Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics
Encyclopedia
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.
in 65 years of competition: Wilbur West (1931–1933); Newt Loken
(1948–1983); Bob Darden (1984–1996); and Kurt Golder (1997–present).
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.
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. The 1963 team also won six NCAA individual championships.
In 1970, the team compiled a perfect 12-0 record and won its second team championship with 164.150 points in the NCAA tournament.
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. Loken produced more trampoline champions and world medal winners than any other collegiate coach.
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. 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."
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. The runner up was Ohio State, which finished with 230.85 points. Justin Toman was Michigan's leader at the 1999 tournament with a score of 58.075. 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." 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."
The 2009 Wolverines finished #2 as the runner-up at the NCAA tournament. Michigan gymnast Thomas Kelley was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year in 2009.
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.
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
men's gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
team represents the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and competes in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. The Wolverines have won six NCAA championships
NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship
This is a list of National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Gymnastics champions, by division and year. All schools currently compete in one division, because only 17 schools sponsor men's gymnastics teams...
, 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 coachesCoach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
in 65 years of competition: Wilbur West (1931–1933); Newt Loken
Newt Loken
Newton C. Loken was an artistic gymnast and coach of gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading. While a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's gymnastics team, Loken was NCAA all-around gymnastics champion in 1942 and the Big Ten Conference all-around champion in 1941 and 1942...
(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.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. At the time of Loken's arrival, Michigan did not have a men's gymnastics program. In 1947, the athletic board awarded varsity status to men's gymnastics, and Loken was named the head coach.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.
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. The 1963 team also won six NCAA individual championships.
In 1970, the team compiled a perfect 12-0 record and won its second team championship with 164.150 points in the NCAA tournament.
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. Loken produced more trampoline champions and world medal winners than any other collegiate coach.
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. 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."
Darden era (1984-1996)
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.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.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. The runner up was Ohio State, which finished with 230.85 points. Justin Toman was Michigan's leader at the 1999 tournament with a score of 58.075. 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." 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."
The 2009 Wolverines finished #2 as the runner-up at the NCAA tournament. Michigan gymnast Thomas Kelley was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year in 2009.
The 2010 Wolverines won the NCAA men's gymnastics national championship, defeating the second place team from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
by 0.7 points. Michigan gymnast Chris Cameron
Chris Cameron
Chris Cameron was an All-American lacrosse player at Lehigh University from 1986 to 1989 who twice led the nation in scoring. He is currently tied for fifth in all-time Division I scoring with 122 goal and 185 assists for 307 career points....
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.
NCAA individual event champions
Michigan has had 15 gymnasts who have won NCAA individual championships.- 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 LaRoseGilbert LaroseGilbert Larose was a gymnast who was named NCAA all-around champion for the University of Michigan in 1963 and competed for Canada in the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics...
- 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 CameronChris CameronChris Cameron was an All-American lacrosse player at Lehigh University from 1986 to 1989 who twice led the nation in scoring. He is currently tied for fifth in all-time Division I scoring with 122 goal and 185 assists for 307 career points....
- all-around
Current roster
The roster of the 2010 Michigan men's gymnastics team includes athletes from 14 states and Singapore.- Ben Baldus-Strauss - junior from Wheaton, IllinoisWheaton, IllinoisWheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
- Syque Caesar - sophomore from Port Saint Lucie, Florida
- Kent Caldwell, redshirt senior from Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
- Chris Cameron, junior from Winter Haven, FloridaWinter Haven, FloridaWinter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
- David Chan, senior from SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- Devan Cote, redshirt sophomore from Hollis, New HampshireHollis, New HampshireHollis is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,684 at the 2010 census. The town center village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hollis Village Historic District....
- Steve Crabtree, redshirt sophomore from Perrineville, New JerseyPerrineville, New JerseyPerrineville is an unincorporated area located within Millstone Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 08535....
- Phillip Goldberg, redshirt senior from Dalton, GeorgiaDalton, GeorgiaDalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
- Adam Hamers, redshirt sophomore from Salem, OregonSalem, OregonSalem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
- Garrett Hamers, freshman from Salem, OregonSalem, OregonSalem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
- Evan Heiter, redshirt junior from Pinckney, MichiganPinckney, MichiganPinckney is a village in Putnam Township, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,141 at the 2000 census.Three miles west of Pinckney, on Patterson Lake Road, is the famous tourist destination of Hell, Michigan.-Geography:...
- Douglass Johnson Jr., redshirt freshman from Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- Thomas Kelley, junior from Libertyville, IllinoisLibertyville, IllinoisLibertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
- Torrance Laury, senior from Marietta, GeorgiaMarietta, GeorgiaMarietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
- Joe Levine, redshirt junior from Springfield, New Jersey
- Ian Makowske, junior from Redding, ConnecticutRedding, ConnecticutMark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
- Ryan McCarthy, redshirt senior from Zionsville, IndianaZionsville, Indiana-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,775 people, 3,063 households, and 2,407 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,512.9 people per square mile . There were 3,169 housing units at an average density of 546.4 per square mile...
- Mel Anton Santander, senior from Southborough, MassachusettsSouthborough, MassachusettsSouthborough is an affluent town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. Its population was 9,767 at the 2010...
- Monk Seaman, freshman from New York, New York
- Rohan Sebastian, freshman from Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
- Andrew Vance, redshirt sophomore from Plymouth, MichiganPlymouth, MichiganPlymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...