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Ohio State gymnasts return favor in men's championships

A year after watching Stanford win the National Collegiate Men's Gymnastics Championships team title on the Buckeyes' home floor, Ohio State returned the favor by winning the 1996 men's gymnastics team title at Stanford.

Ohio State amassed 232.150 points and claimed its second team title. The Buckeyes won their first championship in 1985.

California was runner-up with 231.775 points. The Golden Bears' showing was their best since winning the team title in 1975. Stanford placed third with 229.925 points, and Iowa, Oklahoma and Penn State rounded out the field.

Ohio State, which finished third behind Stanford and California in the team-preliminary session, registered 39.000-plus points in three of six events, including a team-best 39.175 points in the rings.

Blaine Wilson and Drew Durbin led the way for the Buckeyes. Wilson, who posted team-high marks in five of six events, led Ohio State scoring with 58.850 points, including a team-final best of 9.925 points in the floor exercise.

Durbin, who later successfully defended his individual-event championship in the pommel horse, scored 9.825 points in the event in team competition.

Durbin also posted 9.700-plus marks in three other events, including a 9.825 in the horizontal bar.

The Buckeyes also received outstanding performances from Tim Elsner, Doug Stibel and Chad Finefrock. Elsner scored 9.750 points in the floor exercise, second on the squad only to Wilson, while Stibel scored 9.675 points on both the vault and horizontal bar. Finefrock contributed 9.750 points in the rings and 9.700 points in the horizontal bar.

Ohio State was equally impressive in the individual-event championships, winning or sharing four titles.

Wilson turned in the individual events' outstanding performance, winning the all-around title and sharing first place in both the parallel bars and rings. Wilson scored 58.625 points in the all-around to claim his first individual title.

Durbin accounted for the Buckeyes' fourth individual-event title with his second straight pommel horse crown. The only athlete to successfully defend an individual-event title this year, Durbin scored 9.875 points.

Iowa's Jay Thornton, who claimed the 1995 individual floor-exercise title, won his second career title by claiming the vault crown.