U-M Third in NCAA Qualifier, Advances to Team Finals

Thursday, April 17

Palo Alto, Calif.

1:00 PM PT

Michigan

NCAA National Qualifer

4/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics

Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Maples Pavilion)
Event: NCAA Championships National Qualifier (Session I)
U-M Team Finish: 3rd Place of 6 Teams (354.300)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 18 -- at NCAA Championships Team and All-Around Finals (Palo Alto, Calif.), 7 p.m. PDT

Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Led by freshman Thomas Kelley(Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) on high bar with a meet-high score of 14.850 and sophomore David Chan(Singapore/Hale School) with a second-place finish on pommel horse (14.450), the No. 6 University of Michigan men's gymnastics team posted a 354.300 to advance to the NCAA Championships Team Finals, taking third place in its national qualifying session Thursday (April 17) at Stanford's Maples Pavilion. No. 2 Oklahoma, which won the session (357.350), and No. 3-ranked runner-up Penn State (357.300) also advanced.

After a bye during the competition's first rotation, the Wolverines opened on the pommel horse during the second rotation. Chan, who went second, scored a 14.450 to earn Michigan's highest score on the event and second place overall. Freshman Chris Cameron(Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region) was just behind his teammate with a 14.400 that was good for third place. Michigan finished its rotation with a team score of 56.050.

U-M then shifted to the still rings. Junior/sophomore Phil Goldberg(Ringgold, Ga./McCallie) took charge, earning an individual and team season-high score of 15.750 for third place in the event. Senior/junior Arren Yoshimura(Denver, Colo./George Washington) earned the second best Maize and Blue score with a 15.100. Junior Joe Catrambone(Deptford, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) and Kelley were the first two Wolverines to go and earned matching 14.700s. The Wolverines finished their second rotation with a team score of 116.300.

Michigan took to the vault for its next rotation. Sophomore Mel Santander(Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional), competing for the first time in the event this year, earned the team's highest score with a 15.700. At the halfway point of the meet, Michigan stood in third place with a score of 178.050.

On the parallel bars, junior Ralph Rosso(Morganville, N.J./St. John Vianney) started things off with a 13.950. Cameron earned a Maize and Blue best with a 14.900, and Santander's 14.800 was an individual season-best mark. At the end of four events, Michigan remained in third place with a 236.000.

Kelley's 14.850 on the high bar in the following rotation gave him the highest score in the competition, with Catrambone placing second with a 14.650. U-M was in fourth place with a 294.350 and one rotation left.

In the final rotation, Rosso's 15.100 on the floor exercise began the event, and Kelley earned Michigan's top score of 15.300.

Michigan, Oklahoma and Penn State will join the top three teams from the evening session (Stanford, California, Illinois, Iowa, Temple and Minnesota) to vie for the title of national champion in Friday's (April 18) Team Finals starting at 7 p.m. PDT at Maples Pavilion. Live video of the competition will be available through the NCAA's site and linked from MGoBlue.com.

Final Team Standings

Team Scores	FX	PH	SR	V	PB	HB	Total
1. Oklahoma	61.500	55.650	61.150	63.550	58.900	56.750	357.500
2. Penn State	61.150	56.450	61.950	62.400	57.900	57.450	357.300
3. MICHIGAN	59.950	56.050	60.250	61.750	57.950	53.850	354.300
4. Ohio State	60.500	53.600	58.450	63.350	58.650	57.250	351.800
5. Nebraska	57.050	55.050	58.650	62.000	55.350	55.200	343.300
6. William & Mary	58.050	51.350	56.550	60.600	55.100	54.300	335.950

U-M Individual Event Scores

 FLOOR EXERCISE Ben Baldus-Strauss 14.950 Chris Cameron 14.600 Ralph Rosso 15.100 (t10) Jamie Thompson 14.500 Daniel Rais 14.450 Thomas Kelley 15.300 (7) POMMEL HORSE Phil Goldberg 13.850 Ben Baldus-Strauss 12.350 Chris Cameron 14.400 (3) David Chan 14.450 (2) Paul Woodward 12.750 Mel Santander 13.350 STILL RINGS Joe Catrambone 14.700 Arren Yoshimura 15.100 (10) Ralph Rosso 13.800 Chris Cameron 13.700 Thomas Kelley 14.700 Phillip Goldberg 15.750 (3) VAULT Ben Baldus-Strauss 14.550 Dan Rais 13.500 Thomas Kelley 15.300 Mel Santander 15.700 (t6) David Chan 15.650 (t10) Ralph Rosso 15.100 PARALLEL BARS Chris Cameron 14.900 (4) Mel Santander 14.800 (5) Ralph Rosso 13.950 Arren Yoshimura 13.800 Joe Catrambone 14.150 Paul Woodward 14.100 HORIZONTAL BAR Jamie Thompson 11.950 Daniel Rais 14.050 Mel Santander 14.450 (6) Arren Yoshimura 14.400 (t7) Thomas Kelley 14.850 (1) Joe Catrambone 14.650 (2) ( ) denotes place in top 10