Gong and Ward continue to lead at ’11 Acro Nationals

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 24, 2011 – At the conclusion of the second day of the 2011 National Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships, Melissa Gong of Perris, Calif. and Ryan Ward of Riverside, Calif., both of Realis Gymnastics Academy, lead the senior mixed pairs competition with a 56.578 combined total inside the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.  Gong and Ward totaled 28.220 in the dynamic competition to win senior elite mixed pairs dynamic national title, their second of these championships.  Click here to see clip of their winning performance.

 

Competition to determine the all-around mixed pairs champions concludes tomorrow July 25 with the combined session. The mixed pair with the highest sum total after all three nights of competition is crowned the all-around national champion.

 

In addition to Gong and Ward, Saturday’s competition named the group balance champions and the pairs dynamic champions in junior elite and senior elite. The champions crowned were as follows:

 

Leslie Munoz, Aimee Bruns, Tayler Harris/Realis Gymnastics

 

Beth Landeche, Nicole Barrilleaux/Crescent City Gymnastics

 

Ginger Burrows, Kerrie Prestipino, Erica Prestipino/Xtreme Acro

 

Eirian Smith, Jake Kanavel/West Coast Training Center

 

Bryan Allen, Kyle Bloom/Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics

 

Mariah Cockshell, Kennedy Swanson/Acro Explosion

 

Both national titles and national team berths are on the line at the championships. Results from the competition will also be used to help determine next year’s World Championships team.

 

The championships, which include over 500 athletes competing in Junior Olympic levels 5-10 and junior and senior elite, continue through Wednesday, July 27. Tickets are on sale now at the San Jose Convention Center. Ticket prices for the event are: single-day tickets – 6 years of age and under -free, ages 7-13-$13, and adults-$26; and five day pass –6 years of age and under-free, ages 7-13-$42 and adults-$84. In recognition of Visa’s long-time support of USA Gymnastics, Visa is the preferred method of payment.

 

As a longstanding partner with USA Gymnastics, the San Jose Sports Authority is pleased to welcome the Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships to the Capital of Silicon Valley. San Jose has a successful history with gymnastics, having staged the 2007 Visa Championships, 2008 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, 2009 Trampoline and Tumbling Junior Olympic National Championships and the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. The city will play host to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics June 28-July 1 at the HP Pavilion at San Jose.

 

Acrobatic gymnastics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. An acrobatic gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A women’s group is comprised of a base, middle and top partner, while a men’s group has a base, two middle partners and one top partner.

 

The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City’s sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract or host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, The First Tee of San Jose, and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.