Blue gymnasts look to raise the bar

Last spring, when the Michigan men's gymnastics team qualified for the Regional NCAA tournament, there was a sense.

A sense of accomplishment? Well, yes. After all, qualifying was a preseason goal, and the Wolverines did it. For the first time in four years, they did it.

But there was another sense last spring - even after the team had returned from Amherst, Mass., finished for the season.

There was the sense of anticipation.

Anticipation for things to come. Anticipation for the future of the program.

WARREN ZINN/Daily The Michigan men's gymnastics team will add five freshman to last season's returning talent, which is largely intact. The gymnasts swing into action weekend.

Anticipation for winter - when four top recruits would join Michigan's emerging talent to make a run at the Big Ten - and, perhaps - the NCAA Championships.

And, as is cruelly apparent, winter is here. With it comes the start of Michigan's season. But as coach Kurt Golder says, success cannot come from anticipation alone.

"I think we have a real good chance in the Big Ten," Golder said of the upcoming season. "But we'll have to stay healthy, and we'll have to be consistent."

For the consistency, Michigan can turn to several new faces that will complement the lineup. Freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong comes to Ann Arbor with the distinction of "top high-school recruit in the nation," Golder said.

Diaz-Luong is primarily considered a threat on the pommel horse, but coaches feel he will develop into one of the team's top all-around competitors.

Traditionally a Michigan weakness, the pommel horse could be the Wolverines' strongest event this year. Freshman Josh Levin placed second in the event at this summer's Junior National Championships.

More help in the all-around could come from freshman Scott Vetere, who won it at the team's intrasquad meet this fall, as well as freshman Brad Kenna.

Kenna placed third at the U.S. Nationals this summer - a meet open to all competitors, including Olympians - and Golder sees his skills on vault and still rings to be equally impressive.

Sophomore Justin Toman, who was the top collegiate finisher on this summer's national team, brings back talent on the parallel bars, and fellow sophomore Kevin Roulston returns to strengthen the team's all-around performance.

As for the other half of Golder's equation - health - it's a challenge that has already begun.

Kenna is sidelined with a broken hand, which will keep him out of this weekend's Windy City Invitational in Chicago and could put him in a cast for up to four weeks.

Toman and Roulston, both of whom received Big Ten honors last season, are fighting sore shoulders as this season approaches.

Despite being plagued with a sore back, Golder said he is impressed with the progress of junior captain LaLo Haro, Michigan's top individual finisher at last year's NCAA Championships.

"LaLo had a great summer," Golder said. "He has a positive attitude and has really looked good."

The Wolverines will begin the season ranked No. 9 in the coaches' poll, behind three Big Ten teams. And although Golder hopes for a strong showing in the Big Ten, he emphasized that it is not the team's ultimate goal this year.

"I would settle for a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten - provided we're in the NCAA finals. As a team."

If the Wolverines can accomplish that, it would be the first time since 1975.

For now, maize-and-blue faithful can only sit - and anticipate.

01-12-99