WEST POINT, N.Y.; January 8, 2005 - No. 3 Penn State placed first as a team in all six events at Army on Saturday, dominating its season-opening men¡¯s gymnastics meet 217.050-207.850. Senior Ludwig Kern (Annapolis, Md.) took home first place in the all-around for the No. 3-ranked Lions, while junior Chad Buczek (Bridgewater, Mass.) finished at the top in both the parallel bars and the vault.
The defending national champion Lions dominated every event, fishing in the top three slots in five-of-six events. Buczek showed the way in two events, the parallel bars (8.900) and the vault (9.500). The returning all-Big Ten selection also finished in the top three on the floor exercise.
A returning All-American on the pommel horse, Luis Vargas (Rio Pedros, P.R.) scored a 9.700 to finish at the top of that event, followed by freshman Derek Helsby (Agoura Hill, Calif.), who scored a 9.500.
Freshman Tommy Ramos (Guaynabo, P.R.) did not disappoint on the still rings, finishing first with a 9.650. Vargas finished second on the apparatus with a 9.600 followed by sophomore Matt Cohen (Cohoes, N.Y.) with a 9.400 for the Lion sweep.
Sophomore Matt Bowman (Houston, Texas) placed first for the first time in his career, scoring a 9.150 on the high bar. Senior Zak Rimler (Rockville, Conn.) took third with an 8.650 in the event.
Senior captain Steve Tobin (Cherry Hill, N.J.) took top honors in the floor exercise with a 9.550, while Bowman finished second with a 9.250 and Buczek was third with a 9.150.
Another top three finisher for the Lions in his first NCAA meet was freshman Santiago Lopez (Ciabola del Mar, Mexico) placing third on the vault with a 9.200, finishing behind Buczek and Tobin.
Consistency saw the senior, Kern, take the all-around for the Lions with a 52.800. Cohen, who placed on both the still rings and the parallel bars, placed second. The sophomore scored a 52.250 to finish above the freshman Helsby, who took third in his first NCAA meet with a 51.900. Helsby also finished in the top three in two other events on the day, the parallel bars and the pommel horse.
Penn State hosts Navy and Temple on Friday, January 21, in its home opener. The meet begins at 7 p.m.
Team Totals 1. Penn State 217.050 2. Army 207.850 Floor 1. Penn State 37.000 2. Army 34.400 Pommel Horse 1. Penn State 36.300 2. Army 34.100 Rings 1. Penn State 37.850 2. Army 35.350 Vault 1. Penn State 37.050 2. Army 36.150 Parallel Bars 1. Penn State 34.200 2. Army 33.550 High Bar 1. Penn State 34.650 2. Army 34.300 INDIVIDUAL EVENT RESULTS All-Around 1. Ludwig Kern (PSU) 52.800 2. Matt Cohen (PSU) 52.250 3. Derek Helsby (PSU) 51.900 Floor Exercise 1. Steve Tobin (PSU) 9.550 2. Matt Bowman (PSU) 9.250 3. Chad Buczek (PSU) 9.150 Pommel Horse 1. Luis Vargas (PSU) 9.650 2. Derek Helsey (PSU) 9.500 3. Kevin Ryan (Army) 9.250 Rings 1. Tommy Ramos (PSU) 9.650 2. Luis Vargas (PSU) 9.600 3. Matt Cohen (PSU) 9.400 Vault 1. Chad Buczek (PSU) 9.500 2. Steve Tobin (PSU) 9.250 3. Santiago Lopez (PSU) 9.200 Parallel Bars 1. Chad Buczek (PSU) 8.900 2. Matt Cohen (PSU) 8.800 3. Derek Helsby (PSU) 8.600 High Bar 1. Matt Bowman (PSU) 9.150 2. Tim Burns (Army) 8.900 3t. Zak Rimler (PSU) 8.650 3t. Brandon Whitten (Army) 8.650
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