2010 is the year of the freshmen in NCAA men’s gymnastics.  This season’s crop of freshmen is making a dramatic impact for their respective teams.  After three weeks of competition, seven freshmen are listed in GymInfo’s top ten for each event, including the all-around.

• Eddie Penev (Stanford) - Tied for 2nd on floor
• Alex Naddour (Oklahoma) - 2nd on pommel horse
• Felix Aronovich (Penn State) - 6th on pommel horse
• Donathon Bailey (Stanford) - 10th on pommel horse
• Anton Gryshayev (Iowa) - Tied for 6th on rings
• Jake Dalton (Oklahoma) - 1st on VT (16.125), 2nd on PB (14.975), Tied for 6th on HB (14.70) and 2nd AA (88.55)
• Yoshi Mori (Illinois) - Tied for 8th on VT (15.775), Tied for 8th on PB (14.45), Tied for 2nd on HB (15.00) and 3rd AA (87.40)

Even though several top gymnasts have either missed competition due to injury or to prepare for this weekend’s Winter Cup, most if not all of these freshmen would still be listed in the top 10.  There are a few more freshmen who are on the cusp of making the top 10.  This week, Michigan became the third different team to hold the top-ranked position.  As predicted, it’s looking to be a five team free-for-all between now and the NCAA Championships.

Gymnastike posted a video interview with ‘08 Olympian Kevin Tan.  The 2010 Winter Cup will be Tan’s first competition since Beijing.  After post-Olympic shoulder surgery, Tan has been busy rehabbing and working as an assistant coach at Penn State.  Tan will compete on four events in Las Vegas (PH, SR, PB and HB).  According to Tan, a rings specialist, he has not quite returned to  form on that event.

Speaking of Penn State, they are in major rebuilding mode and have a freshmen-laden roster.  Leading the way so far have been Aronovich, Nick Grant, Mackenzie Dow and Parker Raque.  All four freshmen have won individual event titles for the Nittany Lions.

Making things interesting this season is Minnesota.  The Gophers tallied a 350.55 team score in their win over Nebraska and Air Force.  Minnesota’s Aaron Fortunato posted the second highest AA score (85.95) in team history, but finished second to Nebraska’s John Robinson (86.20).  Robinson was rewarded for his great performance by being named the MPSF Gymnast of the Week.

This week’s Winter Cup is the biggest meet of the year up until this summer’s U.S. Championships.  Most of the top club, elite and collegiate gymnasts plan to compete.  This meet will help determine the makeup of the Senior National Team.  Let’s hope all the scores will be posted in real time.  After this meet, the NCAA competition will get a lot better.

According to the 2010 Pacific Coast Classic website, 2009 World Team member Danell Leyva will be among the competitors.  Leyva has competed twice this season at the Valeri Liukin Invitational and at the 2010 Universal International Invitational, where he posted an 87.05.  This year’s PCC will feature the Japanese Collegiate All-Star team taking on Cal, Stanford and Air Force the weekend of February 19-21.

The men’s field has been officially announced for the 2010 Tyson America Cup. Germany’s Fabian Hambuechen, the defending champion, leads this year’s field of impressive men’s competitors:

• Colombia - Jorge Hugo Giraldo Lopez
• France - Benoit Caranobe
• Germany - Fabian Hambuechen
• Great Britain - Daniel Keatings
• Japan - Koji Yamamuro
• Romania - Flavius Koczi
• Russia - Maxim Devyatovskiy
• United States - Jonathan Horton
• United States - Tim McNeill

The Tyson America Cup will begin on March 6 and will be televised by NBC.