March 8, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the second consecutive year, the Penn State men's gymnastics team, which is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA, will travel to Puerto Rico during the regular season for a dual meet with the Caribbean commonwealth's national team. The competition is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. ET at the Sport Complex of the Puerto Rico University, Humacao Campus in Humacao, P.R.
Scores earned by Penn State in the meet will count towards the Nittany Lions' 2012 NCAA team and individual standings.
Penn State had last week off but when last in action, on February 25, the Nittany Lions recorded a season-high score of 355.500 to claim a commanding Big Ten road victory over Ohio State (347.200). Penn State's overall depth was on display as it won all of the events a team despite capturing only three of six individual titles. Fueling the victory was a program-record score in the pommel horse (59.500) and a season high in the vault (60.200) and the high bar (58.650). Individual wins were secured by junior Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.) (still rings), freshman Tristan Duverglas (West Orange, N.J.) (vault), and junior Felix Aronovich (Kiryat Bialik, Israel) (parallel bars).
With just three meets remaining on the regular season schedule, Penn State will look to continue to build momentum versus Puerto Rico as the postseason looms less than one month away. The Nittany Lions have not suffered defeat since it fell to Michigan in Ann Arbor on January 21 and have continued to improve their scores as the season has progressed. Penn State owns the second highest overall team score in the nation this season and is ranked in the top five in all six events, including No. 1 in the pommel horse and vault. Individually, 13 different Nittany Lions hold top 20 event rankings, led by Scott Rosenthal, who is the nation's definitive No. 1 still rings competitor.
With three Puerto Rico natives on the roster, Penn State's trip to the island nation will be a homecoming of sorts. Friday's meet could also be a reunion for former Nittany Lions Tommy Ramos and Luis Vargas, who may compete for the Puerto Rico National Team against their college coach, Randy Jepson.
Last year, despite competing with a line-up depleted by sickness, Penn State pulled out a 342.500-340.550 victory over the Puerto Rico National Team in San Juan, P.R. Even though it scored below their season average in four events, the Nittany Lions, as a team, won three events - still rings, parallel bars, and high bar. Warren Yang (Nepean, Ont.), Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio), and Felix Aronovich captured at least a share of an individual event title to lead the Lions.
Next week, Penn State will return home to take on No. 6 Minnesota in a dual meet set for Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at Rec Hall. A year ago, the Nittany Lions defeated the Golden Gophers (351.600-344.600) in Minneapolis in a tri-meet that also featured Big Ten foe Iowa (333.800). The No. 12 Nittany Lion women's team will also be in action, facing Maryland.