Tribe Men’s Gymnast National Leader on Parallel Bars

W&M’s Jackson Sports a 9.2 Season Average

02/20/04

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - William and Mary sophomore standout men’s gymnast Ramon Jackson (Orlando, FL) has earned the nation’s top ranking on the parallel bar event in the most recent release of the sport’s rankings.

Jackson has been nothing short of spectacular through the first four meets of the 2004 season, as he carries a 9.20 average in the event into this weekend’s action. His 9.20 average outdistances the na-tion’s second-best performer by .06 of a point (Oklahoma’s Jose Gore, 9.14) and ranks as one of only three in the NCAA’s Division I that is better than a 9.0.

In his four bar performances in the season, he yet to score lower than 9.1, which is what his per-sonal best on the event was entering the season. On February 7, at the Shenandoah Open, Jackson spun to a career-best 9.45 mark, which is more than a half point higher than the next best performance by any Tribe gymnast since the international scoring system for the sport significantly increased the scoring dif-ficulty in 2001. He has also turned in the team’s season best high bar routine, as he spun to an 8.85 mark at the Shenandoah last weekend.

As a team, the Tribe retained the No. 14 position in the national polls. The College will be in action again this weekend, as it travels to take on state-rival James Madison on Sunday afternoon at 3:00p.m.