March 13, 2010

BERKELEY- In its final home meet of the 2010 campaign, the No. 9 California men's gymnastics team entertained the fans at Haas Pavilion with a 354.650-344.300 upset win over No. 6 Penn State on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Glen Ishino, the reigning national and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation gymnast of the week, further established his dominance with a 90.900 all-around win.

Cal took home four team titles - horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar. Kyle Bunthuwong and Ishino tied for first on horizontal bar. Bunthuwong won parallel bars and Ishino took home the titles on vault and pommel horse. The Bears set multiple season and career records at the meet, including a new season high team overall score at 354.650.

On floor, Ishino was Cal's top finisher with a 15.250, a new season high, for second place. Also setting a personal best - year and career - was Dennis Mannhart, who scored a 14.750 for sixth place. The Bears' collective score of 58.650 was a new season high, breezing by their previous 57.500.

Ishino's event-winning 15.450 on pommel horse was not only yards above the other competitors - second place was a 14.800 by PSU's Felix Aronovich - but also good enough for a new season and career high. Ishino's previous best on horse in 2010 was a 15.200 and his career high was 15.400. Cal hit a 2010 high on horse with a 58.200, above its previous season best of 56.950 and just short of its all-time best of 58.250.

Also helping the Bears to their 58.200-54.550 win on p-horse were Kyle Bunthuwong, who took third with a 14.650, and Mannhart, who was in fourth at 14.550. Freshman Donathon Bailey finished out the Cal scorers in sixth with a 13.550.

Two Cal gymnasts set year and career highs on rings en route to the Bears' 57.350-57.300 edging of the Nittany Lions on the event. Steven Lacombe (seventh) bested his former high of 14.000 with a 14.200 and Mannhart had a 14.350 (fifth). Ishino took second with a 14.500.

Ishino soared to a first-place finish on vault with his 15.850. Freshman Christian Monteclaro took third place with a career-best tying 15.650. Mannhart tied for fourth (15.600) while Jean Monteclaro was the final Cal score to count with a 15.350 to push the Bears to a 62.450-61.850 win on the event.

The Bears absolutely dominated parallel bars, taking the first five spots with Bunthuwong leading the way with his event-winning 15.000. Ishino was second (14.900), sophomore Jim Kerry took third (14.500) and Eric Haeussler was fourth (14.200).

Cal was not through setting new highs, however, and the Bears took home the high bar title, 59.400-56.800. Bunthuwong and Ishino tied for first, each scoring a 14.950, while sophomore Raion Sabo took third with a 14.800 - a new season and career best. Mannhart's 14.700 for fourth place was a new career high and Haeussler had a 2010 best of 14.350. Cal set a new 2010 best with its 59.400 on h-bar, above its previous high of 58.100.

The Bears have a three-week break from competition before heading to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships on Saturday, April 3. At the meet, which is hosted by Oklahoma, the Bears will face off against Stanford, Oklahoma, Air Force and Nebraska.