Feb. 24, 2007

OAKLAND - The California men's gymnastics team came in third in the Pacific Coast Classic, Saturday night at the Oakland Convention Center. The Golden Bears ended with a final score of 214. 750. Oklahoma finished in first (218.450) and Stanford came in second (216.650).

Cal had four gymnasts finish in the top 15. Junior Tim McNeill, who turned in a 12th-place finish, won two events in the competition. The current NCAA Gymnast of the Week won pommel horse (9.150) and parallel bars (9.650). The only other gymnast to win two events was Oklahoma's Jonathan Horton. Horton was the all-around winner of the meet. McNeill also scored a career-high 9.550 on still rings and a season-high 8.800 on high bar.

Junior Colin Christ was the top all-around finisher for the Bears. He came in 10th with a final mark of 41.900. Christ's best event score came on high bar (9.400), which also was a season-high score for Christ. He tied for third in the event.

Fellow junior Tyler Block and freshman Bryan Del Castillo were the other two Bears to finish in the top 15. Block came in 13th all around and finished in the top 10 for three events. He came in sixth on still rings (9.450), eighth on parallel bars (9.200) and tied for eighth on high bar (9.250). His scores on still rings and parallel bars were new season bests, while his high bar total was a new career best. Del Castillo's top score came on floor exercise, as he tallied a 9.350 and tied for seventh. Del Castillo, who finished in 15th all around, tied for fourth on vault with a 9.000.

Cal has a short week ahead, as it travels to Los Angeles to compete in the Pete Vidmar Invitational on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m.

Top Team Scores:
1. Oklahoma - 218.450
2. Stanford - 216.650
3. California - 214.750
4. Michigan - 214.400
5. Illinois - 213.500
6. Minnesota - 211.950