Steven Gluckstein
© Ron Wyatt

HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 11, 2010 – Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., clinched his second straight U.S. men’s trampoline title at the 2010 Visa Championships at the University of Hartford’s Chase Arena in Hartford, Conn. Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho, claimed his fifth straight tumbling title, with Yuliya Hall, also of Pocatello, notching her third women’s tumbling title. Competition in women’s gymnastics begins on Aug. 12 at the XL Center.

Gluckstein, who trains at Ultra Twisters, and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, both earned a 41.000 in the final competition in the senior elite division. The computer broke the tie, based on a series of criteria, giving the nod to Gluckstein. Michael Devine of Winnebago, Ill./J and J Trampoline, was third at 39.000.

In the women’s senior elite division, Alaina Williams of Levelland, Texas/Acrospirits, won the women’s crown with a 100.400. Shanelle Landry of Lafayette/Ultra Twisters was second at 99.700, with Dakota Earnest of Plains, Texas/Acrospirits, in third at 97.100.

Ludvigson, who trains at Team Revolution, easily won his fifth straight senior men’s tumbling title with his 141.70. Brandon Sloan of Forest, Va./Capital Gymnastics, took second, with Stephen Benedicto of Centreville, Va./Capital Gymnastics, in third place. Yuliya Hall of Pocatello/Team Revolution also won with a large margin of victory in senior women’s elite tumbling. Alicia Grant of Baltimore, Md./United Gymnastix, was second, followed by Karly Judkins of Tulsa, Okla./Xtreme Elite Athletics, in third.

In senior men’s synchronized trampoline, Dooley and Steven Gluckstein teamed up for their second U.S. crown. They tied with Jeffrey Gluckstein and Sean Kennedy of Holland, Mass./Ultra Twisters, but Dooley and Steven Gluckstein won based on a tiebreaker. For the women, Landry and Nani Vercruyssen of Honolulu/Hawaii Academy posted a 126.90 in the finals for the gold medal.

In double mini-trampoline, Justin Hackett of Colorado Springs, Colo./Great Lakes Griffins, took top honors in the senior men’s competition, with a score of 144.10. Alexander Renkert of Indianapolis/Interactive Academy, was second at 140.80. Austin White of Newport Beach, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, was next at 139.50. Ashleigh Thomas of Bellevue, Wash./Gymnastics East, finished atop the women’s rankings with a score of 122.80.

The junior champions are: trampoline – Alicia Powder of Lodera Ranch, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics (women) and Jeremy Cooper of Irvine, Calif./Skysurfers Trampoline Team (men); tumbling – Kiara Nowlin of Oxnard, Calif./Wallers’ Gym Jam Academy (women) and Renkert (men); synchronized trampoline – Mackenzie Kulka of Tulsa, Okla., and Powder (women), and Joshua and Jeremy Cooper of Irvine, Calif./Skysurfers Trampoline Team; and double mini-trampoline – Erin Jauch of Crystal Lake, Ill./Fox Valley Tumbling and Trampoline (women), and Joshua Cooper (men).

The Visa Championships determine the U.S. champions and the national team for each discipline for both the junior and senior elite levels in four disciplines. Tickets are on sale now and available through Ticketmaster.com. For more information, go to www.usagym.org/visa.

The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show, held in conjunction with the Visa Championships, will be conducted at the Connecticut Convention Center. The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show is the annual gathering of professional members that offers educational and business sessions, a large exhibitor’s hall and other business and educational opportunities.