Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics

The Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics team represents the University of Michigan and competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Wolverines have won six NCAA championships, 15 Big Ten championships and have been invited to 31 NCAA tournaments. Since 1999, Michigan has finished in the Super Six at the NCAA tournament in 11 of 12 seasons. In 2010, Michigan won the NCAA men's gymnastics team championship.

History

The Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics team has had four coaches in 65 years of competition: Wilbur West (1931–1933); Newt Loken (1948–1983); Bob Darden (1984–1996); and Kurt Golder (1997–present).

West era (1931-1933)

Wilbur West was Michigan's first men's gymnastics coach. In three years under West, the team compiled a record of 1-10. After the 1933 season, the gymnastics program was discontinued and was not resumed until 1948.^[1]

Loken era (1948-1983)

Newt Loken came to the University of Michigan in 1944 as a master's degree student. On the side, he coached the cheerleading team.^[2] At the time of Loken's arrival, Michigan did not have a men's gymnastics program.^[2] In 1947, the athletic board awarded varsity status to men's gymnastics, and Loken was named the head coach.^[2]

Loken remained the coach of Michigan's men's gymnastics team for 36 years and compiled a record of 250-72-1. His teams won NCAA men's gymnastics championships in 1963 and 1970 and 12 Big Ten championships. Loken coached 71 Big Ten individual event winners and 21 NCAA individual event winners.^[3][4]

In 1963, the Wolverines compiled a 6-0 in the regular season and won the Big Ten championship with 210.50 points. They went on to win the NCAA championship with a score of 129 points.^[5] The 1963 team also won six NCAA individual championships.^[1]

In 1970, the team compiled a perfect 12-0 record and won its second team championship with 164.150 points in the NCAA tournament.^[1]

Loken also coached the cheerleading team at Michigan as well as the varsity sport of trampoline. From 1947 through 1964, trampoline was included as an event in gymnastics competitions by both the AAU and NCAA. The first trampoline world championships were held in 1964. Loken led the Michigan trampoline team to NCAA championships in 1969 and 1970.^[6] Loken produced more trampoline champions and world medal winners than any other collegiate coach.^[7]

As of 2007, the 88-year-old Loken was still a regular at Michigan's men's gymnastics practices and events, and it was reported that he had not missed a Michigan home meet from 1948 to 2007.^[2] Assistant coach Scott Vetere said: "He knows everybody on the team, and if he forgets, he's 80-some years old, and he'll ask again. He's just a pure gymnastics guy - always wants to be around gymnastics, always wants to learn more, (always) wants to praise guys for what a wonderful job they're doing."^[2]

Darden era (1984-1996)

1906-1907 Michigan men's gymnastics team

Bob Darden (1984–1996) was head coach for 13 seasons. During Darden's tenure as head coach, the Wolverines compiled a record of 76-111-1 and had no Big Ten championships or NCAA tournament berths.^[1]

Golder era (1997-present)

Kurt Golder took over as Michigan's head coach in 1997. After Michigan finished the 1996 season with an 0-11 record, Golder quickly turned the program around. In 14 seasons from 1997–2010, Golder has led the Wolverines to a record of 246-166-1, three Big Ten championships, 10 NCAA tournament berths and two NCAA national championships. Since 1999, Golder's teams have finished in the Super Six at the NCAA tournament in 10 of 11 years.^[1][8][9]

In 1999, Kurt Golder led the Wolverines to a 19-5 record in the regular season. The 1999 team went on to win the school's third team gymnastics championship with season-best 232.55 points in the NCAA tournament.^[1][10] The runner up was Ohio State, which finished with 230.85 points.^[10] Justin Toman was Michigan's leader at the 1999 tournament with a score of 58.075.^[10] The NCAA championship came just three years after a winless season in 1996. Golder was credited with taking over the program and building it into "a national powerhouse."^[10] Upon winning the 1999 NCAA championship, golder told the press, "The plan was to get here in the fourth year and be in contention in the fifth year. We got lucky and got some great recruits. Everything fell into place."^[10]

The 2009 Wolverines finished #2 as the runner-up at the NCAA tournament.^[1] Michigan gymnast Thomas Kelley was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year in 2009.^[11]

The 2010 Wolverines won the NCAA men's gymnastics national championship, defeating the second place team from Stanford University by 0.7 points. Michigan gymnast Chris Cameron also won the all-around title with 90.500 points, including 15.450 on the rings and vaulting, 15.150 on parallel bars, 15.050 on pommel horse, and 13.800 on the horizontal bar.^[12]

NCAA individual event champions

Michigan has had 15 gymnasts who have won NCAA individual championships.^[5]

