University of Massachusets Athletics
Morace, McFarlin Travel to Winter Nationals
February 08, 2002 | Men's Gymnastics
Feb. 8, 2002
Las Vegas, Nev. - Junior Darren Morace (Westfield, Mass.) and sophomore Pat McFarlin (Longmeadow, Mass.) will represent the University of Massachusetts men's gymnastics team at the 2002 Winter Nationals to be held here this weekend. Both gymnasts will compete in the all-around competition.
Morace, who captured his fourth all-around title in five meets last weekend against Temple, has set new career highs in five events and bested his previous all-around high four times this season. McFarlin, who won two event titles last weekend, is the defending ECAC champion on pommel horse.
This prestigious annual event is the first major U.S. meet of the 2002 season. On the line are two spots on the U.S. National Team, as well as Winter Cup all-around and event titles.
Among those expected to compete, recently crowned world parallel bars champ Sean Townsend, who is also the reigning U.S. national champion. Townsend earned two medals at last October's World Championships in Ghent, Belgium, and his accomplishments rank him among the world's top gymnasts.
Also in the 2002 Winter Cup line-up, four of Townsend's silver-medal-winning World Championship teammates: Paul Hamm, who finished seventh all-around in Ghent, Stephen McCain, Raj Bhavsar and Guard Young, as well as alternates Daniel Diaz-Luong and Todd Thornton and 2001 junior national champions D.J. Bucher (Class I) and Willie Ito (Class II).
The Minutemen will return to action next weekend at Boyden Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 16, as they host Air Force in a dual meet.
