Dec. 26, 2011

Kim Conley
Athletic Communications Student Assistant

The horizontal bar, better known as the high bar, is arguably the most exciting of the six events in men’s gymnastics.

A high bar routine consists of a series of swings, turns, release moves, and a high-flying dismount. It requires an incredible display of both power and precision. As the last event of every home meet, it gives the team an opportunity to finish the meet strong.

The Gophers lost two of their six starters from last year, leaving the high bar lineup with the most positions to be filled.

The team finished ranked tenth in the 2011 standings for high bar. They will have to replace Ali Aleiou, who led the team and ended the season ranked 16th in the country. Josh Wokurka and DJ Repp were also ranked in the top 40.

Returning to the lineup this year are seniors DJ Repp, Russell Dabritz, Ross Cameratta, and junior Josh Wokurka.

“I’m excited for my high bar routine this year,” Wokurka said. “I increased the difficulty in a few areas. Now I’m focused on cleaning up the little things and working on my execution.”

That leaves two spots still up for grabs. Those spots are likely to be filled by talented freshmen such as Kyle Banks, Steve Jaciuk, Spencer Smith, and Sean Bauer.

“We have quite a few freshmen vying for spots this year,” head coach Mike Burns said. “A lot of young guys are going to be seeing action on the high bar. We’re hoping they’ll be able to put it together and help us increase our scores.”

-UM-