UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 14, 2007 - Led by junior Tommy Ramos (Guaynabo, P.R.), four members of the national champion Penn State men's gymnastics team captured All-American honors with standout individual performances in the event finals of the 2007 National Collegiate Championships on Saturday evening in Rec Hall.
Ramos, who gained two-time All-American status last season, added three more honors with top eight finishes on the still rings, parallel bars, and high bar. Junior Vladi Klurman (North Miami Beach, Fla.), sophomore Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.), and freshman Nick Virbitsky (Harrisburg, Pa.) came away with the first All-American honors of their careers.
On the still rings, Ramos posted a season-high score of 9.725, but was edged out by Stanford's Alex Schorsch (9.750) for the national title. The junior then went on to place sixth on the parallel bars (9.400) and tie for the runner-up spot in the high bar with a score of 9.375.
Casey Sandy, the anchor of Penn State's No. 1 nationally-ranked pommel horse team all season, used a career-high score of 9.575 to place second in the event. The sophomore was topped only by Cal's Tim McNeill (9.575), the 2006 pommel horse champion.
After recording a career-best mark of 9.700 on the still rings in the team finals, Vladi Klurman came up with another solid performance in tonight's event finals. His score of 9.550 earned him a seventh-place tie with the 2007 all-around champion, Oklahoma's Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons.
Nick Virbitsky showed poise that belied his youth throughout the championships; a trend that continued in the individual event finals. The freshman scored a 9.425 in the floor exercise to tie for seventh place, providing Penn State fans with a glimpse into the future of Nittany Lion gymnastics.
With the combined six All-American honors garnered by Ramos, Sandy, Klurman, and Virbitsky, the Penn State men's gymnastics program now boasts 41 competitors that have earned 89 All-American citations since 1980.
The individual event finals of the 2007 National Collegiate Men's Gymnastics Championships will air on CN8 at 7 p.m. ET on Sun., April 15.
