April 13, 2007

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - While host Penn State clinched the NCAA Championships in the team final on Friday night, three of the seven California gymnasts competing in tonight's NCAA individual event qualifier advanced to the finals tomorrow night.

Tim McNeill, one of the three Golden Bears who qualified, scored a new career high on parallel bars, notching a 9.800 on the apparatus. McNeill finished first out of all gymnasts on that event, and tied for sixth on pommel horse. Tomorrow night McNeill will defend his 2006 national title on pommel horse and also looks to take top honors on parallel bars.

The other two Cal gymnasts competing tomorrow night are Colin Christ and Kyson Bunthuwong.

In tonight's all-around finals, Bunthuwong finished 10th overall with a score of 51.650. He needed to come in the top eight in order to earn all-around All-America honors. Bunthuwong's fifth-place finish on parallel bars allowed him to advance to the event finals on that apparatus. His score of 9.450 set a new season best.

Christ will join Bunthuwong and McNeill on parallel bars. Christ took 10th place in that event with a score of 9.350, tying his career mark. High bar is the other event that Christ will compete on in the event finals. His season-best score of 9.500 tied him for fourth.

Bryan Del Castillo just missed qualifying on high bar. The freshman earned a 12th-place finish (9.200).

Bromley Palamountain, Aaron Moy and Evan Roth were the other Cal gymnasts competing in the individual event qualifier. Palamountain scored a 9.100 on high bar (tied for 17th), while Roth tied for 15th on vault (8.950) and Moy tied for 27th on vault (8.700).

The individual event finals take place tomorrow night at 5 p.m. (PST) on the campus of Penn State.