ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's gymnastics team had a day for the record books on Friday as the tenth-ranked Mids etched their name in the annals of USAG lore with a dominant victory in the team portion of the USAG Collegiate Championship. Hosted in Navy's Macdonough Hall, the Mids cruised to a 15.9-point victory over the five-team varsity field, as well as by 7.15 points over No. 15 Arizona State, the first-place team in the six-team field of club programs with a final score of 400.7 points. The win by Navy was just the third for the Mids in the 37 years of the nation-wide competition and first since 2008.
Ryan McVay (So., Roseville, Calif.) led the Mids to the win as he was crowned the USAG Collegiate All-Around Champion.
"I was really pleased with another great team effort all the way through today," remarked head coach
Kip Simons. "We hit 28 of 30 routines that we did out there. It was a long day and the energy that the guys brought was outstanding; it was warm in MacD and there were 11 teams. From the time we stepped in the gym today, we focused on what we could control and that was it. We weren't worried about anybody or anything else or any other scores, we were solely focused on Navy Men's Gymnastics. At the end of the day, we looked up at the scoreboard and we walked away with the W, the first time since 2008.
"What this group continues to do, day-in and day-out is a testament to their work ethic. From our team captain and seniors down through the freshmen, they are a great group of guys and really deserve this victory. They've all bought in and are ready to take this program to the next level. I think that's what the statement was today, to go in and have a convincing win. I think we're ready to show the country who Navy Gymnastics is and that we're back on the map."
McVay's all-around title was just one of a plethora of individual highlights for the Mids on Friday as the team turned in 10 top-three and 25 top-10 results over the six apparatuses.
Frank Bradley (Jr., McLean, Va.) and
Lucas Beltran (Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas) each finished first on the day as Bradley netted 14.05 points on the floor exercise to clear the field, while Beltran placed first by a significant 0.35-point margin with a score of 14.75.
Dan Clark (Fr., Avon, Mass.) and
David Toussaint (So., Warren, Ohio) each tied for second place on the pommel horse with matching 13.3's. McVay's top event on Friday was the parallel bars, where he tallied a 13.5. The sophomore's all-around score was a 78.75. He was 1.35 points better than Army's Cole Casanova, the runner-up.
"You got to give it up for
Ryan McVay," said Simons. "For a youngster [sophomore] to go out there and compete in the all-around, which is not as common any more in our sport, and do all six events at such a high level, that was impressive. Ryan went out there routine-after-routine and didn't skip a beat. His work paid off with him walking out with the all-around title. That's another positive from today's meet. To have the all-around champion represent Navy on a day when we win the team title, that's really special. Ryan has put the work in; he just competed at the Winter Cup last month against some of the top gymnasts in the country, who were there vying for spots on the U.S. National and Olympic teams. Ryan is really coming into his own. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this season and then two more great years with him."
As a team, Navy scored 68.1 points on the floor exercise, 63.35 on the pommel horse, 65.7 on the rings, 69.95 on the vault, 66.3 on the parallel bars and 67.3 on the high bar.
The Mids outscored the field of No. 13 Air Force (384.80), No. 14 William & Mary (384.50), No. 12 Army (383.20) and No. 16 Springfield (377.05) on all six apparatuses.
The tone was set early when the team started on the high bar on Friday. All five of Navy's gymnasts turned in scores in the top-eight as the team was 3.15 points better than William & Mary, the runner-up.
Cash Buske (Fr., Madison, Wisc.) led the way with a score of 13.85 that ranked third overall in the field of 25. Close behind him in fourth place was
Max Gerber (So., Dix Hills, N.Y.), who recorded 13.75 points. Juniors
Ben Provost (South Hadley, Mass.) and
Ryan Orce (Gainesville, Fla.) went back-to-back in fifth and sixth with respective scores of 13.40 and 13.20. McVay rounded out the dominant quintet with a 13.1 score that was good enough for eighth place.
