Michigan
NCAA Team Finals
Wolverines Crowned 1999 National Champions
4/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Bob Devaney Sports Center)
Event: #1 Michigan at NCAA Championships Team Finals
U-M Team Finish: 1st of 3 teams (232.550)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 24 -- at NCAA Championships Individual Finals (Lincoln, Neb.), 7 p.m. CDT
LINCOLN, Neb. -- With a dominating effort, the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team took the national title Friday (April 23) at the NCAA Championships team finals at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Wolverines rolled up a season-high score of 232.550 to capture their third NCAA crown (first since 1970) and the 50th national championship in school history.
A day after posting the top team score in the preliminary round, the Wolverines dominated the finals from start to finish, easily outdistancing Ohio State (230.850) and host Nebraska (229.600). Michigan claimed first place in five of the six events, winning the floor exercise (season-high 39.075), pommel horse (38.600), still rings (38.975), vault (38.775) and parallel bars (38.700).
"We knew we were going to win as soon as we stepped foot in the gym," commented sophomore co-captain Justin Toman (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall HS). Toman was unstoppable in the all-around with a new career-high score of 58.075. Freshman Scott Vetere (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown HS) also posted a career-best all-around mark of 57.925 to finish second behind Toman.
Individually, Michigan won the same five events in which it came out on top as a team. Toman tied his career high on floor (9.825) and also took first on the parallel bars with a 9.725. Freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS) also won two events, taking the pommel horse (9.700) and vault (9.825). Vetere captured first place on the still rings with a score of 9.850.
Five gymnasts will represent Michigan in the NCAA Championships individual finals on Saturday (April 24). Toman, Vetere, Diaz-Luong, junior LaLo Haro (Puebla, Pue., Mexico/Instituto Iberia), sophomore Kenny Keener (Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS) and freshman Brad Kenna (Barberton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit HS) advanced to the individual finals by placing in the top eight in their events in Thursday's team preliminaries.
Final Team Standings
| Team Scores | FX | PH | SR | V | PB | HB | Total |
| 1. MICHIGAN | 39.075 | 38.600 | 38.975 | 38.775 | 38.700 | 38.425 | 232.550 |
| 2. Ohio State | 38.900 | 38.200 | 38.100 | 38.250 | 38.575 | 38.825 | 230.850 |
| 3. Nebraska | 38.425 | 38.525 | 38.375 | 37.700 | 38.050 | 38.525 | 229.600 |
Event-By-Event U-M Individual Scores
FLOOR EXERCISE Randy D'Amura 9.300 Josh Levin 9.350 Scott Vetere 9.725 Brad Kenna 9.750 (T4) Justin Toman 9.825 (1) LaLo Haro 9.775 (T2) POMMEL HORSE Tim Dehr 9.500 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.700 (T1) Scott Vetere 9.625 Josh Levin 9.600 Justin Toman 9.650 (T4) LaLo Haro 9.625 STILL RINGS Brad Kenna 9.250 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.625 Scott Vetere 9.850 (1) Kenny Keener 9.775 (2) Justin Toman 9.725 (T3) Ethan Johnson 9.400 VAULT Kevin Roulston 9.400 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.725 (1) Brad Kenna 9.725 (T2) Scott Vetere 9.725 (T2) Justin Toman 9.400 LaLo Haro 9.500 PARALLEL BARS Kevin Roulston 9.575 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.675 (5) Josh Levin 9.300 Scott Vetere 9.700 (T2) Justin Toman 9.750 (1) LaLo Haro 9.575 HORIZONTAL BAR Brad Kenna 8.300 Kevin Roulston 9.300 Daniel Diaz-Luong 9.700 Scott Vetere 9.300 Justin Toman 9.725 (T4) LaLo Haro 9.700 ALL-AROUND Justin Toman 58.075 (1) Scott Vetere 57.350 (2)
( ) denotes top-five finish
Q U O T E S
Michigan Coach Kurt Golder
Was winning the championship easy? ... "It wasn't easy, but we decided ownership right when we walked into the gym tonight."
On the youth of the team and its future ... "This year we were concentrating on this year and next year, we will concentrate on winning another."
Was this Michigan's best meet this year? ... "We peaked at the right time. We were hitting at 97 percent tonight."
On what advice he would give to other coaches ... "Take it one meet at a time. We tried to work hard to get good enough so that when we got to the national championship, we didn't have to have a peak performance -- just compete."
On the freshman class ... "As soon as the freshman class signed a National Letter of Intent, I knew we had a national championship team."
Michigan Sophomore Justin Toman
"We knew we were one of the best teams in the country coming in here and now we know we are the best."
On whether the team success made up for just missing the all-around title ... "Definitely. I would so much rather have a national championship ring than a plaque."
"We have a bulletin board in our locker room with a quote that says, 'Michigan is a great team, but they are still a year away.'"
Michigan Senior Randy D'Amura
"When Kurt (Golder) came in here in 1997, we set out for the national championship. That's what we strived for and today it has finally come true."
Nebraska Coach Francis Allen
"Michigan got hot and stayed hot all night. They got on a roll, the first guy up got a 9.5 and they just went up from there. I said in order to beat them, we needed to get on them early, but we didn't. I was surprised they picked (to start on) the pommel horse, but they really did a great job and just continued that momentum throughout."
Nebraska Sophomore Jason Hardabura
"Michigan has a great team. I would like to say there was too much wind or something, but I can't. The best team won tonight."
Players Mentioned
