Steven Gluckstein
© Max Morse

HOUSTON, Texas, May 23, 2008 – 2005 U.S. trampoline champion Alaina Hebert of Broussard, La., and Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., lead men’s and women’s trampoline, respectively, after the preliminary round at the 2008 Visa Championships at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. Competition in trampoline and tumbling concludes tomorrow with the final round at 2:30 p.m. CT.

With her score of 66.20, Hebert has a lead of 0.9 points over the 65.30 of Alaina Williams of Amarillo, Texas. 2006 U.S. trampoline champion Erin Blanchard of Lafayette, La., is third and defending trampoline champion Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, Ill., is fourth. Gluckstein posted a score of 69.30 and leads three-time defending U.S. trampoline champion Chris Estrada of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Michael Devine of Winnebago, Ill., who are in second and third, respectively.

In women’s synchronized trampoline, Hebert and Blanchard teamed to score an 85.60, followed by Williams and Dircks in second. For the men, Estrada and Devine lead Gluckstein and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., by a full point, 88.60 to 87.60.

2004 U.S. double mini champion Derek Stangel of Cedar Lake, Ind., and Aubree Balkan of Carlsbad, Calif., lead men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline, respectively. Stangel posted a score of 72.90, with Austin White of Irvine, Calif., in second and Kalon Ludvigson of Hooper, Utah, in third. Balkan scored a 67.00, followed by Stephanie Toubman of Laguna Niguel, Calif., in second and Sarah Prosen of Apple Valley, Minn., in third.

In women’s tumbling, Kaitlin Tortorich of Fredericksburg, Va., leads the senior division with a score of 66.40. Susannah Johnson of Roanoke, Va., is second and Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., the 2006 U.S. champion, is third. For the men, Ludvigson, the two-time defending champion, is first at 73.90, followed by Chris Ford of Haymarket, Va., and Chris Adair of Lubbock, Texas.

The leaders in the junior division are: women – Savannah Vinsant, trampoline; Jane Truster and Vinsant, synchronized trampoline; Sarah Gandy, double mini-trampoline; and Kiara Nowlin, tumbling; and men – Jeffrey Gluckstein, trampoline; Casey Gesuelli and Gluckstein, synchronized trampoline; Jonathan Watkins, double mini-trampoline; and Maurice Dunker, tumbling.

The 2008 Visa Championships concludes on May 24 with the final day of competition in men’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling.

About the Visa Championships
Tickets are still available for the Visa Championships, the national championships for men’s artistic, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling. Single-session tickets range from $20-85 for men’s gymnastics, with those for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline selling for $15 and $20. Tickets may be purchased charge by phone at 713-629-3700; online at www.ticketmaster.com; at all Ticketmaster outlets; or at the Reliant Stadium South Box Office. Visa is the only card accepted for the 2008 Visa Championships.

Tomorrow is the final day of competition at the 2008 Visa Championships, and the remaining schedule is: junior rhythmic all-around and trampoline and tumbling finals at 10 a.m.; junior men’s all-around and individual event finals at 12:30 p.m.; senior rhythmic all-around and trampoline and tumbling finals at 2:30 p.m.; and the final day of the senior men’s competition at 6 p.m.

The Visa Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men.

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.