Springfield College to host 2008 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships

• Official 2008 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships site

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 10, 2008-Springfield College will host the 2008 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships, March 28-29, at Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass. The College of William and Mary, seven-time defending champions, and Arizona State University look to repeat as team champions in the varsity and collegiate divisions, respectively.

The competition opens on March 28 at 7 p.m. with team and all-around finals, followed by individual event finals on March 29 at 7 p.m. The team competition is divided into two categories, varsity and collegiate. The varsity competition is for Division I, II, or III, four-year institutions with gymnastics as a varsity sport. The collegiate team category is for two-year or four-year degree-granting schools with gymnastics as a club sport.

In addition to ASU, William and Mary, and host Springfield College, eight other colleges currently are expected to compete: varsity – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy; and collegiate – James Madison University, State University of New York at Brockport, University of Texas and the University of Washington.

Tickets are $5 each day for adults and $3 each day for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Springfield College students with a valid ID and children ages five and younger will be admitted free. Tickets will be sold at the door.

At last year’s event, Navy and Air Force finished second and third, respectively, behind William and Mary in the varsity division. In the collegiate team competition, ASU placed first, followed by the University of Texas and the University of Washington. Air Force’s Greg Stine won both the floor and still rings titles, as well as the varsity division’s all-around crown. Other individual event champions were: Joe Atzenbeck, Navy, pommel horse; Dave Locke, William and Mary, vault; William and Mary’s Andrew Hunt, parallel bars; and Isaac Olsen, Navy, horizontal bar. Washington’s Sean Liner won the collegiate all-around title. The team and collegiate divisions were combined for the individual event finals.

Click here for more information on the 2008 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships.

Blake Arena is also hosting the Massachusetts Men’s State Championships the same weekend as the 2008 USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships. For more information, go to www.massgymnastics.org.