March 7, 2015
SAN JUAN, P.R. - Despite posting five individual event winners, the No. 3 Penn State men's gymnastics team finished second (425.100) to No. 5 Michigan (431.000) Friday evening at the Puerto Rico Gymnastics Challenge at the Pedrin Zorilla Coliseum. The Puerto Rico national team finished third (395.700) and No. 18 Temple placed fourth (394.650).
"It was a really nice performance by Thad Lawson again, but we have to find some fight here towards the end of the season and get into championship form, because we are not in it right now," head coach Randy Jepson said.
As a team, the Nittany Lions won the still rings (72.950) and the vault (72.500) and they finished second in the other four events.
Freshman Thad Lawson (Chesapeake, Va.) continued his success in the floor exercise event as he tied for first (15.400). Lawson now has claimed four floor exercise titles in 2015. He also tied for third in the vault with his mark of 14.750.
Trevor Howard (Columbus, Ohio) won two events at the Puerto Rico Gymnastics Challenge. He tallied first-place finishes in the still rings (15.550) and the parallel bars (15.300). Howard also tied for fourth in the high bar (14.250).
In the pommel horse, Craig Hernandez (Libertyville, Ill.) won his fourth title of his senior year with his mark of 15.450. Also in the pommel horse event, Leroy Clarke, Jr. (Maplewood, N.J.) recorded a score of 14.450 to finish fifth. Clarke, Jr., also finished fifth in the still rings (14.700).
Tristan Duverglas (West Orange, N.J.) won the vault (15.050) for the Nittany Lions and he also finished third in the still rings with his score of 15.450.
The Nittany Lions now head to Lincoln, Neb., for their final meet of the regular season. Penn State will take on No. 6 Iowa, No. 9 Minnesota and No. 11 Nebraska on March 15 inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
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