2021-2022 Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics News

Minnesota Takes Fourth at GymACT Nationals as Owens-Pochinka and Ryan Claim All-Americans 

Two Minnesota gymnasts earned All-American honors at the GymACT Championships on Saturday after the team finished a few points out from a spot on the podium in fourth place. 

Minnesota’s Yaroslav Owens-Pochinka and Kellen Ryan claimed All-American awards. Owens-Pochinka tied for sixth on rings, and Ryan was fourth on vault. 

The team counted errors on its first two events, high bar and floor, but performed well on its final three to pull ahead of Temple and take fourth with a score of 296.1. Arizona State led the field, scoring a 320.2, while Washington and the Texas Armadillos rounded out the podium spots.

Minnesota’s score of 296.1 was a step back from its total at the Eastern Conference Championships, where the team put up a 302.05 to take the title. 

“We definitely underperformed at nationals and left an easy four points out on the floor that would have pushed us into third place,” head coach Mike Burns said. “Our dismount landings were an area we didn’t capitalize on this week, but the guys did an excellent job of digging their way out of the hole we got ourselves in after the first two events.”

Minnesota stuck four dismounts on Saturday, down from 16 at the Eastern Conference meet. Still, the team shone under the pressure of a late-competition race for fourth place, edging ahead of Temple by less than half a point after having fallen to eighth place following the second rotation. 

“Their tenacity paid off and allowed us to fight our way back into fourth,” Burns said. 

Minnesota’s Ryan also finished in a tie for eighth place all-around, and Jude Norris was 13th all-around. Owen Frank tied for eighth on rings to finish just behind Owens-Pochinka on the event.

The full team standings are below: 

  1. Arizona State, 320.2

  2. Washington, 305.55

  3. Texas Armadillos, 299.05

  4. Minnesota GymACT, 296.1

  5. Temple, 295.65

  6. Iowa GymACT, 295.0

  7. SC United, 294.55

  8. Mavericks, 293.8

  9. New York Alliance, 283.05

  10. NIU, 280.85

  11. GA United, 262.9

  12. Bay Area Bandits, 246.5

No. 3 Minnesota to Vie for National Title in Oklahoma City This Weekend

Minnesota will compete for a national championship on Saturday in Oklahoma City, taking on 13 programs as part of this weekend’s GymACT Nationals. 

Minnesota GymACT enters the competition ranked No. 3 nationally. The team last competed on April 29 at the GymACT Eastern Conference Championship, where Minnesota defeated Temple, Iowa and other squads to win its second consecutive conference title. 

“Coming off that big victory, I believe these guys are confident and capable,” head coach Mike Burns said. “Nothing can replace the confidence that is built from great preparation, and I feel like we’ve been paying close attention to the small details that can make a big difference.”

Arizona State and Washington rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, heading into this weekend’s competition. Last year, Arizona and Washington finished second and third behind first-place Iowa, while Minnesota placed fourth. 

“It’s going to take a large dose of that confidence to defeat the powerful teams of the West — Arizona State and Washington,” Burns said. 

Minnesota achieved its Eastern Conference Championship victory last month after putting up the best team scores on four events and following a standout performance by sophomore Kellen Ryan. Ryan won the all-around, four events, and finished runner-up on the remaining two apparatus. The team finished with a score of 302.05. 

Freshman Jude Norris finished second in the all-around behind Ryan, scoring a 74.0, while Haden Paravecino and Andrew Hyde also earned podium finishes. 

“It was a real Minnesota statement to see Kellen and Jude take the top two spots in the all-around at Easterns. They’ll both be competing in the all-around this weekend, Burns said. 

