Weekly Release #5: at Winter Cup Challenge

Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sat., Feb. 12-13 -- at Winter Cup Challenge (Las Vegas, Nev.), 7 p.m. MST
Saturday, Feb. 20 -- vs. Massachusetts (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.

The Winter Cup Challenge
University of Michigan freshmen Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS), Josh Levin (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS) and Scott Vetere (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown HS) will join sophomore captain Justin Toman (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS) and junior Ethan Johnson (Chevy Chase, Md./Charles E. Smith Jewish Day) to compete in the Winter Cup Challenge, hosted by USA Gymnastics on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 12-13) in Las Vegas, Nev. Freshman Brad Kenna (Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS) and sophomore Kevin Roulston (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) were also invited but will not participate due to injury.

Michigan is the largest collegiate group attending this meet. Other NCAA teams scheduled to compete include Arizona, Brigham Young, California, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Stanford, Temple, UCLA and Washington. Individuals from each squad and from other gymnastics groups -- a total of 77 gymnasts -- will compete for three additional spots on the U.S. National Team, and the winner of the Winter Cup Challenge will go on to compete at the Visa/American Cup, the most prestigious international meet held in the United States.

The Wolverines have never had the opportunity to participate in the Winter Cup Challenge before this season. The gymnasts and coaches will be leaving for the "City of Lights" on Wednesday (Feb. 10).

Wolverines Cannot Break Nittany Lion Streak
The second-ranked Michigan gymnasts failed to break No. 1 Penn State's ten-in-a-row home winning streak this past weekend (Feb. 5) as the Nittany Lions accumulated a two-point lead after competing on the vault (the fourth event) and kept their undefeated season alive with a team score of 226.500, edging out Michigan's 226.175 points. Michigan ended the meet on a high note, winning the parallel bars (38.375-37.650) and the high bar (37.700-36.700).

Freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong won the all-around competition with a 56.475, which included his first-place finish on the high bar (9.600). Sophomore captain Justin Toman grabbed first-place honors on the floor exercise (9.600), parallel bars (9.700) and high bar (9.600). Sophomore Kenny Keener (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS) contributed a second-place finish on the still rings, tying his career high of 9.700.

Wolverines Remain Second in the Nation
Entering the fourth week of competition, Michigan held its second-place position in the NAGC/M ranking with a team score of 228.475 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 23). The Maize and Blue are currently behind Penn State (228.750).

NAGC/M Top 20 Rankings (2/1/99)

 1. Penn State         228.750
 2. MICHIGAN           228.475
 3. Ohio State         228.325
 4. Iowa               226.950
 5. Michigan State     226.900
 6. Oklahoma           225.925
 7. Illinois           225.475
 8. Massachusetts      223.650
 9. Nebraska           221.150
10. Illinois-Chicago   221.050
11. Brigham Young      220.250
12. Minnesota          216.550
13. Stanford           215.150
14. California         214.800
15. Air Force          213.850
    William & Mary     213.850
17. New Mexico         213.720
18. Temple             212.850
19. Navy               211.050
20. Army               209.250

Nationally Ranked First in Three Events
Michigan held first place on the pommel horse, the parallel bars and the high bar in the NAGC/M rankings last week (Feb. 1). The Wolverines received team-high scores on the pommel horse (38.700) and parallel bars (38.600) in the tri-meet vs. Ohio State and Illinois (Jan. 29), and on the high bar (38.525) vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 16).

Michigan's Individual National Rankings
In the latest NAGC/M individual national rankings (Feb. 1), sophomore captain Justin Toman is ranked first on the parallel bars (9.825) and tied for third on the high bar (9.850). Freshman Scott Vetere follows Toman with a third-place ranking on the parallel bars (9.775). Freshman Josh Levin is tied for third on the pommel horse with a 9.800 and freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong holds fifth with a 9.750. Diaz-Luong is also ranked fourth in the all-around with a 56.950.

New Career High
Freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong obtained three career-high scores this past weekend (Feb. 5) against Penn State. Diaz-Luong received second-place finishes on the floor exercise (9.550) and the parallel bars (9.625) and tied for fourth place on the still rings with a 9.500. These individual scores contributed to his first-place all-around score of 56.475.

Fellow freshmen Scott Vetere and Josh Levin also had career highs against Penn State. Vetere beat his still rings score of 9.450 vs. Illinois-Chicago with a 9.650 for a third-place finish. Levin received a new career high on the parallel bars (9.200).