Feb. 4, 2007
Courtesy of Penn State Athletics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (www.gopsusports.com)- Second-ranked Penn State had individuals take first place in four of six events in its hotly-contested clash with No. 1 Michigan Saturday night at Rec Hall but came up just short as a team, falling 216.750-215.800. The Nittany Lions team total was a season-best, topping its previous high, set last weekend at the West Point Open, by over one point.
Junior Tommy Ramos (Guaynabo, P.R.) headlined the Penn State effort, taking the title in the rings and the high bar each with personal season-high scores. As a team, the Nittany Lions won the pommel horse, rings, and the vault, setting season-best marks in the rings (37.950) and the vault (35.550).
Sophomore Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) competed unopposed in the all-around, but his score of 54.400 was a team-high for the 2007 season and also a career best.
In the first rotation, with Michigan struggling on the pommel horse, Penn State jumped out to be a sizeable team lead thanks to standout performances by freshman Allen Harris (Lancaster, Pa.) and junior Santiago Lopez (Cibola del Mar, Mex.) in the floor exercise. Harris' 9.400 tied his top score of the season, established last weekend at the West Point Open, and earned him a third-place finish.
Casey Sandy stole the spotlight in the next rotation, upholding his status as the nation's No. 1 pommel horse performer by winning the event for the fourth time this season. His score of 9.250 easily outdistanced the competition.
The duo of Tommy Ramos and senior captain Matt Cohen (Agoura Hills, Calif.), combined to give Penn State a key victory in the rings. Ramos' routine was outstanding, drawing a 9.700 from the judges, while Cohen continues to prove he is also a force in the event, scoring a 9.550. Junior Vladi Klurman (North Miami Beach, Fla.) and Casey Sandy pitched in a pair of 9.350s to ensure the Nittany Lion win in the event.
Klurman followed up his rings performance with a title-winning effort in the vault. His 9.250 is a Penn State team-high for 2007, a career-best, and provided him with his first-ever win in the event. Freshman Nick Virbitsky (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Matt Cohen lent support, placing second and fourth, respectively.
On the parallel bars, junior Derek Helsby (Orlando, Fla.) used his best performance of the year, a 9.200, to capture second place and help Penn State set a season-high team score of 36.450 in the event.
While Michigan is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the high bar, Tommy Ramos proved to be the top competitor in the event tonight, topping all six Wolverines with a winning score of 9.400.
Next weekend, a Penn State contingent made-up of senior Matt Cohen, juniors Derek Helsby and Vladi Klurman, freshmen Nick Virbitsky and Cody Carnahan, and assistant coach Kevin Tan will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete as individuals in the prestigious Winter Cup Challenge from Feb. 8-10. Tan, the 2006 captain of the U.S. National Team, is the defending Winter Cup champion on rings.
