University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
California
Seniors Lead the Way in Final Home Meet
3/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
March 18, 2018
FINAL RESULTS
The No. 6 Gophers posted their highest mark at the Maturi Pavilion of the season Sunday. They beat the California Bears 411.150 to 388.550 on Senior Day.
Ten seniors were honored following the conclusion of competition. Among the seniors, three went home with an event title from the meet.
The Gophers earned the event title in all six events. Among these were Shaun Herzog and Yaroslav Pochinka, who both posted a 15.100 on vault, which tied for the second-highest mark in the NCAA this year.
"It felt really good because these guys have known they've been capable of this kind of a competition," head coach Mike Burns said.
It was the first time the Gophers have gone over an 80 percent hit percentage this season.
"We still have some room for improvement which is kind of fascinating because it just felt like everything was on tonight," Burns said. "Besides the fact we had a couple of missed routines here and there, it was an outstanding competition. The energy was great."
Freshman Shane Wiskus captured the all-around title with 83.050.
FLOOR
Senior captains Alex Wittenberg and Joel Gagnon tied for the title on floor by each posting a 14.200. It was Gagnon's season high and the second-highest score posted by Wittenberg this season.
"It felt great to take home a title the last time we'll be at the Pav," Wittenberg said. "It was a lot nicer to be able to share it with Joel. Being able to share it with your teammate while you're both seniors is really special, especially because we've both been captains for the last two years."
Two other Gophers posted 14.000 or above on floor, with Luke Aldrich having a 14.100 and Vitali Kan having a 14.000.
POMMEL HORSE
Minnesota had the top five finishers on pommel horse. Justin Karstadt tied his season high with a 14.350 score and the event title.
Tristan Duran finished second with a 13.900, Wiskus was third with 13.800, Kan was fourth with 13.700 and Aldrich was fifth with 13.200.
RINGS
The Gophers had the top three finishers on rings. Pochinka had his first event title of the day on rings with a 14.300. That mark tied his season high.
Herzog and Wiskus tied for second, each with scores of 13.700.
VAULT
Pochinka and Herzog both posted scores of 15.100 on vault, which are the second-highest scores by anyone in the NCAA this season.
It was Pochinka's second event title. Wiskus was third with 14.750, Kan was fourth with 14.550 and Gagnon was fifth with 14.400.
PARALLEL BARS
Karstadt had the highest score on p-bars with his personal season-best 14.600. Duran was second with a 14.050.
HORIZONTAL BAR
Wiskus won on high bar with a 14.000. It was a season high for him.
Jalon Stephens was third overall and second for the Gophers with a 13.250.
UP NEXT
The Gophers head to Lincoln, Neb. next week to face two Big Ten foes in the Cornhuskers and the Hawkeyes. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. on March 24. It is the final meet for the Gophers before the Big Ten Championships on April 6.
Make sure to follow Gopher men's gymnastics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest results, updates, promotions and giveaway news!
Players Mentioned
