INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., July 23, 2010 – Defending U.S. all-around champion Jonathan Horton of Houston, who is also a 2008 Olympic silver and bronze medalist, headlines the men’s field for the 2010 Visa Championships, Aug. 10-14, in Hartford, Conn. The 86-man field features a combination of veteran and rising stars in the junior and senior divisions. Also expected to compete are two of Horton’s teammates from the Olympic bronze-medal team: Joey Hagerty of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif. Performances at the Visa Championships will determine both the members of the 2010 U.S. Men’s Junior and Senior National Teams and the 2010 U.S. Men’s World Championships Team.
Five members of the men’s 2009 U.S. World Championships Team are on the roster: Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Wesley Haagensen of Colorado Springs/U.S. Olympic Training Center; Steven Legendre of Flower Mound, Texas/University of Oklahoma, who competed in the floor exercise finals at the World Championships; Danell Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics, who finished fourth in the high bar at the World Championships; and Horton, who trains at Cypress Academy of Gymnastics and competed in the finals of both the all-around and horizontal bar at the World Championships.
The 2009 senior U.S. individual event champions in the field are: Dalton, vault; Horton, still rings and horizontal bar (tie); Legendre, floor exercise; and Leyva, horizontal bar (tie).
From last year’s junior champions, the 14-15 year-old all-around champion John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./World Cup Gymnastics, is competing in the senior division for the first time. Orozco also claimed the junior 14-15 titles in five of the six events in 2009: floor, pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Junior 16-18 pommel horse champion Dylan Akers of Kingwood, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, is expected to compete in the senior division. Jordan Valdez of Louisville, Colo./Champion Gymnastics Academy-Texas, was the 16-18 year-old high bar champion in 2009 and will compete in the same age division this year.
International Gymnastics Camp is sponsoring the Champions Challenge, a newly created $50,000 prize pool for senior men’s gymnastics that awards $35,000 for gymnasts who rank in the top 10 in the all-around, with the champion receiving $10,000. Each individual event champion will receive $2,500. The Champions Challenge is designed to meet the ever-increasing demands of training for men’s gymnastics at the elite level. The $50,000 Champions Challenge was established to enhance their athlete funding and assist in covering year-round training costs. International Gymnastics Camp, based in Stroudsburg, Pa., combines premier gymnastics training and exceptional recreation activities to create the ultimate summer gymnastics camp experience.
The field breaks down into 44 seniors and 42 juniors, 20 in the 14-15 category and 22 in 16-18. Twenty-two states are represented in the men’s competition. The complete field is listed below. The men compete on Aug. 11 and Aug. 13. For complete event information, please go to www.usagym.org/visa.
The senior men qualified for the Visa Championships via several different avenues: a member of the current senior national team; finished in the top six from the USA in the all-around at the 2010 NCAA Championships; the top 24 athletes from the U.S. Men’s Qualifier based on the approved points system; and the top three athletes on each event at the U.S. Men’s Qualifier. Some athletes successfully petitioned the Men’s Program Committee for inclusion. The qualification options for the juniors were based on performances at the 2010 Winter Cup Challenge, 2010 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships and the 2010 U.S. Men’s Qualifier.
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. NBC Sports and Universal Sports will broadcast and webcast the action from the men’s and women’s gymnastics competitions. Tickets are on sale now and available through Ticketmaster.com. For more information, go to www.usa-gymnastics.org/visachamps. 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.
