ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The No. 9 Navy men's gymnastics team will look to build momentum going into the postseason as it concludes the regular season on Saturday with a road meet at No. 14 William & Mary. Shaking off the rust of a three-week break last weekend with a strong 392.85 score at No. 1 Oklahoma, the Mids (3-2) will be aiming to better its season-long scoring average on Saturday afternoon versus the Tribe (1-7) at Kaplan Arena on the campus of William & Mary. First touch is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the meet streamed and scored on the Virtius video platform.
Most Recent Navy-William & Mary matchup: January 27, 2024 in Annapolis
In the final meet before the 2024 Army-Navy Star competition, the No. 8 Navy men's gymnastics team rolled to a 396.5-370.9 victory over No. 15 William & Mary on Saturday afternoon. The Mids (1-0) were strong from the start in the head-to-head meet versus the Tribe (0-1) at the Halsey Field House Gymnastics Facility as they led by 4.9 points after the floor exercise discipline and never looked back, winning all six events and seeing Navy gymnasts finish first overall in each event, as well.
Individually,
Isaiah Drake and
Matthew Petros led the Mids' effort with two event wins each, Drake on the floor exercise and vault and Petros on the parallel bars and high bar. Their wins book-ended first place results by
Ronan McQuillan on the pommel horse and
William Champagne on the rings.
As a team, Navy scored 66.25 points on the floor exercise, 64.65 on the pommel horse, 63.95 on the rings, 69.55 on the vault, 67.05 on the parallel bars and 65.05 on the high bar. Their 396.5 total is the Mids' best score of the young 2024 season.
Comparing the Squads
(2024 Averages)
|
Navy |
Individual Leader |
William & Mary |
Individual Leader |
| All-Around |
392.867 |
N/A |
379.567 |
N/A |
| Floor Exercise |
65.62 |
Buradagunta, 13.92 |
63.23 |
Peazant, 13.03 |
| Pommel Horse |
65.13 |
Buradagunta, 13.55 |
59.08 |
Zborowski, 12.20 |
| Rings |
62.52 |
Champagne, 12.97 |
63.22 |
Greenly, 13.18 |
| Vault |
70.12 |
Petros, 14.40 |
70.07 |
Lee, 14.48 |
| Parallel Bars |
66.03 |
Petros, 13.87 |
64.32 |
Lee, 13.58 |
| High Bar |
63.95 |
Buradagunta, 13.07 |
61.95 |
Pizem, 13.00 |
Last Time Out: Navy at Oklahoma, last Saturday in Norman
Beginning the stretch run of its regular season, the No. 9 Navy men's gymnastics team ran into a stiff challenge on Saturday night with a road competition at No. 1 Oklahoma. Winners of 12 NCAA Championships and top-two results in each of the last 22 NCAA Championships, the Sooners (8-2) led wire-to-wire and secured a 415.30-392.85 victory over a Midshipmen (3-2) squad that was in action for the first time in three weeks.
Vishal Mandava and
Matthew Petros led Navy's individual performances at McCasland Field House as both turned in team-high third-place results. Mandava showcased his best routine on the parallel bars as he netted a score of 13.55, while Petros closed out the Mids' night on the high bar with a 13.65 effort.
As a team, Navy scored 65.15 points on the floor exercise, 65.6 on the pommel horse, 61.85 on the rings, 70.05 on the vault, 63.75 on the parallel bars and 66.45 on the high bar. The Mids' high bar score was its highest of 2024, surpassing the previous-high of 65.05 set against William & Mary on Jan. 27.
Next Up: 2024 USAG Collegiate Championships
Navy's run of three postseason championships over a five-week span begins next Friday with the first of two days of action at the 2024 USAG Collegiate Championships. Hosted by the United States Air Force Academy, the two-day event kicks off on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local) with the team title on the line between Air Force, Greenville, Simpson, Springfield, Navy and William & Mary. The Mids are the three-time defending champions of the nation-wide competition. On Saturday afternoon starting at 3 p.m. ET, the best individual gymnasts at the meet will vie for event-title gold.
