University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Big Ten Championships
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Four Gophers Place Top Six, Wiskus Earns Bronze at B1G Event Finals
4/6/2019 10:41:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
The Minnesota men's gymnastics team saw seven athletes compete in five different events during the individual finals of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday.
Wiskus was Minnesota's lone medal-winner on the evening with a 14.150 on parallel bars, good for third place, and he also came in sixth on floor with a score of 14.000.
Four other Gophers placed within the top six to advance to the podium. Justin Karstadt took fourth on pommel horse (14.050), junior captain Timmy Kutyla came in fifth on high bar (13.475) and freshman Ben Eyles placed sixth on vault (14.450).
Wiskus and Karstadt were also named First Team All-Big Ten after coming in fifth and sixth, respectively, in Friday's all-around competition. It is the second time being honored for Wiskus and the third for Karstadt.
Sophomore Henry Meeker rounded out Minnesota's honors on the day in receiving the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, given to the student-athletes on each team "who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior."
Floor
The evening started with Mike Moran, Eric Nakamura and Shane Wiskus competing on floor. Minnesota went back-to-back-to-back, with Moran scoring 11.200, Nakamura with a 10.650, and Wiskus rounding out the Gophers with the 14.000 that would earn him sixth place.
Pommel Horse
Karstadt and Pochinka represented Minnesota on the pommel horse in an incredibly tough field, which included two-time, reigning national champion Stephen Nedoroscik of Penn State. Karstadt rose to the occasion and was still able to place fourth with a score of 14.050. Pochinka earned a 12.650 to come in ninth.
Vault
The Gophers were represented by a duo of rookies on vault, Moran and Eyles. Eyles matched his second-best score of the season in his first-ever individual championships with a 14.450, good for sixth. Moran notched a 14.375 for eighth.
Parallel Bars
Wiskus was Minnesota's lone competitor on parallel bars and also went on to earn the team's medal for the night. He scored a 14.150 to earn the bronze and to add to his growing collection of Big Ten plaudits.
High Bar
Pochinka and Kutyla were the Gophers' last competitors of the night on high bar. Pochinka went first and scored a 13.150 to tie for eighth. Kutyla, who was added to the high bar finals late due to a scratch, delivered an excellent routine that scored a 13.475, his third-best score of the year, and placed him on the podium. It was the first-ever finals appearance for Kutyla in his career.
The Road Ahead
The Gophers have just one meet left in their season: The NCAA Championships. The competition is set to begin with the first day of team competition on Friday, April 19. The top six teams from day one will advance to the final on Saturday, April 20, and the Gophers will look to rival last season's national runner-up finish. The NCAA Championships will be hosted at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.