University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Michigan
No. 11 Men's Gymnastics Falls To No. 1 Michigan
February 19, 2000 | Men's Gymnastics
Feb. 19, 2000
AMHERST, Mass. - Senior Jeff LaVallee (Stafford Springs, Conn.) won the all-around with a season-high 57.275 score, but it wasn't enough as the No. 11 University of Massachusetts men's gymnastics team fell, 231.125-221.225, to the No. 1 and defending national champion Michigan tonight in Curry Hicks Cage. The Minutemen fall to 5-2 this season with the loss, while the Wolverines improve to 11-2.
LaVallee had a strong performance on the horizontal bar, tying his season-high of 9.850, to place first in the event. Michigan's Lalo Haro and Kris Zimmerman placed second and third, respectively, with a 9.700 and 9.575 in the event.
UMass recorded season-high team scores in two events tonight with a 36.975 on the still rings and a 36.950 on the parallel bars. LaVallee led the Minutemen on the rings with a 9.575 to finish fifth in the event. Wolverine Scott Vetere won the event with a 9.850. LaVallee tied his season-high of 9.800 on the bars to rank second in the event. Sophomore John Szymczyk (Feeding Hills, Mass.) posted a career-high of 9.400 to place sixth on the bars. Michigan's Justin Toman placed first in the event with an impressive 9.950.
LaVallee paced UMass on the floor exercise, tying his career-high of 9.750, to finish second in the event. Toman placed first with a 9.900. Junior Andy Leis (Suffield, Conn.) came in second on pommel horse with a 9.750, to finish behind Wolverine Daniel Diaz-Luo, who scored a 9.875 in the event. And finally on vault, freshman Brett Nelligan (College Park, Md.) finished fifth with a mark of 9.400. Haro won the event with a 9.650.
The Minutemen are next in action at home on Feb. 22 versus Springfield College at 7 p.m. in Boyden Gymnasium.
