Hawkeyes Top Michigan & Wisconsin in Big Ten Showdown

March 6, 2004

IOWA CITY, IA –

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In the senior’s last performance at the Iowa Field House Saturday evening, the sixth-ranked University of Iowa men’s gymnastics team took first place in a Big Ten triangular. The Hawkeyes posted a team score of 217.925, breaking the previous University of Iowa record of 217.750 set earlier this season. Michigan took second place (213.55), while Wisconsin’s club team finished third (152.1). The Hawkeyes won five event titles, crowned five individual event champions, and set or tied a total of nine 2004 season bests.

Sophomore Michael Reavis (Tallahassee, FL) was crowned all-around champion, posting a six-event score of 53.925. His score tied the University of Iowa record set by Junior Linas Gaveika (Vilnius, Lithuania) earlier this season. Sophomore Michael McNamara (Orem, UT) placed third in the all-around (50.875).

The Hawkeyes performed well on floor exercise, crowning two event champions and setting a new University of Iowa record with a team score of 37.325. The Hawkeyes broke the previous record of 37.0 set earlier this season. Reavis and McNamara were crowned co-event champions with a score of 9.525. Shawn Stone (Wall Lake, IA) took fifth (9.225), while junior Mike Kelly (Orangevale, CA) placed sixth (9.05).

Iowa topped Michigan and Wisconsin on pommel horse, and posted a season-best team score of 36.05. Kelly took first place with a season-best score of 9.550, tying Gaveika’s mark set earlier this season. Senior Eric Block (Buffalo Grove, IL) took third place (9.3), while Reavis placed fifth (8.8).

Senior Matt Metzger (Cincinnati, OH) was the Hawkeye’s top performer on rings, taking second place with score of 9.2. Sophomore Jacques Bouchard (Rio Rancho, NM) took third (9.05), while junior Kenny Lin (Sparks, NV) placed fourth (9.0).

On vault, Reavis took second place with a score of 9.425. Freshman Mark Beiler (Waterloo, Ontario) finished fifth for the Hawkeyes (9.05), while Kelly took sixth (9.0).

The Hawkeyes won the parallel bars competition with a season-best score of 35.8. Block was crowned event champion on parallel bars, tying his personal and season-best score of 9.05 set earlier this season vs. Oklahoma. Reavis and Gaveika finished in a tie for third place (8.95), while McNamara took sixth (8.85).

The Hawkeyes finished strong on horizontal bar, posting a season-best score of 36.625. Gaveika notched top-honors with a score of 9.8, while Reavis came in third (9.375), and Metzger took fifth (8.8).

“I was real pleased with the competition this evening. It was nice to have a good meet at home, especially for our seniors. We got out to an early lead, which took the pressure off and gave us an opportunity to enjoy the rest of the competition,” commented Head Coach Tom Dunn.

The Hawkeyes will conclude their regular season competition next weekend as they travel to Chicago, IL to take on No. 12 Illinois-Chicago.