SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2007— Julian Amaro of Pleasanton, Calif., and Tyler Spray of Livermore, Calif., earned their third consecutive U.S. all-around title in senior elite men’s pair, and the trio of Mariah Henninger of Walnut Creek, Calif., Ally Kidd of Livermore, Calif., and Tisa Penny of San Leandro, Calif., defended its senior elite women’s group title in acrobatic gymnastics competition at the 2007 Visa Championships in San Jose, Calif.
“It’s an accomplishment for us just knowing that we came out and did well,” Spray said. “I’m so proud that we pulled through and did a good job.”
Amaro and Spray earned a total score of 84.440 in men’s pair. Henninger, Kidd and Penny posted a total score of 84.040 in women’s group, while Savannah Shields and Mallory Henthorn, both of Blue Springs, Mo., won women’s pair with a score of 75.810. In mixed pair, the duo of Andre Solodar of San Jose, Calif., and Xiau-Ling Wee of Monte Sereno, Calif., earned the all-around gold medal with a score of 83.860.
In the junior elite division, Madeline Bones and Kyle Bloom, both of San Jose, Calif., won the mixed pair all-around title, while the trio of Haley Stalion, Camille Strawn and Lauren Speers, all of San Jose, Calif., earned the women’s group all-around crown.
The acrobatic gymnastics all-around is a sum of three routines: balance, dynamic and combined.
Acrobatic gymnastics, previously referred to as sport acrobatics, combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. The combined routine unites elements of balance and dynamic.
An acrobatic gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A women’s group is comprised of a base, middle and top partner, while a men’s group has a base, two middle partners and one top partner. Bases generally are older athletes who display strength and balance and top partners generally are younger athletes who display flexibility and agility. Middle partners often are required to show a combination of all attributes.
The 2007 Visa Championships conclude tonight with day two of the women’s artistic gymnastics competition at 6 p.m. PT.
About HP Pavilion at San Jose
HP Pavilion at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, SAP Open men’s professional tennis tournament and the annual Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament, HP Pavilion also hosts a multitude of events annually including concerts, family shows and civic events.
HP Pavilion at San Jose is an exemplification of architectural excellence and technological innovation. Outside, a shining stainless-steel facade supports a magnificent, glass pyramid entry, soaring 10 stories above the ground. Inside, first-class amenities and leading-edge seismic engineering contribute to the building’s reputation as one of the finest facilities in the United States.
HP Pavilion at San Jose is capable of accommodating a full-range of entertainment. State-of-the-art acoustics, plush seating and a video replay scoreboard add to the comfort and luxury for the venue’s patrons. In addition, the downtown location is easily accessible via several major freeways, light-rail and a regional train station, located across the street.
About San Jose McEnery Convention Center
Considered the hub for meetings and conventions in San Jose, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center opened its doors in April 1989. The facility has 432,000 square feet of function space, including a 22,000 square-foot ballroom and 30 meeting rooms.
About Visa USA
Visa USA is a leading payments brand and the nation’s largest payments system, enabling banks to provide their consumer and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders – financial institutions, cardholders and merchants. In the United States, more than 521 million Visa-branded cards have been issued by our 13,320 financial institution customers.
Visa products generated nearly $1.8 trillion in total volume in the United States through March 2007 and enjoy unsurpassed acceptance around the globe. For more information, visit www.visa.com.
About the San Jose Sports Authority
The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization that serves as the sports marketing agency for the City of San Jose. Since their inception in 1991, they have worked with community partners to bring more than 150 premier events and programs to the San Jose area. For more information, visit www.sjsa.org.