March 10, 2012
HUMACAO, P.R. - For the second consecutive year, the Penn State men's gymnastics team traveled to Puerto Rico for a competition with the Caribbean commonwealth's national team and came away with a win. The Nittany Lions, which are currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA, were 339.200-337.300 victors in a Friday night dual meet held at the Sport Complex of the Puerto Rico University, Humacao Campus in Humacao, P.R.
Penn State won three events as a team, besting Puerto Rico in the floor exercise (56.900), pommel horse (56.700), and still rings (58.650). Freshman Craig Hernandez (Libertyville, Ill.) (pommel horse) and junior Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel) (parallel bars) were individual title winners.
Led by Hernandez, Penn State swept the top three spots in the pommel with sophomore Preston Gall (Columbus, Ohio) (14.450) and Aronovich (13.700) placing second and third, respectively.
Junior Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky.) recorded two top three finishes, placing second in the floor exercise (14.650) and third in the vault (14.750). Senior Warren Yang (Nepean, Ont.) tied for third in the high bar, scoring a 14.200.
Former Nittany Lion Tommy Ramos, a member of Penn State's 2007 national championship and 2008 Big Ten championship teams, now competing for Puerto Rico, won the still rings with a score of 15.450. Junior Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.) finished in second (14.900).
Next week, Penn State will return home to take on No. 6 Minnesota in a dual meet set for Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at Rec Hall. A year ago, the Nittany Lions defeated the Golden Gophers (351.600-344.600) in Minneapolis in a tri-meet that also featured Big Ten foe Iowa (333.800). The No. 12 Nittany Lion women's team will also be in action, facing Maryland.