OSU gymnast with Bluffton connections on U.S. World Champions gymnastic team

CLICK HERE to view Yoder as part of an Ohio State athletic video.

Alec Yoder, grandson of Alan and Diann Yoder of Bluffton, and standout gymnastic at Ohio State University, this month was named to the U.S. World Champions gymnastic team. He is the son of Mike and Rebecca Yoder. Alec's father, Mike, graduated from Bluffton High School.

The 2018 world championships are Oct. 25 to No. 4 in Doha, Qatar. The event provides the first opportunity for countries to qualify for the 2020 Olymmpic Games.

The three countries that medal in the team competition advance to the games. Following are some of Yoder's gymnastics stats at Ohio State and from high school.

Career Honors
• Six-time All-American (3x all-around, 2x pommel horse, rings)
• 2016 Big Ten champion (pommel horse)
• Two-time First Team All-Big Ten (2016, 18)
• 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• 2017 Second Team All-Big Ten
• Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Feb. 15, 2016)
• Six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week
• 2016 Ohio State Scholar-Athlete

Personal Bests
All-Around – 90.150
Pommel Horse – 15.500*
Rings – 15.600
Floor Exercise – 15.200
High Bar – 15.150
Parallel Bars – 14.700*
Vault – 14.550*
Scores with asterisks are from 2017-2020 FIG Code of Points

As A Junior (2018)
• Won the pommel (15.050) and rings (14.700) at the Rocky Mountain Open; also finished fifth on the parallel bars (14.050) and 10th on the high bar (13.600).
• Posted an individual title on pommel with a score of 15.500 against Nebraska while recording a rings score of 13.950, high bar score of 13.750, vault score of 13.350 and parallel bars score of 13.250.
• Recorded an all-around score of 83.600, winning the parallel bar (14.650) and high bar (14.100) as well as placing second on rings (14.550) in dual against Michigan.
• Claimed event titles on pommel (14.850) and high bar (14.500) against Penn State; took second on parallel bars with a score of 14.450 and third on vault with a score of 14.450.
• Placed sixth in the all-around at the Winter Cup with a score of 164.800, retaining a spot on the U.S. men’s senior national gymnastics team for the 2018 P&G Championships; won the individual pommel title with a two-day score of 29.950 and tied for second on parellel bars with a score of 28.0509.
• Took first on pommel with a readout of 15.450 while taking second on parallel bars (13.850) and high bar (13.900) at the Arnold Challenge.
• Won the all-around with a score of 84.100, tying for first on vault (14.200) and parallel bars (14.250) in win vs. No. 2 Stanford.
• Finished second in the all-around with a score of 84.300, a season-best, at the Big Ten Championships; took second on pommel (14.650), tied for second on parallel bars (14.000) and tied for ninth on rings (13.850).
• In the Big Ten individual finals, finished second on pommel with a score of 14.250 and tied for fifth on parallel bars with a score of 13.775.
• Scored 81.064 in the all-around during the qualifying round of the NCAA Championships; claimed third in the final round with a score of 82.631.

As A Sophomore (2017)
• Finished sixth in the all-around (season-best 84.950) and fourth on the pommel horse (14.800) to earn two All-America honors and help Ohio State place second as a team at the NCAA Championships.
• Placed second on the parallel bars (career-best 14.700) and ninth on the pommel horse (14.325) at the Big Ten team finals to help Ohio State win its second-straight conference title.
• Won four titles during the season, all on the pommel horse: at Windy City Invitational (14.300), at Penn State (15.300), at Oklahoma (15.400) and at Illinois (15.100).
• The 15.400 at Oklahoma was the highest by an NCAA gymnast in 2017.
• Garnered silver at the Big Ten event finals on the parallel bars with a readout of 14.300 and finished fourth on the pommel horse (14.325).
• Had the second-best score at the dual meet against Michigan with a 14.650.
• Also placed second on the pommel horse at the Arnold Challenge with a readout of 14.600.
• Took third on the vault at Penn State with a score of 14.300.
• Season-best vault of 14.550 at Illinois earned him a fifth-place finish.
• Used a score of 14.350 on the parallel bars at Illinois to garner bronze.
• Took fourth on the vault (14.400) and parallel bars (14.300) against Michigan.
• Represented Scarlet and Gray at Winter Cup with a sixth-place finish on the pommel horse with a two-day score of 28.700.
• Captured fourth-place at Oklahoma on the parallel bars with a routine of 14.100,
• Placed fifth on the parallel bars (14.250) and sixth on the floor (season-high 13.950) at the Arnold Challenge.
• Finished in fifth-place on the pommel against UIC with a 13.200.
• His vault of 14.250 placed him seventh at the dual meet against Oklahoma.

As A Freshman (2016)
• Collected three All-America awards at the NCAA championships (April 16), finishing second on pommel horse (15.300), fifth in the all-around (88.050) and seventh on rings (15.050).
• Featured on three events at the NCAA Qualifier, placing first on pommel horse (15.400).
• Named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after winning a conference title on pommel horse at the Big Ten Event Finals (April 2); also finished fourth on high bar (14.475) and seventh on rings (14.700) ..
• Claimed runner-up honors in the all-around (87.550) at the 2016 Big Ten Championships (April 1), helping Ohio State to its first team title since 2007; finished in the Top 5 on three events, including runner-up honors on pommel.
• Earned his sixth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award after winning pommel horse and earning Top-5 finishes on high bar (third, personal-best 15.150) and rings (fourth, 14.950) in a tri meet with William & Mary and Temple (March 20).
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week following a runner-up finish in the all-around against Oklahoma and Air Force (March 11).
• Set personal-best score of 90.150, the second-best total in school history; won pommel horse with a score of 15.750 and set personal bests on floor exercise (second, 15.200) and vault (fifth, 15.000), scoring 15 or higher on five of his six events.
• Selected B1G Freshman of the Week  after winning pommel, rings and high bar at the Arnold Challenge (March 5); set collegiate bests on pommel (15.850) and high bar (15.150).
• Ninth in the all-around at Winter Cup 2016 with a two-day score of 170.700, good for Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors; tied for sixth on high bar with a combined total of 29.450 and finished 14th on high bar with a 28.150 cumulative.
• Named Big Ten Gymnast and Freshman of the Week after winning pommel horse (first, 15.750) and placing second on rings (personal-best 15.600) against Penn State (Feb. 13); also finished third on parallel bars and fifth on high bar.
• Awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week after a runner-up finish in the all-around with a score of 87.450 against Michigan (Jan. 30); finished first on both pommel horse (15.350) and parallel bars (15.050).
• Won rings with a 15.100, claimed second on pommel horse with a 15.250 and competed on floor, vault and high bar at the Cal/Stanford Tri-Meet (Jan. 24).
• Tied for eighth on floor, tied for seventh on high bar and competed on pommel horse, rings and vault at the Windy City Invitational (Jan. 17).

International Competition
• Third place in all-around, 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
• Second in all-around, 2014 Pacific Rim Championships.
• Runner-up in all-around, 2014 Junior Pan American Championships.
• Second place in all-around, 2013 International Junior Mexican Cup.

Prior to Ohio State
• Trained at InterActive Academy under coach Gene Watson.
• Fifth place on pommel horse at the 2015 P&G Championships.
• Named to the U.S. Senior National Team after an eighth-place finish in the all-around at the 2015 Winter Cup Challenge; placed third on pommel and seventh on high bar.
• 2014 Men’s Junior Olympic national champion.
• First place on pommel horse and sixth in the all-around at the 2013 P&G championships.
• Pommel horse champion, 2012 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships.