© Max Morse
HOUSTON, Texas, May 24, 2008 – Chris Estrada of Colorado Springs, Colo., claimed his fourth straight U.S. senior men’s trampoline title at the 2008 Visa Championships at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. Alaina Hebert of Broussard, La., won senior women’s trampoline to add a second U.S. crown to her 2005 title. The Visa Championships is the third of four events where athletes earn points toward Olympic selection. The final event is July 1 is Kansas City, Mo. One man and one woman will represent the USA in trampoline at the 2008 Olympic Games.
“It’s great to win my fourth trampoline title,” Estrada said. “I want to thank my coaches, Dmitri Poliaroush and Tara Guidry, because I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them.”
Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., and Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., defended their men’s synchronized trampoline crown, and Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho, won senior men’s tumbling for the third straight year.
Also winning senior titles were: Hebert and Erin Blanchard of Lafayette, La., women’s synchronized trampoline; Aubree Balkan of Carlsbad, Calif., women’s double mini-trampoline; Austin White of Irvine, Calif., men’s double mini; and Kaitlin Tortorich of Fredericksburg, Va., women’s tumbling.
In trampoline, Estrada posted a score of 107.40, followed by Michael Devine of Winnebago, Ill., in second and Dooley in third. With her score of 102.10, Hebert bested Blanchard and Williams, the 2006 and 2007 U.S. trampoline champions, respectively.
In women’s synchronized trampoline, Hebert and Blanchard scored a 99.60, followed by Dircks and Alaina Williams of Amarillo, Texas. For the men, Dooley and Gluckstein earned a 136.30, with Estrada and Devine in second and Neil Gulati of Irvine, Calif., and Ryan Walsh of Asheville, N.C., in third.
Balkan won women’s double mini-trampoline with a score of 134.30. Stephanie Toubman of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Sarah Prosen of Apple Valley, Minn., finished second and third, respectively. White earned the men’s double mini title with a score of 148.00. In second was Ludvigson and in third was Derek Stangel of Cedar Lake, Ind.
In tumbling, Tortorich’s 132.90 topped second-place finisher Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., the 2004 and 2006 U.S. champion. Susannah Johnson of Roanoke, Va., finished third. Ludvigson broke the U.S. men’s difficulty record in men’s tumbling and scored a total of 152.70. Chris Adair of Lubbock, Texas, was second and Brandon Sloan of Forest, Va., was third.
“I’m very proud of my performance today,” Ludvigson said. “I’m very proud to be one of only three people in the world to have done a 13.6 (degree of difficulty).”
The U.S. junior champions were: women – Savannah Vinsant of Newton, Texas, trampoline; Brittany Caddell of Levelland, Texas, and Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo, Texas, synchronized trampoline; Sarah Gandy of Paris, Texas, double mini-trampoline; and Kiara Nowlin of Oxnard, Calif., tumbling; and men – Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., trampoline; Casey Gesuelli of Middletown, N.J., and Gluckstein, synchronized trampoline; Aaron Cook of Detroit, Mich., double mini-trampoline; and Maurice Dunker of Marenge, Ill., tumbling.
About Reliant Park
Reliant Park is managed and operated by SMG. Reliant Park is the premier convention, tradeshow, entertainment and sports complex located in Houston – the cultural center and urban hub of Texas. Four major facilities – Reliant Center, Reliant Stadium, Reliant Arena and Reliant Astrodome – encompass 350 acres. Having previously hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2002 and 2005 Big 12 Conference Football Championships, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Regionals in 2008 and 2010, the Final Four in 2011 and now the 2008 Visa Championships, Reliant Park is establishing itself as a long-term home for major national and international sporting events.
About Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Houston is a cultural melting pot—home to a vibrant arts scene, thriving ethnic neighborhoods and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Houston is one of a handful of American cities to house professional theater companies for each of the major arts disciplines. Sports fans can rally behind Houston’s professional teams in nearly every major sport. Houston is also home to the world’s largest concentration of medical professionals, world’s largest rodeo and nationally acclaimed restaurants and shopping. With 56,405 acres of total park space, Houston rates first among the nation’s 10 most populous cities in total acreage of park land. For more information on Houston, log on to www.visithoustontexas.com or call 1-800-4HOUSTON.
About USA Gymnastics
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics.
2008 Visa Championships
Reliant Center
Houston, Texas
May 24, 2008
Trampoline and tumbling final results
Senior women’s results
Senior women’s trampoline
1. Alaina Hebert, OTC Trampoline Team, 103.10
2. Erin Blanchard, OTC Trampoline Team, 101.50
3. Alaina Williams, OTC Trampoline Team, 100.70
Senior women’s synchronized trampoline
1. Alaina Hebert and Erin Blanchard, OTC Trampoline Team, 99.60
2. Alaina Williams, OTC Trampoline Team, and Brittany Dircks, Ultra Twisters, 60.60
Senior women’s double mini-trampoline
1. Aubree Balkan, Bounce California, 134.30
2. Stephanie Toubman, American Powerhouse T & T, 131.50
3. Sarah Prosen, Gleason’s Gypsy Flyers, 122.70
Senior women’s tumbling
1. Kaitlin Tortorich, Capital Gymnastics, 132.90
2. Leanne Seitzinger, Novaks’ Gymnastics Center, 124.90
3. Susannah Johnson, Capital Gymnastics, 124.50
Senior men’s results
Senior men’s trampoline
1. Chris Estrada, OTC Trampoline Team, 107.40
2. Michael Devine, J & J Trampoline & Tumbling, 104.70
3. Logan Dooley, OTC Tramp