March 6, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After producing its highest team score last Friday, the Navy gymnastics team (8-4) will face a stiff challenge this Saturday when it heads up to University Park, Pa., to take on second-ranked Penn State (4-1) and ninth-ranked William & Mary (5-3), starting at 2 p.m.

The Midshipmen rank 13th in the country with a three-score average of 339.483 points following their 340.8-point showing against William & Mary last Friday in Annapolis. Navy ranks among the nation's top-13 schools on the floor exercise (12th, 57.583 points), parallel bars (13th, 55.933 points) and high bar (ninth, 56.817 points).

Ranking second among all ECAC gymnasts in two events is Brandon Cook (Sr./Longmont, Colo.). Cook's 15.233-point three-score average on the floor exercise places him 12th in the nation, only 0.017-point off William & Mary Dave Locke's ECAC-best 15.25-point mark. Cook also boasts a 15.55-mark on the vault to rank second in the conference.

Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) tops all gymnasts in the ECAC and ranks 13th nationally on the pommel horse with a three-score average of 14.467 points. Last Friday against William & Mary, Stanton executed a 14.5-point routine to win the event.

All-around gymnast Christopher Tam (Sr./Draper, Utah) has had significant success on the high bar this winter, evidenced by his 14.6 three-point average that ranks second in the conference and 16th in the country. Tam's mark is only bested by William & Mary Andrew Hunt's 14.883-point ranking in the ECAC.

Following this weekend's tri-meet, Navy will host its final meet of the year when Temple comes to Macdonough Hall on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m.