Michigan
Penn State
Wolverines Drop Close Decision at No. 3 Penn State
1/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Score: #3 Penn State 348.900, #2 Michigan 348.350
Records: U-M (5-1), Penn State (7-0)
Next U-M Meet: Friday, Jan. 30 -- vs. Iowa (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No.2-ranked University of Michigan men's gymnastics team fell to No. 3 Penn State by a narrow margin of 348.900-348.350 on Friday night (Jan. 24) at Recreation Hall, giving U-M its first loss of the season.
Reigning NCAA Gymnast of the Week sophomore Chris Cameron(Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Haven) garnered the night's top floor routine with a score of 15.100 and sophomore/freshman Adam Hamers(Salem, Ore./South Salem) registered the meet's highest pommel horse score (14.600) in his collegiate debut.
After the first rotation, Penn State's floor performances held a slight advantage over Michigan's pommel horse routines with a score of 59.150-57.450. Hamers had the evening's top score of 14.600 on the apparatus and fifth-year senior Paul Woodward(Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) earned the team's second-best score with a 14.350 as Michigan gymnasts earned five of the six top scores on pommel horse on the evening.
The teams swapped events for the second rotation, and the Maize and Blue earned a 57.100 on the floor exercise to gain a 114.550-114.150 edge over the Nittany Lions. Cameron had the highest score of the night with a 15.100 and rookie Syque Caesar(Point Saint Lucie, Fla./Lincoln Park Academy) earned a 14.600, helping U-M take the lead.
Three Wolverines registered scores over 15.000 on the vault to increase Michigan's advantage over the Nittany Lions in the third rotation. Sophomore Thomas Kelley(Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), junior Mel Anton Santander(Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) and senior Jamie Thompson(Lakemont, Ga./Oconee County) registered 15.350, 15.100 and 15.000, respectively, allowing U-M to lead PSU 174.900-173.150.
The Nittany Lions retook the lead 235.800-233.450 after the fourth rotation, where U-M posted a 58.550 on rings to PSU's 62.650 on the vault. Kelley earned the Wolverines highest score in the event with a 14.850, and junior captain Phil Goldberg(Dalton, Ga./McCallie) garnered a 14.800 on rings -- the event that he earned All-America honors on last season -- to earn third.
In the fifth rotation, Kelley paced the Wolverines on high bar -- the event he also won All-America honors on in 2008 -- with a 14.900, cutting Michigan's deficit to 291.350-291.850. The Maize and Blue earned a 57.800 on the high bar compared to PSU's 56.050 on the parallel bar.
Despite Ryan McCarthy's (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville Community) team-high 14.500 on the parallel bar during the final rotation, the Wolverines could not muster the scores to bring them ahead of Penn State, and the final score read 348.900-348.350.
Penn State All-American senior Casey Sandy recorded a 90.000 to claim the all-around title, finishing ahead of Cameron's 86.650.
Next Friday (Jan. 30), the Wolverines will host their first meet of the season, welcoming Iowa to Cliff Keen Arena for a 7 p.m. dual. The competition will have a delayed broadcast on the Big Ten Network, airing Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.
Team Standings
| Team Scores | FX | PH | SR | VT | PB | HB | Total |
| MICHIGAN | 57.100 | 57.500 | 58.650 | 60.350 | 57.000 | 57.800 | 348.350 |
| Penn State | 59.150 | 55.000 | 62.650 | 59.000 | 56.050 | 57.050 | 348.900 |
Event-by-Event U-M Individual Scores
FLOOR EXERCISE Jamie Thompson 13.100 Syque Caesar 14.600 Thomas Kelley 13.500 Ian Makowske 13.350 Chris Cameron 15.100 (1) Mel Santander 13.900 POMMEL HORSE Phil Goldberg 14.300 (3) Adam Hamers 14.600 (1) Ryan McCarthy 12.700 Ralph Rosso 14.200 (5) Paul Woodward 14.350 (2) Chris Cameron 14.050 RINGS Mel Santander 14.300 Thomas Kelley 14.850 (2) Andrew Vance 12.550 Ralph Rosso 14.500 Phil Goldberg 14.800 (t3) Chris Cameron 14.500 VAULT Syque Caesar 14.900 Thomas Kelley 15.350 Jamie Thompson 15.000 Mel Santander 15.100 Andrew Vance 14.600 Chris Cameron 14.800 PARALLEL BAR Syque Caesar 13.300 Ralph Rosso 14.400 (t3) Mel Santander 13.850 Ryan McCarthy 14.500 (2) Paul Woodward 13.800 Chris Cameron 14.250 (5) HIGH BAR Ian Makowske 13.400 Mel Santander 14.200 (5) Ryan McCarthy 14.500 Jamie Thompson 13.950 (4) Thomas Kelley 14.900 (2) Chris Cameron 13.950
( ) denotes place in the Top 5
Contact: Hannah Maier, Rob McBurnett (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
