Return to the "POINTER VIEW"January 18, 2002
Return to the "POINTER VIEW"
January 18, 2002
Army finishes tied for fourth in overall team standings at WP Open
By Mady Salvani
Asst. Dir., Athletic Media Relations
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| Senior team captain Troy Pazcoguin, who competes in the all-around, is shown here during his pommel horse routine. Pazcoguin picked up a third place on parallel bars and added a fourth-place finish on the vault at the West Point Open over the weekend. |
Junior John Robella tied for first place on floor exercise, and senior team captain Troy Pazcoguin placed third on parallel bars and fourth on vault during the individual finals of the 11th Annual West Point Gymnastics Open Saturday evening at Christl Arena.
The last competitor to perform in the floor exercises, Robella knocked Penn
State’s Kevin Donohue from the runnerup spot (8.9) with his score of 9.0 to earn a share of the individual title with Massachusetts’ Patrick McFarlin. Robella was fourth in Friday’s prelims with an 8.95, while McFarlin registered a 9.0 in tying for second place.
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| Junior Matt Eckerman holds his position on the high bar. |
"I was worried about the first pass because it makes me nervous," stated Robella a two-time NCAA qualifier and Army’s top floor performer since his freshman year. "But when I hit, the adrenaline started pumping and I was able to finish my routines strong."
Robella is the fourth Black Knight to be crowned a champion at this event, and the second to claim the title on floor exercise. James Lewis first captured that crown in 1994, while Ben Hayward was Army’s last champion after winning the pommel horse title in 1999. For his efforts, Robella was named the Army Athletic Association’s "Athlete of the Week" for the week ending Monday.
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| Senior Will Reynolds goes through his routine on rings. |
Pazcoguin qualified for the individual finals in two events, and his mark of 9.25 on vault was Army’s highest score of the meet. That bettered his previous high of 9.15 that he recorded in Friday’s prelims where he tied for fourth place with teammate Matt Eckerman, who finished seventh in the finals (8.8). Pazcoguin turned in his highest finish of third place on parallel bars with an 8.45 showing.
"I was happy with my performance, but it was tough on vault because I knew I would have to beat a 9.5," said Pazcoguin, who at one point last year ranked first nationally on that apparatus. "I did as well as I could and I am happy with my score. My third place finish on parallel bars was a surprise. I made a change to my routine and it all came together."
