West Point, N.Y. - January 13, 2023 - The Springfield College men's gymnastics team started the 2023 season at the West Point Open on Friday evening and finished fifth against some of the top competition in the country.
Penn State won the team title with a 407.6000 as it outdistanced second-place Nebraska's mark of 399.300. Navy took third with a 394.5000, Army placed fourth with a 390.150, while Springfield put together an impressive season-opening score of 388.150. For the Pride, it marked its highest team score at the West Point Open since 2017.
The Pride had two gymnasts finish in the top five of the all-around competition as Felix Kriedemann (Strasslach, Germany) delivered a 76.350 and Dominic Ramalho (Hollis, N.H.) posted a 75.850.
Kriedemann had the Pride's top mark on the floor exercise as he finished eighth in the event with a 13.650, while Ramalho posted a 13.100 and Jakarie Williams (Stockbridge, Ga.) scored a 13.000 for a top-15 finish. On the pommel horse, Jaden Laubstein (Oakland, Calif.) was credited with a team-best mark of 13.350 and Colton O'Brien (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Sam Kaplan (Fairhaven, Mass.) delivered scores of 12.600 and 12.400 to finish inside the top 20.
David Handron (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led Springfield on the rings with a 13.450, which was the eighth-highest score in the event. Kaplan hit for a 13.250 and Dylan Colangelo (Youngstown, Ohio) followed closely with a 13.050. The Pride had its highest event score of the day on the vault with a 70.250 as four student-athletes registered at least a 14.100. Williams led the way with a 14.300, while Will Wilson (Montgomery, Ala.), Andrae Butler (Taunton, Mass.), and Owen Carney (Sterling, Mass.) all scored 14.100's.
Kaplan notched a top-eight finish on the parallel bars with a 13.500, followed by Ramalho's score of 13.400, and Kriedemann's score of 13.100. On the horizontal bar, Williams had a 12.550, Kriedemann added a 12.450, and Noah Dhaliwal (South Orange, N.J.), scored a 12.400.
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