© Diane Bidermann / FIG

CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 11, 2012 –Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, and Savannah Vinsant of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, won the men’s and women’s trampoline titles at the 2012 Stars and Stripes Cup in Cleveland, Ohio. Held at Cleveland Public Auditorium, the three-day event wraps up Sunday with finals for Levels 8, 9 and 10. The Stars and Stripes Cup is the second of three events in the selection process for the U.S. Olympic Team for trampoline.

Also winning senior titles at the Stars and Stripes Cup are: tumbling – Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho/Team Revolution, and Brittney Bernard of Bixby, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme; and double mini-trampoline – James Lichtenstein of Buffalo Grove, Ill./Five Star, and Erin Jauch of Crystal Lake, Ill./Fox Valley Trampoline and Tumbling.

Vinsant won the Cup’s trampoline title with a 54.235, finishing ahead of Shanelle Landry of Lafayette, La./Elite Trampoline Academy, at 51.460 and Dakota Earnest of Plains, Texas/Acrospirits, in third at 51.355. Gluckstein won the men’s title with his 57.050, giving him the men’s top honors at both the U.S. Elite Challenge and the Stars and Stripes Cup. Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, was second at 56.050, followed by Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, at 56.050.

In tumbling, Ludvigson took the men’s title with his 157.50, easily besting runner-up Alex Renkert of Indianapolis, Ind./Interactive Academy, who posted a 138.70, and Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling & Trampoline, who was third at 130.90. Ludvigson set a new U.S. record for degree of difficulty of 24.8 for two passes. Bernard’s 127.70 edged out Natalya Beneschott of Reno, Nev./Team Revolution,, who earned a 127.60. Marina Moskalenko of Orlando/Stick It Gymnastics, was third at 120.90.

Lichtenstein won the title at 74.90, with both Renkert and Ryan Walsh of Kalamazoo, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, tied for second at 74.70. Jauch took the top spot by posting a 134.80, followed by Moskalenko at 134.20 and Erica Owen of Mission Viejo, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, at 133.20.

The junior elite titles went to: trampoline – Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo, Texas/All American Gymnastics (women, 52.120), and Colin Duda of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy (men, 50.845); tumbling – Aaron Cook of Detroit AGT/Flip City (men, 70.40), and Casey Skinner of Livonia, Mich./AGT Flip City (women, 127.00); and double mini – Garret Waterstradt of Paxton, Ill./Irish’s Gymnastics (men, 72.10), and Madi Webster of Odon, Ind./Tumbling Express (women, 132.40).

In addition to the junior and senior elite levels, the Stars and Stripes Cup also includes athletes in Levels 8-10 and the Olympic Development Program. The four events for the elite and Olympic Development Program levels will have both preliminary and final rounds. For complete results, go to usagym.org.

The Sunday, May 13, competition schedule is: 9-11:40 a.m. – Levels 9 and 10 trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline finals; and 1-3 p.m. – Levels 9 and 10 synchronized trampoline finals and Level 8 tumbling and double mini-trampoline.

One man and one woman will represent the United States in trampoline at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Stars and Stripes Cup is the second of three qualifying events for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team for trampoline. The other two events are the 2012 U.S. Elite Challenge, held March 30-April 1 in Tulsa, Okla., and the trampoline nationals in June in San Jose, Calif. Athletes earn points based on their finishes at the three selection events, with points earned at two of the three competitions counting toward the final ranking.

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the City of Cleveland and Cleveland Public Auditorium are assisting with the hosting and staging of the Stars and Stripes Cup.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat.

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission prides itself on being one of the most distinguished Sports Commissions in the country, effectively leveraging sports events and activities to further economic development in Northeast Ohio. The philosophy of the Sports Commission sets it apart from others by operating as an economic and community development organization utilizing sports as a vehicle to forward other community agendas. The organization takes the unique approach of becoming a management and financial partner in each event with the goal of producing events that are more successful in Cleveland than other cities in which they have been held. Since 2000, the Sports Commission has been responsible for attracting, creating and/or managing over 120 sporting events resulting in more than $370 million in economic activity. For more information, please visit www.clevelandsports.org.