Men’s field for the 2010 Visa Championships
Listed by alphabetically by state, with competition division indicated
As of July 23; subject to change
Arizona
Alexander Naddour, Mesa, Ariz./University of Oklahoma, senior
California
Donothan Bailey, Lake Forest, Calif./University of California, Berkeley, senior
Kyle Bunthuwong, El Cerrito, Calif./University of California, Berkeley, senior
Kyson Bunthuwong, El Cerrito, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics, senior
Adrian de los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif./SCATS HB, junior-14-15
Bryan Del Castillo, Laguna Niguel, Calif./University of California, Berkeley, senior
Matthew del Junco, Santa Ana, Calif./New Hope Academy of Gymnastics, senior
Joshua Dixon, San Jose, Calif./Stanford University, senior
Tyler Evans, San Jose, Calif./California Sports Center/Springfield College, senior
Glen Ishino, Santa Ana, Calif./University of California, Berkeley, senior
Kevin Ko, El Cerrito, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Sam Mikulak, Corona del Mar, Calif./SCATS HB, junior-16-18
Sho Nakamori, Albany, Calif./Champions Academy, senior
Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./SCATS HB, junior-14-15
Alex Powarzynski, Marrieta, Calif./SCATS HB, junior-14-15
Alec Robin, Calabasas, Calif./Victory Gymnastics Academy, junior-14-15
Nick Spiro, Laguna Niguel, Calif./New Hope Academy of Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif./Penn State Gymnastics, senior
Christopher Turner, Fremont, Calif./West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WCOGA), junior-16-18
Timothy Wang, Riverside, Calif./South Coast Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Colorado
Alexy Bilozertchev, Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC Gymnastics, senior
Andrew Elkind, Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC Gymnastics, senior
Wesley Haagensen, Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC Gymnastics, senior
Matthew Hicks, Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Training Center, senior
Jordan Valdez, Louisville, Colo./Champion Gymnastics Academy – Texas, junior-16-18
Colton Wulf, Wheat Ridge, Colo./Air Force Academy, junior-16-18
Connecticut
Scott Bloomfield, Wallingford, Conn./Temple University Men and Boys, senior
Daniel DiBenedetto, Vernon, Conn./Tim Daggetts Gold Medal Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Florida
Wyatt Aycock, Orlando, Fla./Orlando Metro Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Chris Cameron, Winter Haven, Fla./University of Michigan, senior
Danell Leyva, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics, senior
Jake Martin, Oviedo, Fla./Orlando Metro Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Maximilian Mayr, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Sean Melton, Orlando, Fla./Orlando Metro Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Edward Mesa, Cooper City, Fla./Universal Gymnastics, senior
Illinois
Jack Boyle, Naperville, Ill./Premier West, junior-14-15
Wasef Burbar, Chicago, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Alex Buscaglia, Cary, Ill./Stanford University, senior
Thomas Kelley, Libertyville, Ill./University of Michigan, senior
Ryan Lieberman, Lake Forest, Ill./Stanford University, senior
Jacoby Rubin, Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Michael Strathern, Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett Gymnastics Center, junior-16-18
Indiana
Ellis Mannon, Indianapolis, Ind./Indy School of Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Kentucky
Kevin Baker, Union, Ky./Queen City Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Maryland
Cyrus Dobre-Mofid, Hagerstown, Md./Hanover Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Donnell Whittenburg, Baltimore, Md./Ultimate Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Massachusetts
Jonathan Deaton, Longmeadow, Mass./Tim Daggetts Gold Medal Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Matthew Felleman, Medway, Mass./New England Academy of Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Mel Anton Santander, Southborough, Mass./University of Michigan, senior
Joshua Ungar, Longmeadow, Mass./Tim Daggetts Gold Medal Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Michigan
Stacey Ervin, Taylor, Mich./Mills USA, junior-14-15
Daniel Lucas, Battle Creek, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Missouri
Justin Morinishi, Chesterfield, Mo./St. Louis Gym Centre, junior-16-18
New Jersey
Alex Bubnov, Fanwood, N.J./Surgent’s Elite Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Brandon Wynn, Voorhees, N.J./The Ohio State University, senior
New Mexico
Shaun Antonio, Rio Rancho, N.M./Eagle Ridge Gymnastics, senior
Joseph Hagerty, Albuquerque, N.M./USOTC Gymnastics, senior
CJ Maestas, Corrales, N.M./Gold Cup Gymnastics, senior
Nevada Jake Dalton, Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma, senior
New York
John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y./World Cup Gymnastics, senior
Daniel Ribeiro, Chestnut Ridge, N.Y./University of Illinois, senior
Paul Ruggeri, Manlius, N.Y./University of Illinois, senior
Jesse Silverstein, Spring Valley, N.Y./U.S. Gymnastics Development Center II, senior
Ohio
Aaron Fortunato, Bedford, Ohio/Minnesota Gymnastics, senior
Trevor Howard, Cols, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Nicholas Hunter, Canfield, Ohio/Gymnastics World, junior-16-18
Alex Johnson, Marysville, Ohio/Integrity Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Drew Moling, Canal Winchester, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Pennsylvania
Joseph Peters, Orefield, Pa./Parkettes, junior-14-15
Chad Wiest, Butler, Pa./University of Illinois, senior
Tennessee
Cale Robinson, Harriman, Tenn./Premier Athletics, junior-16-18
Texas
Dylan Akers, Kingwood, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, senior
Chris Brooks, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior
Tim Gentry, Plano, Texas/Stanford University, senior
RJ Heflin, Houston, Texas/HGA GymMasters, senior
Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, senior
Spencer Johnson, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, senior
Steven Legendre, Flower Mound, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior
Tyler Mizoguchi, Houston, Texas/University of Illinois, senior
Philip Onorato, Plano, Texas/The Ohio State University, senior
CJ Schaaf, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, junior-16-18
Eric Schryver, Richardson, Texas/WOGA, junior-16-18
Christopher Stehl, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior
Alex Strait, Katy, Texas/Champion Gymnastics Academy – Texas, junior-16-18
Utah
Jacob Dastrup, Lindon, Utah/Arete Gymnastics, junior-14-15
Washington
Spencer Smith, Olympia, Wash./Metropolitan Gymnastics, junior-16-18