Blanchard, Ludvigson each win two events at 2007 Winter Classic

LUBBOCK, Texas, March 8, 2007 – Erin Blanchard of Lafayette, La., won the women’s senior elite trampoline and synchronized trampoline events, and Kalon Ludvigson of Cedar Lake, Ind., won the men’s senior elite tumbling and double mini-trampoline events at the 2007 Winter Classic, held Feb. 23-24 at the Lubbock (Texas) Memorial Civic Center. The Winter Classic was the first trampoline and tumbling event of the 2007 competitive season.

 

The 2006 U.S. trampoline champion, Blanchard claimed her Winter Classic trampoline title with 94.70 points, while Amanda Bailey of Sundown, Texas, was second and Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, Ill., was third. Blanchard teamed with Dircks, the 2006 Winter Classic synchronized trampoline champion, to claim the 2007 synchronized trampoline title with 98.60 points. In second was the team of Bailey and Alaina Williams of Amarillo, Texas.

 

The women’s tumbling title went to Susannah Johnson of Roanoke, Va., who earned a score of 127.10. Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., placed second and Kaitlin Tortorich of Mandeville, La., finished third. Crowned women’s double mini-trampoline champion was Kaci Barry of San Diego, Calif., whose score of 136.30 bested Aubree Balkan of Carlsbad, Calif., and Williams, the second- and third-place finishers, respectively.

 

Ludvigson, the 2006 U.S. tumbling and double mini-trampoline champion, won the men’s senior elite tumbling competition with a total score of 146.10, while Chris Adair of Lubbock, Texas, finished second and Jeffrey Brown of Lee’s Summit, Mo., placed third. Ludvigson earned the double mini-trampoline title with 143.40 points. Josh Vance and Nathan Harr, both of Rockford, Mich., finished second and third, respectively.

 

Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., successfully defended his 2006 Winter Classic trampoline title with a score of 105.20 points. Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., earned second-place honors and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., placed third. Dooley won his second consecutive Winter Classic synchronized trampoline title, pairing with Phil Meyer of Mequon, Wis., and edging runners-up Gluckstein and Ryan Weston of Chubbuck, Idaho.

 

In the junior elite division, Nani Vercruyssen of Honolulu, Hawaii, won women’s trampoline and double mini-trampoline. The other 2007 Winter Classic junior elite champions are: men’s trampoline — Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J.; women’s synchronized trampoline — Hillary Nokes of San Diego, Calif., and Balkan; men’s synchronized trampoline — Hunter Brewster of Lafayette, La., and Joshua Bednorz of Victoria, Texas; men’s double-mini trampoline — Spencer Dupio of Honolulu, Hawaii; women’s tumbling — Samantha Shepard of Warren, Mich.; and men’s tumbling — Derek Stangel of Rockford, Iowa. Trampoline and tumbling gymnasts compete based on skill level and may participate in one event as a junior and another as a senior.

 

The Winter Classic is one of three national events, in addition to the U.S. National Championships, where junior and senior athletes earn points toward qualifying for the national team.

 

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1. Susannah Johnson, Roanoke, Va., 127.10

2. Leanne Seitzinger, Stafford, Va., 126.00

3. Kaitlin Tortorich, Mandeville, La., 123.70

4. Natalya Beneschott, Reno, Nev., 118.50

5. Amy McDonald, Cedar Lake, Ind., 57.50

 

1. Erin Blanchard, Lafayette, La., 94.70

2. Amanda Bailey, Sundown, Texas, 91.30

3. Brittany Dircks, Orland Park, Ill., 90.70

4. Alaina Williams, Amarillo, Texas, 84.80

 

1. Kaci Barry, San Diego, Calif., 136.30

2. Aubree Balkan, Carlsbad, Calif., 133.40

3. Alaina Williams, Amarillo, Texas, 133.00

 

1. Brittany Dircks, Orland Park, Ill., and Erin Blanchard, Lafayette, La., 98.60

2. Alaina Williams, Amarillo, Texas, and Amanda Bailey, Sundown, Texas, 78.90

 

1. Kalon Ludvigson, Cedar Lake, Ind., 146.10

2. Chris Adair, Lubbock, Texas, 137.90

3. Jeffrey Brown, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 136.30

4. Corey Whitfield, Detroit, Mich., 53.90