MGoBlogs: Men's Gymnastics, Vol. II, No. 5
1/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Steady Through the Wind
TUESDAY | DECEMBER 20, 2008
Junior/Sophomore Evan Heiter (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney HS) brings back the men's gymnastics blog for the second semester, taking some time to comment on his team's recent success at the Windy City Invite this past Saturday (Jan. 17). Although he did not compete at the event, Heiter and many of his teammates drove down to Chicago to cheer on the U-M team members that were performing in the meet. Heiter competed for the first time last season, posting high marks on the floor exercise and vault at the 2008 Pacific Coast Classic.
This past weekend the men's gymnastics team began our competitive season in style -- the first "W" was etched in the 2009 schedule. On the way to victory, my teammates defeated all but one of the teams in the Big Ten (Penn State who did not compete) and host school, UIC. The win is just a stepping stone to the rest of a long dual season, eventually bringing us to the Big Ten and NCAA Championships in April.
The meet's start saw Michigan on high bar, and the squad was faced with almost immediate adversity. Ben Baldus-Strauss went down in a scary fall, resulting in a partially-torn meniscus. This is a devastating blow to the team, and to add salt to the wound, the Windy City Invitational was Ben's first meet back after breaking an ankle at the NCAA Championship last spring. Ben's talent and drive will carry him far though. Plus he's grown quite fond of grocery shopping on the complimentary motorized carts at Meijer.
Despite this early setback, the Michigan squad fought through five more events. Gutsy performances from veterans and newcomers alike let the rest of the competing teams know that, even with our backs against the wall, Michigan is a force to be reckoned with.
Highlight performances included Ian Makowske's second-place finish on floor, Chris Cameron's three individual titles, and Dave Chan's second-best parallel bars routine. Though, through all the individual acclaim captured by the boys wearing the block M, no achievement meant more than the team victory. Captain Phil Goldberg hoisted the trophy but just for a moment. The W is what the Wolverines came to Chicago for, but our goals reach far beyond January.
Monday's workouts were no different from any other days. The weekend's successes were noted, but reminders about resolving errors and striving for perfection were quick to follow. The lineup dispersed, and it was back to business. What most don't realize about the men's gymnastics team here at Michigan is how deep we are. We have many options for lineups and ways to arrange our events. The atmosphere in our gym is one of competitive drive. Any event you step up to, there are four guys pushing you to perform your best.
This coming weekend we travel to compete against Penn State, the defending Big Ten champions. A viable threat, adding a W will take even more of a showing than what we, as a Maize and Blue team, did in Chicago. We aren't afraid of the challenge though. We've withstood the wind, and we are primed to weather the entire season's storm on our way to greatness.
Tomorrow morning's practice is only 12 hours away, back to the grind! Come see what men's gymnastics is all about at our next home competition against Iowa, Friday, January 30, at Cliff Keen Arena. Go Blue!
Players Mentioned
