Hawkeyes, gymmen top field of six at Big Tens

By DARREN STEELE
Collegian Staff Writer

The NCAA men's gymnastics regular season is over, and now it's on to the big time. For the floundering Nittany Lions and the other five Big Ten schools, the road to postseason glory begins this weekend in Iowa City, Iowa at the Big Ten Championships.

Each of the Big Ten's six programs is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally, and will bring its own variety of style and stamina to the competition.

Iowa Hawkeyes (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten)

Defending Big Ten champion Iowa has its eye on a repeat, this time in its home gym.

Eighteen-year coach Tom Dunn has led the Hawkeyes to two Big Ten Championships -- 1986 and '98.

"We are the defending champs, we're at home, and we're unbeaten at home. That's the positive side," Dunn said. "We haven't met PSU, that's the negative side. I am a little worried about our scoring. Illinois has scored a 230, Penn State and some others have a higher scoring average than we do."

Iowa has dominated the Big Ten this year, beating Michigan State 227.525-221.950 and capturing the 1999 Windy City Invitational by defeating the likes of Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan. The Hawkeyes have faced every team in the tourney except Penn State, who lost to Iowa by .05 at last year's championships.

Iowa has three major All-American weapons, junior Todd Strata and seniors Adrian Johnston and Lou Datilio. With those three and their teammates healthy and hungry, Iowa will be tough to beat.

Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2, 2-2)

Penn State has been waiting for this all year. Last year, Penn State had the rug pulled from beneath it by Iowa on the final event. The Lions blamed part of the loss on nagging injuries.

"We had people injured, and those were our main guys," Brandon Stefaniak said. "We are not going to let that happen this year. We stand behind one another and support one another; we're a better unit."

Stefaniak will be a major weapon for the Lions, along with fellow All-American, Ron Roeder. The team has had wins against Michigan and Illinois and looked very strong against Ohio State, but came up short, losing to the Buckeyes, 228.050-230.950.

Many have predicted the Lions to win the title, a stigma coach Randy Jepson said may not hold because of current injuries.

"I really don't have any idea," said Jepson, referring to his prediction of how the Lions will fare in Iowa. "We definitely are not as healthy as I want to be. We will not be 100 percent. We have to do the best we can and not let the other teams bother us. I told the guys, 'We lost it last year because of mistakes. We can't make those this year.' "

Ohio State Buckeyes (14-2, 11-2)

The Buckeyes have their eyes set on Big Ten gold. Ohio State has more experience in meets with other Big Ten teams than any other team. The Buckeyes defeated Penn State, beat Michigan twice and sent Michigan State home with a loss as well. The team did suffer defeat at the hands of the Fighting Illini. All the experience could make the Buckeyes a major threat to win in Iowa.

Ninth-year coach Miles Avery, coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, knows how to win. He has guided the Buckeyes to a national championship and four Big Ten crowns.

The Buckeyes bring seniority mixed with a crop of young talent. One of those young talents is sophomore Jamie Natalie, who has had great performances against tough teams this season.

Seniors Doug Stibel and Tim Elsner are two of the most successful gymnasts headed to Iowa. Stibel's talent as one of the best all-around athletes in the nation could give the Buckeyes the arsenal needed to capture their fifth Big Ten Championship.

Michigan Wolverines (13-5, 5-5)

The Michigan Wolverines have nine lives. They have lost to Big Ten teams this year and been tossed aside only to resurrect themselves and avenge those losses. Michigan lost to Penn State then beat the Lions the second time. It also split with Ohio State, beat the Illini twice and Michigan State once.

Michigan has a strong and successful team led by two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week Daniel Diaz-Luong, one of the best all-arounders in the nation.

Coach Kurt Golder will lead his team of young talent to Big Tens with an optimistic attitude.

"The Big Ten Championship will be a tougher meet than the national championships themselves," he said. "We had some new skills in our routines . . . we have healed that. I really think it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes."

Illinois Fighting Illini (9-8, 4-8)

Other teams in the Big Ten are never sure which Illinois team will show up.

Led by 23-year coach Yoshi Hayasaki, the Illini could prove to be a dark horse. They lack depth, but do boast the top gymnast in the country, Travis Romagnoli. He has won the all-around almost every time he has chalked up his hands this season. The competition will have their work cut out for them if they expect to edge Romagnoli.

Michigan State Spartans (5-11, 3-8)

The Spartans are a long shot to win the crown, and will have to pull off a major upset to pull it off. They have proven to be a team that can sneak up on opponents, as it beat Illinois and came close to defeating Ohio State and Michigan.

The Spartans placed fourth at Big Tens last year, but have lost many seniors. Their hopes rest on the young shoulders of Jon Plante, but he will likely be unable to do it on his own.