7/29/2004 - Men's Gymnastics
Men’s Gymnastics Fifth in 2004 National Academic Team Standings
Sean Blackman was one of three Midshipmen to earn a 4.0 GPA and be named a 2004 All-America Scholar-Athlete. |
Annapolis, Md. - The Navy gymnastics team finished fifth in the 2004 National Academic Team Standings, as announced by the College Gymnastics Association.
The Midshipmen's cumulative grade-point average of 3.078 came in fifth behind team champion Stanford (3.382), Springfield (3.223), Penn State (3.218) and William and Mary (3.152).
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our program,” head coach Sho Fukushima said. “There is so much going on in the lives of these young men, whether it's military requirements, academic requirements or athletic requirements. This achievement symbolizes the character that the men on our team have.”
Three Midshipmen earned 2004 All-America Scholar-Athlete honors by earning perfect 4.0 GPAs. Navy was the only school on the list to have multiple athletes earn perfect GPAs, as only two other athletes from across the country accomplished the feat. Drew Barker (Kennewick, Wash.) and Peter Langley (Miami, Fla.) earned their fourth-straight GCA Academic All-America designation, while Sean Blackman (So./Fayetteville, Ga.) earned his first honor.
To become an All-America Scholar-Athlete, an athlete must attain at least a 3.50 GPA in addition to earning a minimum NCAA gymnastics score of 8.0 during the season.
“The cumulative average of the team was low when I arrived here 13 years ago and now my dreams are coming true that our program can achieve great success in the classroom,” Fukushima added. “We've been maintaining academic success like this for a while. I believe we can do even better and we will continue to keep working hard and moving up in the standings.”
Langley earned All-America honors this season when he finished second in the floor exercise with an 8.85 score at the USA Collegiate National Championship. That finish helped the Mids to a second-place team finish at the championship.
Barker, who qualified in the pommel horse competition for the NCAA qualifying meet this season, led the team with a season-high 8.9 score in the floor exercise at the All-Academy Championship.
Blackman was ranked as high as 11th in the nation on rings during his rookie season. He won the rings title at three meets and finished in second place twice. Blackman registered his best mark with a 9.65 in the event against Springfield.
