Weekly Release #10
3/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., April 2-4 --at NCAA Championships (Champaign, Ill.)
April 2 -- National Qualifier, 1 p.m. CST
April 3 -- Team/All-Around Finals, 7 p.m. CST
April 4 -- Individual Event Finals, 2 p.m. CDT
What's Ahead for the Wolverines
The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team (9-9) travels to Champaign, Ill., this weekend (April 2-4) for the NCAA Championships. Michigan was selected to compete in the first of two sessions of the national qualifying meet to be held on Friday (April 2) at 1 p.m. CST at Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois. The top three teams from each session will advance to the team finals on Saturday (April 3) at 7 p.m. CST, where the team and individual all-around champions will be crowned. The top eight gymnasts on each event from that competition will go on to compete in Sunday's (April 4) individual event finals at 2 p.m. CDT.
Michigan vs. Session 1 Opponents
Michigan is slated to compete in session one of the national qualifying meet on Friday (April 2) with Oklahoma, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois-Chicago and Army, with only the top three teams moving on to the team finals. The Wolverines have faced four of these teams during the regular season, losing to Oklahoma and Iowa but topping Penn State and Illinois-Chicago. NCAA Men's Gymnastics on the Web: www.ncaasports.com/gymnastics/mens.
Michigan at the NCAA Championships
The Michigan men's gymnastics team been a consistent contender for the national championship since the coaching duo of Kurt Golder and Mike Burns rebuilt the program beginning in 1998. The following year Wolverines won the 1999 NCAA team championship, their first in 29 years. The team finished runner-up by less than a tenth of a point in 2000 and notched fourth-place finishes in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Returning All-Americans
Michigan's roster includes two returning 2003 NCAA All-Americans as the team heads to this year's championships. Sophomore Andrew DiGiore (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors HS) is the reigning national champion on the vault, and fellow sophomore Justin Laury (Marietta, Ga./McEachern HS) garnered All-America honors in the all-around, placing seventh at last year's national championships.
Wolverines Finish Fifth at Big Ten Championships
Led by all-around performances from Justin Laury and junior Geoff Corrigan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS), the Wolverines finished fifth at the 2004 Big Ten Conference Championships on Friday, March 19, at the University of Illinois' Huff Hall. The No. 7-ranked Wolverines struggled to hit their stride and scored a 216.375, finishing behind Big Ten champion Illinois (221.975), Penn State (220.100), Ohio State (218.425) and Iowa (216.800). Minnesota finished sixth (213.275).
DiGiore Vaults to Consecutive Titles
Sophomore Andrew DiGiore successfully defended his 2003 Big Ten vaulting title at this year's conference championship. He landed the most difficult vault in the event finals competition to place first with a score of 9.45, ahead of Penn State's Steve Tobin, who scored a 9.425. DiGiore's first-place effort earned him a spot on the 2004 All-Big Ten team, and it is the first time a Wolverine has won back-to-back vaulting titles since Scott Moore in 1986-87.
Individuals Compete in Event Finals
In addition to vault champion Andrew DiGiore, four other Wolverines competed in the individual event finals of the 2004 Big Ten Championships on March 20. Justin Laury finished runner-up on the rings (9.575), while junior Eddie Umphrey (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) grabbed the eighth-place spot on that event (8.875). Sophomore Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mitchell HS) placed fourth on the floor (9.275) and Geoff Corrigan placed eighth on parallel bars (8.55).
Laury Stitched Up
In addition to placing second in individual event finals on rings at the Big Ten Championships, Justin Laury qualified to compete on the high bar. After beginning the routine smoothly, he hit his chin on the bar upon catching his release move. The resulting cut, which required several stitches, rendered Laury unable to complete his routine. Justin has not allowed the injury to slow his preparation for the upcoming NCAA Championships, as he has performed the routine flawlessly several times in practice.
Recapping the 2004 Season
The 2004 Michigan men's gymnastics team has had its share of ups and downs throughout the season. Injuries and inconsistencies have inevitably arisen along with the record-breaking performances and come-from-behind victories. The team finished the regular season with an 8-5 (6-3 Big Ten) record and ranks seventh in this week's GymInfo national rankings. The Wolverines' record is 9-9 when including their finish at the Big Ten Championships, but the team looks to save its best performance for the NCAA Championships. Below are the team season highs, the most recent of which came on vault at the Big Ten Conference Championships (March 19).
| Event | Score | Date | Opponent | Site |
| Team | 219.725 | 3/13/04 | Ohio State | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Floor | 37.15 | 3/13/04 | Ohio State | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Pommel Horse | 36.80 | 2/21/04 | Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. |
| Rings | 36.70 | 2/21/04 | Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. |
| Vault | 37.350 | 3/19/04 | Big Ten Championships | Champaign, Ill. |
| Parallel Bars | 35.75 | 3/13/04 | Ohio State | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| High Bar | 37.40 | 3/13/04 | Ohio State | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
GymInfo National Rankings (3/22/04)
(by NCAA Qualifying Score)
1. Illinois 221.215 2. Oklahoma 220.045 3. Penn State 218.830 4. California 218.510 5. Ohio State 218.160 6. Iowa 216.970 7. MICHIGAN 216.160 8. Stanford 213.520 9. Illinois-Chicago 212.855 10. Nebraska 212.660 11. Minnesota 212.040 12. Army 211.010<>Quoting Head Coach Kurt Golder
On the team's preparation heading into the NCAA Championships ... "I think it's been real good. We had some intrasquads on pommel horse, the event where we needed it in particular, and by the end of last week I think we've come quite a ways from where we've been all year. The guys' spirits have been good and I'd be very surprised and very disappointed if we don't do well at NCAAs."
On his expectations of how the team can do at the NCAAs ... "The whole thing is that first day of competition is going to be real tough. There are four teams (in session 1) that are real close to one another battling for three spots. It appears that we're the fourth team and the battle is going to be between us and Iowa for that third spot."
On whether Michigan can beat Iowa and make it to the Super Six team finals ... "It'll be interesting. We've gotten them every year at nationals for the last five years, and I plan on pulling it out again. If we make the Super Six it's anybody's game. We'll just have to see how it goes there."
Contact: Justin Toman, Matt Godfrey (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