Saturday’s competition will kick off at 5:40 p.m. CT. A list of all the teams competing is included below:

  1. Georgia United

  2. Arizona State Gymnastics

  3. Bay Area Bandits

  4. Iowa

  5. Kansas City United

  6. Minnesota

  7. Northern Illinois University

  8. New York Alliance

  9. Rocky Mountain Mavericks 

  10. SC United

  11. Temple University

  12. Texas Armadillos

  13. University of Illinois at Chicago

  14. Washington Men’s Gymnastics

  15. Florida Storm (Individuals only)

Kellen Ryan Leads Minnesota to Second Straight GymACT Eastern Conference Title 

Minnesota won its second consecutive GymACT Eastern Conference Championship in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, sticking a season-high 16 dismounts to surpass Temple, Iowa and other teams. 

Minnesota GymACT had the best team scores on pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars and finished with a total of 302.05. Temple and Iowa placed second and third, respectively, with scores of 296.7 and 287.95, while New York Alliance, Northern Illinois and Georgia United rounded out the top six.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of these guys tonight — they started strong on the first event, secured the lead and never looked back,” head coach Mike Burns said. “It’s a great feeling to go in and defend our conference title.”

Minnesota’s 16 sticks amounted to a 52% stick percentage, its highest of the season. The team hit 84% of routines.

Four Minnesota gymnasts claimed individual medals on Saturday. Sophomore Kellen Ryan had a standout performance, winning four apparatus titles and the all-around with a six-event score of 79.95. Ryan was runner-up on the two events he did not win.

Freshman Jude Norris, meanwhile, finished second in the all-around after sticking all six of his dismounts and scoring a 74.0. He also placed third on horse with a score of 12.75. 

Sophomore Haden Paravecino and senior Andrew Hyde tied for third on parallel bars with scores of 12.55. And freshman Owen Frank was just off the podium on rings, scoring a 13.0 to finish fourth.

Minnesota will now prepare for the GymACT Nationals on May 13 in Oklahoma City, where it will look to increase its hit percentage and claim a team medal.

“We still have some room to improve with an 84% hit percentage,” Burns said. “But we’ll enjoy this victory. Men’s gymnastics at the University of Minnesota is alive and well.”

Minnesota Gets Set For GymACT Eastern Conference Championships 

Minnesota GymACT is set to take on seven rival teams at the GymACT Eastern Conference Championships in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, where Minnesota will look to defend its No. 1 ranking in the East. 

Minnesota, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, will face off Saturday against Iowa, Temple, Northern Illinois, New York Alliance, University of Illinois-Chicago, Georgia United and the Florida Storm. The competition starts at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

“We have some stiff competition this year, but I have a lot of faith in our guys to get the job done,” head coach Mike Burns said. “I’m very happy with the diligence of our athletes and their focus on the task at hand this week.”

Minnesota last competed on March 11 at the NIU Invitational, where the team defeated Temple, Northern Illinois and Iowa and where sophomore Kellen Ryan finished first all-around with a score of 80.7. Ryan also won titles on floor, pommel horse, rings, vault and high bar, and Jude Norris, Andrew Hyde, Owen Frank, Victor Perez and Haden Paravecino earned podium finishes as well.

In February, Minnesota set a season-high score of 307.9 to finish second at the MN GymACT Invitational. The team ranks No. 3 nationally. 

“I want to give a big shout-out to all those who’ve helped in our fundraising efforts this year,” Burns said. “We couldn’t do what we’ve been doing without the unwavering support from our alumni and friends of the program.”

Minnesota Sets New Season High in Runner-Up Finish at MN GymACT Invitational

Minnesota GymACT set a new season-high team score on the way to a runner-up finish against Arizona State and Iowa at the MN GymACT Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Minnesota’s Victor Perez claimed individual titles on floor and vault, while Kellen Ryan finished first on high bar and in the all-around. Freshman Jude Norris was third in the all-around after recording top-five finishes on parallel bars and high bar.

As a team, Minnesota had the best scores of the meet on vault (55.0) and high bar (51.0) and put up season-best totals on floor, pommel horse, rings and high bar. 

“What a great weekend of gymnastics at Humboldt High School in St Paul,” Minnesota head coach Mike Burns said. “I’d like to give a big shout out to AD Matt Osborne and his staff for being such great hosts.”

