STATE COLLEGE, Pa., March 5, 2002 - The Penn State men's gymnastics team is ranked number one in the March 4 GymInfo Poll. The Lions' two-score average of 215.775 is the best in the nation, beating out defending NCAA and Big Ten Champion Ohio State and Oklahoma who are averaging a 215.087. Junior Kevin Donohue (Saddle River, N.J.) is the country's top all-arounder for the fifth-consecutive week.

Penn State (12-1) was also ranked No. 1 after the opening week of the season. The Nittany Lions are coming off of a 215.950-208.400 victory over Santa Barbara at the Southwest Cup this past weekend. Penn State had one of its finest meets of the season, recording season-high marks on rings (36.550), vault (36.550), parallel bars (35.400) and high bar (36.750) to post the second-highest team score of the season. The Lions' earned a season-high 216.325 in the loss to the Buckeyes two weeks ago.

Penn State is ranked on each of the six apparatuses, earning the top spot on floor (36.175), parallel bars (34.800) and high bar (36.550), while earning a No. 2 ranking on rings (36.437). The Lions are also ranked No. 6 and No. 7 on pommel horse and vault, respectively.

At least one Nittany Lion is ranked in the national polls on every apparatus led by Donohue. Besides claiming the No. 1 spot in the all-around polls, he also rates second on floor, third on high bar, 10th on parallel bars and 20th on pommel horse. Sophomore Kevin Tan (Fremont, Calif.) has dominated the rings competition, claiming his seventh individual title on the apparatus. The No. 2-ranked ringsman in the nation, he was ranked No. 1 for the first six weeks of the season. Tan also ranks 10th in the nation on high bar.

Also featured among the nation's top 10 are junior Matt Abboud (Dayton, Maine), junior Zack Roeder (Montrose, Pa.), freshman Kyle Fernandez (Stratford, Conn.), senior Adam Benas (Latham, N.Y.) and junior Duke Van Vleet (Safety Harbor, Fla.). Abboud is seventh in the all-around, Roeder ranks sixth on floor and Fernandez is ninth on rings. Benas and Van Vleet are tied both for eighth in high bar.

Penn State travels to No. 17 Navy on Saturday, Mar. 9 for a tri-meet beginning at 1 p.m. The Midshipmen also host No. 20 Southern Connecticut State. The Nittany Lions will return for its final home meet of the season on Saturday, Mar. 16. They host Army in Rec Hall at 7 p.m.

--LIONS--