University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Ranked Fifth in B1G Preseason Poll
12/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men's gymnastics team was ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Preseason Coaches' Poll released Thursday.
Along with the team's preseason ranking, senior Paul Montague, Jr. and sophomore Yaroslav Pochinka were named to the Big Ten Men's Gymnasts to Watch List.
Last season, the Gophers earned four first place finishes, three second place finishes and at the Big Ten Championships, earned a tally of 433.750, earning fourth. The team narrowly missed the NCAA Team Finals, finishing fourth with a score of 432.700.
Montague, who competed on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and the high bar, saw action in all eight regular-season meets as well as the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. The co-captain finished fourth overall on parallel bars after earning a season-high score of 14.975 at the Big Ten Event Finals. Montague garners career high marks of 15.100 on pommel horse, 15.05 on still rings and 14.800 on the high bar. He returns to action this season as a co-captain of the team for the second year in a row.
Pochinka, the Plano, Texas native was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and earned the Gophers' Comeback Gymnast of the Year award after missing the first part of the season due to a hand injury. The sophomore competed in three regular-season meets along with the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, where he finished second in the conference and ninth in the nation on vault. At the last regular-season meet of the season, Pochinka set his career-high score of 15.350. In his collegiate debut, he notched a 15.150 and in his first three collegiate meets, he tallied a 15.100 or higher on the apparatus, earning two individual event titles in the process.
BIG TEN MEN'S GYMNASTICS PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. Minnesota
6. Iowa
7. Nebraska
BIG TEN MEN'S GYMNASTS TO WATCH LIST
Bobby Baker, So., Ill.
Chandler Eggleston, So., Ill
Matthew Loochtan, Sr., Iowa
Andrew Botto, Jr., Iowa
Dmitri Belanovski, So., Michigan
Emyre Cole, Fr., Michigan
Paul Montague, Jr., Minnesota
Yaroslav Pochinka, So., Minnesota
Ethan Lottman, Sr., Nebraska
Sam Chamberlain, Sr., Nebraska
Sean Melton, So., Ohio State
Jake Martin, Jr., Ohio State
Trevor Howard, Sr., Penn State
Dominic DiFulvio, Jr., Penn State
