Michigan
Windy City Open
Weekly Release #1: at Windy City Invitational
1/12/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 16 -- at Windy City Invitational (Chicago, Ill.), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 23 -- host Illinois-Chicago (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Looking Ahead to the Windy City Invitational
The University of Michigan men's gymnastics team will open its 1999 season at the Windy City Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 16), with competition starting at 6 p.m. in Chicago, Ill. The meet will feature seven teams, all ranked in the preseason national poll. Joining ninth-ranked Michigan and host Illinois-Chicago (17th) will be Iowa (1st), Ohio State (3rd), Illinois (6th), Michigan State (tie-12th) and Minnesota (tie-12th).
Last season Michigan scored a 220.800 at the Windy City Invitational to finish fourth out of seven teams. The Wolverines were paced by LaLo Haro's (Puebla Pue, Mexico/Hinstituto Iberia) all-around score of 55.350 and Kevin Roulston's (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township HS) 54.800 all-around score. The duo finished sixth and ninth overall. The team had two medalists; Haro tied for second on the parallel bars with a 9.650 and Tim DeGraw (1997-98) tied for second on the floor exercise with a 9.600.
Looking Ahead to Illinois-Chicago
No. 9 Michigan and No. 17 Illinois-Chicago will become familiar with each other as the two teams will face off twice in the next two weeks, first at the Windy City Invitational (Jan. 16) and then in a dual meet in Ann Arbor (Jan. 23). The Wolverines faced the Flames twice last season, outscoring them 220.800 to 217.900 at the Windy City Invitational (Jan. 17, 1998) and 227.350 to 224.000 at UIC (Feb. 21). In the dual meet, Michigan was led by Kevin Roulston, who won the all-around with a 57.45, his personal-best score. Then-freshman Kenny Keener (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS) established a new school record on the still rings (9.75).
Wolverines Ranked Ninth
Michigan opens the 1999 season ranked ninth in the coaches preseason poll. The Wolverines finished the 1998 season with a fifth-place showing at the NCAA East Regionals after finishing the regular season ranked 10th by Regional Qualifying score.
NAGC/M Preseason Top 25 Poll
1. Iowa
2. California
3. Ohio State
4. Nebraska
5. Oklahoma
6. Illinois
7. Penn State
8. Stanford
9. MICHIGAN
10. Brigham Young
11. Massachusetts
12. Minnesota
Michigan State
14. New Mexico
15. Temple
16. Navy
17. Illinois-Chicago
18. Army
19. Air Force
California-Santa Barbara
William and Mary (tie)
Captains
This season's co-captains are senior Randy D'Amura (Austin, Texas/St. Michael's Academy) along with sophomore Justin Toman (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS). D'Amura, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, is the team's only senior. Toman was a member of the 1998 All-Big Ten team and represented the United States at the International Invitational in Acapulco, Mexico, winning a bronze medal on the still rings.
Returning Award Winners
Wolverine's return All-American Jose "LaLo" Haro and defending Big Ten parallel bars champion Justin Toman. Haro earned All-America citations in the vault and all-around. He's only the fourth Wolverine to earn All-America status in the all-around, and the first since Arno Lascari did so in 1963. Toman was the Wolverines' first Big Ten champion since Brian Winkler won the floor exercise in 1992.
The Freshmen
This season's freshmen enter as one of the most talented recruited classes in the country. The group of Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS), Brad Kenna (Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS), Josh Levin (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS), Louis Levine (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia HS) and Scott Vetere (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown HS) will be looked to to add athleticism and depth to the Wolverines this season. Diaz-Luong was the champion on still rings and took third in all-around at the Junior Olympic Nationals in 1996. In 1997 and 1998, Levin was the Junior Olympic National champion on the pommel horse. Vetere claimed US International Team membership throughout high school.
Maize and Blue Intrasquad Recap
At the Maize and Blue Intrasquad on Dec. 4, Michigan's most outstanding performer was Maize team member Scott Vetere, who scored victories in the pommel horse (9.80), parallel bars (9.60) and all-around (56.100). The Blue team was led by Jose "LaLo" Haro, who tied for first-place honors on the vault with Kevin Roulston (9.65) and captured second on the floor exercise (9.40), parallel bars (9.50), horizontal bar (9.40) and all-around (55.65).
Players Mentioned
