University of Minnesota Athletics
Fortunato Finishes Strong at Winter Cup
2/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
University of Minnesota gymnast Aaron Fortunato performed very well at the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup in Las Vegas Thursday and Saturday.
Fortunato placed 21st at the event. He hit all 12 of his routines over the course of two competitions, including the preliminaries on Thursday and the finals. Fortunato's final all-around score was 165.25.
Oklahoma's Chris Brooks was first with a tally of 175.80, while Jonathan Horton of Cypress Academy was second at 174.75. Chris Cameron of Michigan was third at 172.45.
"It was a great weekend for Aaron," Gopher men's gymnastics head coach Mike Burns said. "He went 12-for-12 over two days, against the top gymnasts in America. I'm really proud of how he handled the pressure at this level. He is really figuring out how to find the right zone to compete in and he continues to improve on a weekly basis."
Head coach Mike Burns believes the experience Fortunato gained competing for a spot on the United States National Team will serve him well for the remainder of the season.
"This was a great experience for Aaron and I really feel it's a turning point in this season, in terms of him finding the right recipe for success," Burns said.
Fortunato finished as follows in each of the six individual events: High bar, 12th; Parallel bars, 19th; Pommel horse, 22nd; Still rings, 23rd; Floor exercise, 26th; Vault, 31st.
The Gopher gymnasts return to team competition Saturday (Feb. 13), when they travel to face Illinois in a Big Ten Conference meet.
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