That momentum carried over to the floor exercise where Bradley posted his second-best score of 2019, a 14.05, to place first. Provost and Beltran were 0.25 points back in a tie for third place with matching 13.8's. After a trio of gymnast took fifth, sixth and seventh, McVay found himself in a tie for eighth with 13.5 points. As a squad, Navy was 1.15 points better than second-place Army on the floor exercise.
The Mids continued putting space between themselves and the field with a 2.05-point advantage on the next event, the pommel horse. Clark and Toussaint's identical 13.3's spearheaded the host's lineup.
Jake Carlson (So., Lakeville, Mass.) made it three Mids in the top-eight as he posted a 12.45.
Similar to the high bar, Navy had all five of its competitors place in the top-10 on the rings. Freshman
Josh Williams (Cypress, Texas) was the leader of the rings team with a third-place score of 13.45. Orce tallied his second top-six result of the day as he tied for fifth on the rings with a 13.2. A trio of Mids rounded out the top-10 as
Christian Correale (Sr., Harrisburg, Pa.), McVay and
Nehemiah Baker (Fr., Oak Ridge, N.C.) all came in consecutively with scores of 13.1, 13.0 and 12.95.
Beltran led a top-heavy effort for the Mids on the vault as he hit a season-high 14.75 score. Bradley and
Travis Keller (So., Centreville, Va.) each were credited with 14.2 vaults that placed them in a three-way tie for fourth place.
With the victory well within their reach, Navy closed out the championship meet in dominant form with a 2.05-point advantage on the parallel bars, their final event of the day. McVay led a run of four Mids in the top-nine with his 13.5-point score, that was good enough for second place.
Dhiren Lutchman (Fr., Beltsville, Md.) came in just 0.05 points back in third with a 13.45. Orce and Gerber were also separated by 0.05 points as Orce notched a 13.20 in a tie for seventh, while Gerber was ninth with a 13.15.
In the all-around competition, McVay finished with 78.75 points. Only his pommel horse (12.2 points) and vault (13.45) routines ranked outside the top-10. The rest of the top-five consisted of Army's Cole Casanova (77.4), Springfield's Stephen Lewis (75.9) and Trevor Lamberton (73.95), and William & Mary's Nate Winneg (73.05).
Nine Mids will advance to compete in Saturday's individual finals, including Beltran, Bradley and McVay in two events each.
"Tomorrow is all about the individual, as our guys get to go out there and compete to take home some event titles," said Simons. "Come Monday morning though, its 0-0 again and we'll work on replicating this sort of passion, enthusiasm and technique that we had here at home today. Next week we'll be on the road for the ECACs and that's our next task. Complacency is not an option. We're at mile 22 of this marathon of a season and it isn't over yet. These last four miles are the hardest of the season. Keeping the team motivated and hungry for that ECAC title is what we're all about starting on Monday. We'll worry about NCAA's after the conference meet. We can't take anything for granted."
First touch of the USAG Collegiate Championship Individual Finals is set for 2 p.m. at Macdonough Hall on Saturday afternoon.
**SHUTTLE NOTE: With Navy hosting its annual Spring Invitational Track & Field Meet on Saturday, fans that do not have clearance (DOD ID card) and are unable to drive onto the Yard, but wish to attend the USAG Championship can take a shuttle to the parking lot outside of Macdonough Hall. Busses will run from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to Ingram Field/Macdonough Hall parking lot from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Valid ID is required to board the bus and fans will be charged a nominal amount to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Final Combined Standings
Navy - 400.7 points (Varsity)
Arizona State - 393.55 points (Club)
Air Force - 384.8 (V)
William & Mary - 384.5 (V)
Army - 383.2 (V)
Springfield - 377.05 (V)
Washington - 374.6 (C)
Temple - 337.05 (C)
SC United - 336.25 (C)
New York Alliance - 316.55 (C)
NorCal United - 284.6 (C)
