Golden Bears Finish Competing at Winter Cup Challenge

Six California gymnasts finish strong but do not receive automatic selection to U.S. Senior National Team.

Feb. 10, 2008

LAS VEGAS - None of the six Golden Bears who advanced to the final of the Winter Cup Challenge received automatic selection U.S. Senior National Team based on their performances in the finals on Saturday night. Freshman Kyle Bunthuwong finished 24th in the all-around, senior Tim McNeill took third overall on pommel horse, and junior Kyson Bunthuwong fished fifth on the horizontal bar.

"The second day didn't go well for us, we had hoped for much more," California head coach Barry Weiner said. "It was exciting to have six guys in the final out of the top 42 gymnast in the country. It was disappointing to Tim and for Kyson to not make the senior team and it was really right there for them. They just didn't perform as well as they were capable of."

Kyle Bunthuwong was Cal's highest finisher on floor, earning 28.600 after two days of competition, which was good for 15th place overall on floor. Kyson Bunthuwong took eighth on pommel horse (28.250), 20th on still rings (28.400) and fifth on high bar (29.200). Evan Roth put forth the best performance for the Bears on rings with a 29.350 (13th place overall) after two days of competing.

Senior Colin Christ best event was parallel bars, where he finished in 10th place with a two-day score of 29.350. Senior Tyler Block finished the competition with a 28.100 on rings (21st) and a 27.300 on horizontal bar (19th). Three-time national champion Tim McNeill highest finish was on pommel horse (29.400). The Falls Church, Va., native also took 11th on parallel bars with a 29.150.

The Golden Bears return to team and NCAA competition on Feb. 16 when they travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State.

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All-Around
24. Kyle Bunthuwong, 137.500

Floor exercise
15. Kyle Bunthuwong, 28.600
22. Evan Roth, 27.250

Pommel horse
3. Tim McNeill, 29.400
8. Kyson Bunthuwong, 28.250
12. Colin Christ, 27.500
19. Kyle Bunthuwong, 26.650

Still rings
13. Evan Roth, 29.350
20. Kyson Bunthuwong, 28.400
21. Tyler Block, 28.100
24. Colin Christ, 27.700
37. Kyle Bunthuwong, 12.600

Vault
29. Evan Roth, 15.700
30. Kyle Bunthuwong, 15.550

Parallel bars
10. Colin Christ, 29.350
11. Tim McNeill, 29.150
20. Tyler Block, 28.300
31. Kyle Bunthuwong, 27.000
33. Kyson Bunthuwong, 26.750

Horizontal bar
5. Kyson Bunthuwong, 29.200
19. Tyler Block, 27.300
24. Kyle Bunthuwong, 27.100
26. Colin Christ, 26.800
37. Tim McNeill, 13.200