COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 6, 2019 – Kanji Oyama of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, posted the top all-around score at the 2019 Men’s National Qualifier, July 6-7, at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Oyama and 11 other men qualified to compete in the senior competition at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 8-11. Mikey Kogan of Vernon Hills, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, had the highest junior all-around score, and the Qualifier wraps up tomorrow with the junior’s technical sequences at 11 a.m. MT.
The 12 men who qualified to the senior division for the U.S. Championships were determined by the 20-point results system. In addition to Oyama, the men advancing to the U.S. Championships are listed in rank order: Riley Loos of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Technique Gymnastics; Matt Wenske of Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma; Timothy Wang of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; Adrian de Los Angeles of Long Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; Gage Dyer of Norman, Okla./University of Oklahoma; Evan Davis of Houston, Texas/University of Iowa; Kiwan Watts of N. Chesterfield, Va./Sun Devil Gymnastics; Paul Juda of Deerfield, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics; Jacob Moore of W. Bloomfield, Mich./University of Michigan; Donnell Whittenburg of Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; and Mike Fletcher of Nashua, N.H./University of Illinois.
In the all-around, Oyama posted an 81.700 for the top spot. Cameron Bock of Tustin, Calif./University of Michigan, was second at 81.400 and Loos was third with 80.750. The gymnasts with the highest event scores were: floor exercise, Oyama, 14.300; pommel horse, Donothan Bailey of Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, 14.700; still rings, Whittenburg, 14.300; vault, Wang, 14.700; parallel bars, Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, 15.200; and horizontal bar, Mikulak, 15.000.
In the junior division, Kogan claimed the top spot with a 76.250, which include the highest scores for both floor (13.300) and vault (14.200). Crew Bold, Delray Beach, Fla./University of Minnesota, was second at 76.150, and has the best scores for parallel bars (13.100) and high bar (13.150). In third, Logan Myers of Morrison, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, was third at 75.450. The remain top event scores were Evan Ng of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy, on pommel horse (12.550) and Maxim Ryzhuk of Las Vegas, Nev./Vitaly Scherbo School of Gymnastics, for still rings (12.700).
Athletes qualified to the senior division at the 2019 U.S. Championships in a variety of ways. U.S. Senior National Team members named to the team following the 2019 Winter Cup Challenge automatically qualified to the championships. A minimum of 12 athletes will qualify to the U.S. Championships based on the National Points Ranking System from the National Qualifier. Also, the individual event champions at the Qualifier advance to Kansas City. The top six ranked all-around gymnasts who are U.S. citizens from among the top 12 all-around athletes, excluding any previous qualified athletes, as well as athletes who win the individual apparatus titles, at the 2019 NCAA Championships also qualify to the U.S. Championships. There may also be some approved petitions to championships. This will total approximately 36 qualifiers.
Juniors qualify in a similar fashion. The top 22 athletes from the 15-16 junior elite age division from the all-around finals at the 2019 Junior Olympic National Championships and the top 14 athletes from the 17-18 junior elite age division from the all-around finals at the 2019 Junior Olympic National Championships qualify to the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The top six age-eligible juniors from the junior elite division at the 2019 National Qualifier will qualify using the 15-16 and 17-18 age divisions combined-rank-order all-around results (optional plus technical sequence score) also qualify. This will total approximately 42 athletes in two age divisions.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its athlete safety policies and procedures. Former gymnast and business executive Li Li Leung is the new president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, visit usagym.org.