road dual meet at Springfield College, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12 in Springfield, Mass. A year ago, Penn State downed the Pride, 352.300-316.300, in Rec Hall.