Tuesday, March 24, 1998
'Super outstanding'
Mike Dutka nabs Big Ten all-around title
By BRIAN LENNONCollegian Sports Writer
Talk to Mike Dutka's teammates, coaches and rival coaches in the
Big Ten, and you'd think you were hearing about Superman. Talk
to him though, and you'd swear it's Clark Kent.
"I've just been training hard," Dutka said. "I went out there and hit all my routines."
Penn State Mens's Gymnastics Home Page
"To win the all-around you have to be good on each event," said Iowa coach Tom Dunn. "But you also have to be super outstanding on certain events."
Lion gymnast Mike Dutka performs on the parallel bars earlier this season. This past weekend at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., Dutka captured the all-around title. (Collegian Photo/Aimee C. Toberman - click for full size image)
During the all-around competition, Dutka's lowest score was a
9.55. He earned that score on two separate events, the rings and
the parallel bars. By the end of the all-around competition, he
amassed a 58.35, just enough to edge out Illinois' Travis Romagnoli
who earned a 58.227.
"He's a great competitor," teammate Danny Beigel said
about Dutka. "He showed he can take the pressure of the whole
team on his shoulders."
The best performance the first night was Dutka's floor exercise.
It scored a 9.9. He then added 9.85s on the pommel horse and vault
and a 9.65 on the high bar.
Then came the second night and the individual championships.
Again, Dutka scored the highest mark of the night with a 9.9,
but this time on the vault.
"He did an awesome job," teammate Roy Malka said. "It
was a nice way to show how good he was."
Dutka, a sophomore from Fairless Hills, Pa., would end the night
claiming three titles -- the vault, floor exercise (9.837) and
pommel horse (9.837).
Dunn, who was able to view Dutka's vault and floor routine on
the second night, said both were outstanding routines. Penn State
coach Randy Jepson agreed with Dunn.
"They were nice routines," he said. "And he did it all beautifully."
Lion gymnast Mike Dutka performs on the pommel horse earlier this season. Dutka scored a 9.85 during the event at Big Tens on his way to the all-around title. (Collegian Photo/Wendy L. Zeller - click for full size image)
"Individual titles really don't mean anything," Dutka
said, not seeming too disappointed in the oversight.
He has the all-around plaque that was awarded to him, and he said
he hasn't really thought about his achievements from this past
weekend.
"Your goal is to do the best you can," he said, "not
win, really."
And after all the hoopla and achievements this weekend, where
did Dutka put the plaque? Hang it on the wall? On his dresser?
In a trophy case?
Nope. The plaque is still sitting on the couch -- Superman has other things to do.