Minnesota finished the competition in second place with a score of 307.9. Arizona State was first with a 315.7, and Iowa placed third with a 301.8.

Arizona State and Minnesota were closely matched on five of six events, but the Sun Devil team proved more than five points better on pommel horse, taking the top four places on the event. Minnesota’s Ryan was the best pommel worker of the lineup, scoring a 12.9 for fifth-place. 

Ryan was also third on floor and fourth on vault. Andrew Hyde notched a fifth-place finish on vault and took sixth on pommel horse, while Owen Frank was sixth on rings. 

On floor, Perez stuck his Arabian double half-out opening pass, his triple full, and his back double-full dismount to earn the title. He took a step back after a Kas full on vault to score 14.2 and win the event. 

Ryan won high bar after catching a Yamawaki, Kolman, Kovacs, landing his layout double-double dismount and scoring a career-high 13.6. He tallied a 79.0 across six events to take the all-around crown. 

The Minnesota GymACT Invitational brought close to 280 young gymnasts to town to compete for top honors . The meet, formerly known as the Ski-U-Mah Invitational, is turning into a top-level competition in the area. 

“The GymACT tri-meet was a great show of gymnastics skill and high energy,” Burns said. “Arizona State, Iowa, & Minnesota showed why they’re all ranked in the top 4 of the National GymACT rankings with some very high level routines.”

Minnesota Defeats Iowa, Northern Illinois at Iceberg GymACT Meet With Five Event Titles

Minnesota Gymnastics earned a victory over rival GymACT programs Iowa and Northern Illinois on Saturday at the Iceberg Open in Minnesota. 

Minnesota tallied a program-high 302.7 with season-best performances on floor, pommel horse, vault and high bar. Kellen Ryan and Yaroslav Pochinka earned event titles, and Minnesota achieved the best team score of the meet on all six events. Victor Perez placed in the top three on floor, vault and parallel bars. 

“I was really pleased with the way the guys competed during the GymACT session of the Iceberg meet,” head coach Mike Burns said. “It was the first time since becoming a GymACT team we were able to snatch a victory from Iowa, and it was satisfying.”

Iowa finished second with a score of 292.95, while Northern Illinois was third with a 282.95. 

Ryan had an excellent all-around showing on Saturday, scoring a 78.2 for the title after racking up wins on pommel horse (12.65), vault (14.3) and parallel bars (12.65). His 14.3 on vault, awarded for a clean Kas 1.5, is the third-highest score on the event of the 2023 GymAct season. 

Pochinka claimed first on floor and rings with scores of 13.15 and 14.25, respectively. On rings, where he’s ranked No. 1, Pochinka performed a kip Maltese, back uprise Maltese and stuck his double layout dismount. Ryan was second on rings with a 13.75 after sticking his tucked double-double dismount.

Minnesota started the meet well with a season-high 50.7 on floor, thanks to Pochinka’s set and a strong routine from Perez, who took second with a 12.95. Perez opened his floor routine with a big Arabian double half out and moved to a back triple full and a stuck back 2.5. 

Minnesota was best on horse by more than 3.5 points. Ryan led the effort with his 12.65, and Koa Taylor was second with a career-high 12.15, performing an E flop and Russian dismount.

The team widened its lead by two points on both rings and vault. On rings, Owen Frank took fourth with a 12.9 after executing piked and tucked Yamawakis and a full-twisting double back dismount. Perez then took bronze on vault with his Kas full, while Andrew Hyde and Pochinka finished fifth and sixth, respectively. 

Perez also earned a runner-up finish on parallel bars with a gorgeous peach handstand and a back flip half to upper arm. 

Minnesota finished the meet with a season-high 48.9 on high bar, with Justin Lancisi and Ryan tying for second. Lancisi caught his straddle Tkatchev and stuck his full-twisting double layout dismount to score 12.55. Ryan opened with a Yamawaki and caught his Kolman and Kovacs before landing a layout double-double dismount. 

