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Meet Preview: Gophers Prepare for Senior Day Matchup Against Penn State
3/5/2021 11:52:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
The Gophers men's gymnastics team is set to host the Penn State Nittany Lions this Saturday, Mar. 6 at 12:00 p.m. CST at the Maturi Pavilion. The meet will also serve as the Maroon & Gold's Senior Day meet, where the team will honor seniors Shane Wiskus, Henry Meeker, Colton Dee, and Russell Johnson.
This marks the team's fourth meet of the year, with the Gophers holding both a Big Ten and an overall record of 0-3 on the season. Minnesota's most recent team result came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road, where the Gophers fell by a score of 397.800-407.700.
"It's certainly going to be a special day at Maturi Pavilion with Penn State coming to town," head coach Mike Burns said. "They are a very solid program and will be a formidable opponent. It'll be great to have Shane Wiskus back in the lineup after coming off of a great weekend at Winter Cup last weekend. Also, we'll be celebrating our seniors with Shane being back in town, so there are many great stories surrounding this meet - plus it's my alma mater! The team's had a couple weeks off since our last meet against Nebraska so my hope is they are well rested but also super hungry to go out and perform to the best of their ability."
Some of the big storylines to follow for the Maroon & Gold include the return of senior captain Shane Wiskus to the Gopher lineup. While it will be the lone regular season appearance for Wiskus with the team, it will also be the first opportunity to see the Spring Park-native take part in some dual meet action following a several month period in which he trained at the United States OPTC.
Additionally, the Gophers squad saw career high performances from the likes of Mike Moran (80.550 - All-Around), Noah Duran (13.600 - Pommel Horse), Donte McKinney (13.450 - Parallel Bars), and Tyler Davis (14.350 - Vault). The Maroon & Gold will look to carry their momentum into a meeting with a strong opponent in the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Saturday's meet against Penn State will be available to stream on BTN+ (subscription required) at the link provided above. Live stats will also be provided for fans by GopherSports, with the link also available above. Fans can also track the Gophers by following the Minnesota men's gymnastics Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
Gophers in the Rankings
The Maroon & Gold enter this weekend's matchup ranked No. 9 in both the Road to Nationals team rankings, as well as the CGA Coaches Poll. Team event rankings for the Gophers are as follows: tenth on floor, ninth on pommel horse, eighth on still rings, eighth on vault, fifth on parallel bars, and ninth on high bar.
Minnesota gymnasts finding themselves in the top 25 individual rankings this week are:
All-Around: Shane Wiskus (3rd), Mike Moran (17th)
Floor Exercise: Shane Wiskus (3rd)
Pommel Horse: Noah Duran (T-22nd)
Still Rings: Shane Wiskus (2nd)
Vault: Shane Wiskus (T-23rd)
Parallel Bars: Shane Wiskus (3rd), David Pochinka (17th)
High Bar: Shane Wiskus (4th), Crew Bold (5th), Donte McKinney (22nd)
Scouting Penn State
Penn State enters their meet with the Gophers ranked No. 5 in the nation in the Road to Nationals team rankings, while ranking as the No. 8 team in the CGA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions are led by a strong group of freshmen including Michael Jaroh, who ranks 15th in the nation in all-around, as well as Matt Cormier, who ranks 9th on floor and vault for the team. The squad's highest ranked gymnast is senior Parker Clayton, who currently sits at No. 4 in the national still rings rankings.
The Road Ahead
Following this weekend's senior day matchup with Penn State, the Gophers will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on the University of Michigan Wolverines next Sunday, Mar. 14 at 12:00 p.m. CST. The Maroon & Gold will then return home for their final meet of the season where they will host Illinois on Monday, Mar. 22 at 4:00 p.m. at the Maturi Pavilion.