Estrada, Ludvigson each win two events at 2007 U.S. Elite Challenge

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 24, 2007—Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., won men’s trampoline and teamed with Ryan Weston of Chubbuck, Idaho, to win synchronized trampoline, and Kalon Ludvigson of Cedar Lake, Ind., won both men’s tumbling and double mini-trampoline in the senior division at the 2007 U.S. Elite Challenge, May 12-13, at the Colorado Springs (Colo.) World Arena. For the senior women, Alaina Williams of Amarillo, Texas, won the trampoline title, while Yuliya Hall of Idaho Falls, Idaho, took first place in tumbling. Sarah Prosen of Apple Valley, Minn., won the senior women’s double mini-trampoline competition. 

Estrada claimed the trampoline title with a score of 108.50, followed by Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Weston in second and third, respectively. Estrada and Weston placed first in synchronized trampoline with a score of 100.10. The pair of Gluckstein and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., finished second, and the duo of Matt Moniz and Spencer Dupio, both of Honolulu, were third.   

Ludvigson’s 149.20 in men’s tumbling put him ahead of runner-up Jeffrey Brown of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and third-place finisher Chris Ford of Haymarket, Va. In men’s double mini-trampoline, Ludvigson claimed the title with a score of 144.90. Derek Stangel of Rockford, Iowa, was second and Stephen Raymond of Grand Rapids, Mich., was third. 

For the women, Williams claimed the trampoline crown with 80.90 points, while Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, Ill., placed second. 

Hall topped the field in women’s tumbling with a score of 132.60. Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., was second and Amy McDonald of Cedar Lake, Ind., was third. Prosen won the senior women’s double mini-trampoline competition with a score of 128.90, while Kaci Barry of San Diego, Calif., finished second. 

Sarah Gandy of Paris, Texas, and Andrew Muzzarelli of Rockford, Ill., were double champions in double mini-trampoline and synchronized trampoline in the junior women’s and junior men’s competition, respectively. Other junior elite division champions at the 2007 U.S. Elite Challenge were: men’s trampoline — Neil Gulati of Irvine, Calif.; women’s trampoline — Savannah Vinsant of Newton, Texas; men’s synchronized trampoline — Kevin Heger of Rockford, Ill., and Muzzarelli; women’s synchronized trampoline — Julianne Gonet of Rocklin, Calif., and Gandy; men’s tumbling — Maurice Dunker of Marenge, Ill.; and women’s tumbling — Samantha Shepard of Warren, Mich.  

The event champions at the International Age-Group (IAGC) Team Trial, held May 11-12 in conjunction with the U.S. Elite Challenge, are listed below. The IAGC Team Trial was the first of two team trials to determine the team that will compete at the 2007 International Age-Group Competition, Nov. 7-9, in Quebec City, Quebec. The second IAGC Team Trial will be held in conjunction with the Stars and Stripes Cup, Sept. 13-16, in Birmingham, Ala.