University of Minnesota Athletics
Intrasquad Meet Preview: Gold Team
12/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men's gymnastics team, ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten Coaches' Preseason Poll, is set to host the annual Maroon vs. Gold scrimmage to kick off the 2016 season. The two teams will face off at the Sports Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.
Danny DiBenedetto and Paul Montague Jr. lead the Gold team with junior Zach Liebler, redshirt sophomore Mitchell Soukup, sophomores Shashank Yallamraju, Ryan Bergman, Jalon Stephens, Jack Kramer, Alex Wittenberg and Yaroslav Pochinka and freshmen Justin Karstadt and Ryan Wangler.
Senior co-captain Paul Montague Jr. leads the gold squad after competing in every meet last year on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and high bar. The senior says he has been working on his consistency and confidence this offseason. "Individually, I would like to become an All-American. I feel confident going in even though it's the offseason, so I'm just going to let that train roll."
Senior co-captain Danny DiBenedetto leads the gold squad after a successful 2015 campaign. He competed in all eight meets last year and the NCAA individual qualifying round. DiBenedetto is coming off of surgery and is not expected compete this Saturday. However, the senior should be ready to compete by the Gophers first regular season meet, the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17.
Zach Liebler earned All-American honors after finishing third in the NCAA individual finals last season. Liebler is the only junior on the team this year and will be competing on still ring and high bar on Saturday. The Minnesota-native has never competed in still rings in his collegiate career. "I try and take it to the next level for all the apparatuses," Liebler said on his work this offseason. "I focus on execution a lot and sticking all my passes and every turn that I take. I'm going to pursue perfection."
Shashank Yallamraju competed in four meets last season on pommel horse and vault. This season, he is turning his focus to a new apparatus. "This year, I've been trying to improve on my ring routine," said Yallamraju. "It's one of the team's weaker events this season and I've been trying to pick up some of the slack for it to make sure it's a consistent routine for me the entire year."
Ryan Bergman, who competed in four regular season meets last year, is looking to compete in all eight regular season meets this season. " I would like to compete in all the meets. I started competing in the first half last year," Bergman said. "I'd like to continue on when it goes to five up five count."
The Gophers' Most Improved competitor, Jalon Stephens, will be competing on all six apparatuses this season. Stephens has been working on perfecting his high bar routine this offseason and has big aspirations for this upcoming season "Individually, I'd like to earn an individual title on high bar at the Big Tens and the NCAA Finals," he said. "I have been working really hard on high bar perfecting new skills and it has been one of those things I've really wanted."
Mitchell Soukup, who will not see action Saturday, has high hopes for this season after earning the Gophers' Rookie of the Year Award last season. The redshirt sophomore hopes to improve on his lone apparatus, the still rings. "Individually, I would love to get to the point of being one of the top guys on rings in the nation," said Soukup. "It's going to take a lot of work, but it's doable."
Jack Kramer appeared in all eight regular season meets last year as well as the NCAA qualifiers. Over the offseason, Kramer has been looking to continue to grow as a gymnast and a leader on this young team. "I want to be able see myself as one of the most reliable team members," he said. "When I go out there and compete I want to make sure I hit my set. For me, consistency has always been a huge thing. I may not be doing the most difficult sets, but I want to be that guy you can count on to always hit."
Only competing on the floor last year, Alex Wittenberg is looking to expand on the apparatuses he will appear on this upcoming season. "I realized I didn't want to be a guy that competes in just one event," he said. "As mainly a floor specialist in the past, I really wanted to evolve as a gymnast and get better on the other apparatuses too," That's why pommel is developing and why vault is developing. Every day I'm pushing myself to shed that label as a specialist."
Yaroslav Pochinka missed over half of last season with a hand injury. However, he returned to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors and competed in the NCAA Individual Finals. Pochinka's efforts earned him the Gophers' Comeback Gymnast of the Year award.
Freshman Justin Karstadt competed on the Canadian national team while Minnesota-native Ryan Wangler competed at last year's Winter Cup.
"This is the strongest team I've seen since I've been here. It's going to be great," said DiBenedetto. "It's such a good atmosphere -- everyone has such a deep intrinsic motivation to do their best and it brings out so much comradery."
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Players Mentioned