1949: Edsel Buchanan - trampoline 1950: Edsel Buchanan - trampoline 1951: Edsel Buchanan - trampoline 1959: Ed Cole - trampoline 1963: Gary Erwin - trampoline 1963: Mike Henderson - floor exercise 1963: Gil LaRose - vault, horizontal bar, all-around 1963: Arno Lascari - parallel bars 1964: Gary Erwin - trampoline

1966: Wayne Miller - trampoline 1967: Dave Jacobs - floor exercise, trampoline 1968: George Huntzicker - trampoline 1969: Dave Jacobs - trampoline 1969: Ron Rapper - parallel bars 1970: George Huntzicker - trampoline 1970: Ron Rapper - parallel bars 1978: John Corritore - parallel bars 1992: Brian Winkler - floor exercise

1999: Justin Toman - parallel bars 2000: Justin Toman - parallel bars 2000: Kris Zimmerman - parallel bars 2002: Daniel Diaz-Luong - horizontal bar 2003: Andrew DiGiore - vault 2010: Ryan McCarthy - horizontal bar 2010: Chris Cameron - all-around

Current roster

The roster of the 2010 Michigan men's gymnastics team includes athletes from 14 states and Singapore.^[13]

• Ben Baldus-Strauss - junior from Wheaton, Illinois
• Syque Caesar - sophomore from Port Saint Lucie, Florida
• Kent Caldwell, redshirt senior from Charlotte, North Carolina
• Chris Cameron, junior from Winter Haven, Florida
• David Chan, senior from Singapore
• Devan Cote, redshirt sophomore from Hollis, New Hampshire
• Steve Crabtree, redshirt sophomore from Perrineville, New Jersey
• Phillip Goldberg, redshirt senior from Dalton, Georgia
• Adam Hamers, redshirt sophomore from Salem, Oregon
• Garrett Hamers, freshman from Salem, Oregon
• Evan Heiter, redshirt junior from Pinckney, Michigan
• Douglass Johnson Jr., redshirt freshman from Los Angeles, California
• Thomas Kelley, junior from Libertyville, Illinois
• Torrance Laury, senior from Marietta, Georgia
• Joe Levine, redshirt junior from Springfield, New Jersey
• Ian Makowske, junior from Redding, Connecticut
• Ryan McCarthy, redshirt senior from Zionsville, Indiana
• Mel Anton Santander, senior from Southborough, Massachusetts
• Monk Seaman, freshman from New York, New York
• Rohan Sebastian, freshman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Andrew Vance, redshirt sophomore from Plymouth, Michigan

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Michigan Men's Gymnastics Year-by-Year Results". mgoblue.com. http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-gym/archive/gmm-year-by-year.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Rosensweig, Colt (2007-02-13). "Blue still impacted by founding father". Michigan Daily. 
3. ^ Wright, Jerry. "Gymnastics Hall of Fame Honorees: Where Are They Now?". U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame. http://www.usghof.org/files/remarks_archive/hallremarks_3.html. 
4. ^ Madej, Bruce (1987). Michigan: Champions of the West, p. 180. Sports Publishing. ISBN 1-57167-115-3. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Michigan Men's Gymnastics All-Time National Champions". mgoblue.com. http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-gym/archive/gmm-ncaa-champions.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
6. ^ "University of Michigan Gymnastics". http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/gymmen/gymmen.htm. 
7. ^ "Michigan Men's Gymnastics 2003 Weekly Release #2: A Tribute to Newt". University of Michigan Athletics. 2003-01-15. http://mgobluearc.tekgroup.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=9055&season=38. 
8. ^ "Kurt Golder profile". mgoblue.com. http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-gym/mtt/golder_kurt00.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
9. ^ Colt Rosensweig (2008-04-14). "It's another Super Six trip for men's gymnastics". The Michigan Daily. https://www.michigandaily.com/content/its-another-super-six-trip-mens-gymnastics. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d e} "MICHIGAN MEN TAKE NCAA GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP". The Augusta Chronicle. 1999-04-24. 
11. ^ Colt Rosensweig (2009-04-05). "Kelley wins all-around, Big Ten Gymnast of the Year titles". https://www.michigandaily.com/content/2009-04-06/kelley-wins-all-around-big-ten-gymnast-year. 
12. ^ "Michigan wins men's gymnastics NCAA title". Detroit Free Press (AP wire story). 2010-04-16. http://freep.com/article/20100416/SPORTS06/100416082/1054/sports06/Michigan-wins-mens-gymnastics-NCAA-title. 
13. ^ "2010 Michigan Men's Gymnastics Roster". mgoblue.com. http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-gym/mtt/mich-m-gym-mtt.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 

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