WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army's gymnastics team closes out its 2010 regular-season slate at William & Mary Friday evening. The Tribe will be hosting this year's Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships and the meet will serve as a tune-up for the Black Knights.
Army's young team, whose 15-man roster is made up of 11 underclassmen, has had its ups and downs this season. The Black Knights (2-7) have improved in each meet and will be looking for a strong showing in preparation for the ECAC Championships being held the first weekend in April (2-3). The Black Knights are also host for this year's NCAA Championship being held at Christl Arena April 15-17.
No. 16 Army is coming of a 340.4-330.2 loss to No. 12 Air Force in its home finale at Gross Sports Center last weekend. Senior Ty Smith was first on parallel bars (13.4) and runner-up on vault (15.25) and all-around where he set a career-high 81.8, with freshman Garrek Hojan-Clark posting a team high winning pommel horse (14.9).
No. 15 William & Mary (7-3) is coming of a season-high 337.80 in edging host Springfield (336.60) in a tri-meet won by Air Force (342.95) last weekend in Massachusetts. The Tribe captured two events with Josh Fried taking top honors on floor exercise with a personal best (14.7) and senior all-arounder Derek Gygaz, ranked No. 7 in the conference, winning high bars with a season best 14.3.
The Black Knights and Tribe are competing against each other for the second time this season, having met last month in a triangular hosted by Navy. William & Mary swept the meet with a 339.55 and Army defeated the host Midshipmen (319.4) to finish second with a 325.25.
Army is averaging 331.00 points and the Tribe show a 334.067 average with the Black Knights' season high a 331.85 and William & Mary's a 337.80. In the team events, the teams are split down the middle with Army holding the edge on pommel horse, vault and high bar, and the Tribe leading on floor exercise, still rings and parallel bars.
TEAM EVENTS:
ARMY: No. 11 on pommel horse (54.967) where Hogan-Clark is ranked No. 18 nationally with a 14.433 average and first in the ECAC. The Black Knights also list 15th on parallel bars, 16th on floor exercise, vault and high bar and No. 17 on still rings.
WILLIMA & MARY: The Tribe's highest ranking is 12th on parallel bars (55.967) while listing 14th on still rings, 15th on floor exercise and pommel horse and 17th on vault and high bars.
ARMY'S INDIVIDUAL LEADERS IN THE ECAC:
Floor Exercise: Chase Brown #12 (14.367), Ty Smith #20 (14.05)
Pommel Horse: Garret Hogan-Clark No. 1 (14.433); Justin Sappington #9 (13.7); Jonathan Hoey #14 (13.483)
Still Rings: Jared Breeden #18 (13.833); Justin Sappington #21 (13.767)
Vault: Ty Smith, Jared Breeden, Kip Webber, Tied #14 (15.25)
Parallel Bars: Tim Tieng #15 (13.833), Chase Brown #16 (13.817), Ikaika Jakub #19 (13.7)
High Bar: Ty Smith #20 (13.75), Jonathan Hoey #22 (13.567)
All-Around: Ty Smith #12 (80.383)
In the latest ECAC team standings, William & Mary lists fourth, Army is fifth with defending champion University of Illinois-Chicago ranked first with a 343.667 average followed by Temple (340.183) and Springfield (335.917).
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