“We were able to break the 300 scoring barrier for the first time in program history and that puts us in a good spot moving forward,” Burns said of the meet. 

Minnesota will take on Arizona State and Iowa at the Minnesota GymACT Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Humboldt High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. The meet will kick off at 7 p.m. CT. 

Minnesota Wins the GymACT East Conference Championship!!

On April 23. 2022 Minnesota competed virtually against Temple in a battle for the GymACT East Conference Title. Both teams finished atop their respective Divisions within the East Conference and competed hard for the title. The final results in the 5 up, 4 count format had Minnesota finishing on top by a score of 295.10 - 285.90.

Congratulations to the Minnesota Men’s Gymnastics team for the win in their first season as a GymACT Program. Next up is the GymACT Nationals on May14 in Mesa, AZ in conjunction with USAG JD Nationals.

Here’s a great recap of both Conference Championships on the GymACT website:

https://www.gymact.org/post/recap-from-the-conference-championships

And here is the link to the google scoresheet. Enjoy!!!

MINNESOTA GymACT ENDS REGULAR SEASON AT NEBRASKA

The Minnesota GymACT Team finished their regular season competition schedule with a quad meet at the University of Nebraska on March 5th.

Nebraska played hosted to Big Ten rivals Illinois in a conference matchup. Head Coach Chuck Chmelka reached out to MN GymACT head coach Mike Burns back in the fall inviting the newly formed GymACT team to join the action alongside the other first year GymACT team from the University of Iowa.

Nebraska was honoring their seniors in their final home meet and they were able to put together a big night and defeat the Fighting Illini to stay in the hunt for the Big Ten Regular season title (Nebraska 408.05 - Illinois 405.65). Iowa is currently ranked #1 in the GymACT National Rankings and Minnesota is ranked 4th (out of 12 GymACT teams). While Minnesota put together its highest hit percentage of the year (89%) the Iowa GymACT team was just too strong to be taken down. Iowa was victorious with a score of 379.00 to Minnesota’s 358.50. Kellen Ryan continues to pace Minnesota with his All Around effort and a final score of 75.80 for a third place finish in the All Around. Andrew Hyde found his way back in the All Around this week after relearning his high bar dismount. He had a solid 6 for 6 performance and posted a career high 72.50. George Khoury also competed in all 6 as an All Arounder and posted a 65.95.

Top finishers on each event for Minnesota included Yaroslav Owens-Pochinka on Floor Exercise with a 12.5; Jake Sawyer on Pommel Horse with a 12.85; Yaroslav on Still Rings with a 13.35; Kellen Ryan on Vault with a 14.2; Andrew Hyde on Parallel Bars with a 12.1; and Kellen Ryan on High Bar with a 12.4. Big shout outs to freshmen Ben Hays, Haden Paravecino, and Koa Taylor for much needed depth and scoring power in the lineup.

Next up for Minnesota GymACT is the 2022 USAG Collegiate National Championships to be hosted at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD on March 25 & 26, 2022. Four Minnesota GymACT team members qualified as part of the GymACT East All-Star Team and will compete against the All-State team made up of qualified gymnasts from the GymACT West Conference. Other teams in attendance include William & Mary, the US Air Force Academy, Springfield College, and the host, the US Naval Academy. Competing at this meet will be Yaroslav Owens-Pochinka (FX, SR, & V); Kellen Ryan (qualified on all 6 events); Jake Sawyert (PH); and Andrew Hyde(PH, SR, & PB). Best of luck to these four representatives of the Minnesota GymACT Team.

Golden Gopher Alums Luke Aldrich (2018 All America, 3rd from left), Henry Meeker (2021 Team Captain, center), and Tyler Davis (2021 Team Captain, 3rd from right) were on hand to cheer on the Minnesota GymACT Team in Lincoln, NE. Team members, from left to right, include: Andrew Hyde, Yaroslav Owens-Pochinka, George Khoury, Jake Sawyer, Haden Paravecino, and Koa Taylor.

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