INDIANAPOLIS, July 6, 2018 – 2018 Pacific Rim all-around champion Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, is one of five U.S. National Team members in the 70-man field for the 2018 Men’s National Qualifier July 14-15 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event is the last opportunity for men to qualify for the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Boston, Mass., Aug. 16-19, as well as an opportunity to tune-up for nationals.
In addition to two-time Olympian Mikulak, the U.S. National Team members in the field are: Donothan Bailey of Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior; Luke McFarland of East Haven, Conn./Daggett Gymnastics, junior 15-16; Eddie Penev of Penfield, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior; and Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center, 2016 Olympic team alternate.
The qualifier begins on July 14 with two sessions of junior and senior optional competition, with the first starting at 12:30 p.m. and the second starting at 6 p.m. It wraps up the following day with the junior technical sequence at 11 a.m. A total of 72 athletes from 22 states will compete at the training center.
Athletes can qualify to the senior division at the 2018 U.S. Championships in a variety of ways. U.S. Senior National Team members named to the team following the 2018 Winter Cup Challenge automatically qualified to the championships. A minimum of 18 athletes will qualify to the U.S. Championships based on the national Points Ranking System from the National Qualifier. The top six ranked all-around gymnasts who are U.S. citizens from among the top 12 all-around athletes, excluding any previous qualified athletes, as well as athletes who win the individual apparatus titles at the 2018 NCAA Championships also qualify to the U.S. Championships. There may also be some approved petitions to championships. This will total approximately 36 qualifiers.
Juniors qualify in a similar fashion. The top 22 athletes from the 15-16 junior elite age division from the all-around finals at the 2018 Junior Olympic National Championships and the top 14 athletes from the 17-18 junior elite age division from the all-around finals at the 2018 Junior Olympic National Championships qualify to the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The top six age eligible juniors from the junior elite division at the 2018 National Qualifier will qualify using the rank order all-around results (optional + technical sequence score) with 15-16 and 17-18 age divisions combined also qualify. This will total approximately 42 athletes in two age divisions.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that empowers and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has already taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its safe sport policies and procedures. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to usagym.org.
Field for the 2018 Men’s National Qualifier
Athletes are organized alphabetically by state
California
Sebastian Abedi, Roseville, Calif./Technique Gymnastics, junior 17-18
Donothan Bailey, Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
Benjamin Bloom, Mill Valley, Calif./University of Washington Men’s Gymnastics, senior
Cameron Bock, Tustin, Calif./University of Michigan, senior
Jared Danek, Antelope, Calif./Technique Gymnastics, senior
Adrian De Los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
Cameron Edwards-Rea, Santa Maria, Calif./Southern California United, senior
Matthew Geuy, Murrieta, Calif./SCEGA Gymnastics, junior 17-18
Andrew Herrador, Livermore, Calif./University of Iowa, senior
Bennet Huang, Palo Alto, Calif./University of Iowa, senior
Samuel Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
Brandon Ngai, Sacramento, Calif./University of Illinois, senior
Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
Samuel Phillips, West Hills, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, junior 15-16
Reid Ross, Oroville, Calif./Oroville Gymnastics, senior
Nathan Tsuji, Aptos, Calif./University of Washington Men’s Gymnastics, senior
Cailen Walker, Hercules, Calif./Head Over Heels, junior 15-16
Jordan Williams, Concord, Calif./Head Over Heels, junior 17-18
Connecticut
Luke McFarland, East Haven, Conn./Daggett Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Florida
Justin Ah Chow, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics Inc., junior 17-18
Dylan Hauptmeier, Weston, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics, Inc., junior 17-18
Denis Irimiea, Hallandale Beach, Fla./Universal Gymnastics Inc., junior 15-16
Matthew Leon, Pembroke Pines, Fla./Nova Gymnastics, senior
Bryce Thomson, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics Inc., senior
Illinois
Grant Breckenridge, Libertyville, Ill./Stanford University, senior
Charlie Giles, Lake Zurich, Ill./University of Nebraska-Lincoln, senior
Sebastian Ingersoll, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Michael Paradise, Bartlett, Ill./University of Illinois, senior
Curran Phillips, Naperville, Ill./Prairie Gymnastics Club, junior 17-18
Rithik Puri, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Nick Smiley, South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles Gymnastics Academy, senior
Cody Troha, Downers Grove, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Indiana
Seth Delbridge, Floyds Knob, Ind./Ohio State University, senior
Ellis Mannon, Indianapolis, Ind./University of Minnesota, senior
Anthony Stephenson, Fishers, Ind./University of Nebraska-Lincoln, senior
Louisiana
Tyler Schaal, Boca Raton, La./Universal Gymnastics Inc., senior
Robbie Shamp, Marrero, La./All Star Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Jalon Stephens, Shreveport, La./University of Minnesota, senior
Massachusetts
Mitchell Mandozzi, Harvard, Mass./University of Iowa, senior
Stephen Nedoroscik, Worcester, Mass./Pennsylvania State University, senior
Maryland
Donnell Whittenburg, Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
Khoi Young, Bowie, Md./Sportsplex Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Michigan
Jacob Moore, West Bloomfield, Mich./University of Michigan, senior
Virgil Watkins, Ann Arbor, Mich./Infinity Gymnastics Academy, junior 17-18
Missouri
Ross Thompson, Kansas City, Mo./University of Illinois, senior
New Jersey
Jake Brodarzon, Paramus, N.J./University of Iowa, senior
Evan Hymanson, Morganville, N.J./University of Nebraska-Lincoln, senior
Sebastian Quiana, Oradell, N.J./University of Illinois, senior
New York
Johnny Jacobson, Syracuse, N.Y./University of Illinois, senior
Eddie Penev, Penfield, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior
North Carolina
Stewart Brown, Taylorsville, N.C./University of Iowa, junior 17-18
William Jeffreys, Raleigh, N.C./Ohio State University, senior
Ohio
Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University, senior
Oklahoma
Gage Dyer, Yukon, Okla./University of Oklahoma, senior
Oregon
James Friedman, Salem, Ore./OMEGA Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Peyton Hobson, Salem, Ore./OMEGA Gymnastics, junior 17-18
Pennsylvania
Collin Cunane, West Chester, Pa./KMC Dance and Gymnastics Center, junior 15-16
Genki Suzuki, North Wales, Pa./University of Oklahoma, senior
South Carolina
Joel Kovacs, Columbia, S.C./Lake Murray Gymnastics, senior
Tennessee
Ethan Boder, Knoxville, Tenn./GymTek Academy, junior 15-16
Valen Watrous, Franklin, Tenn./GymTek Academy, junior 17-18
Brayton Williams, Lebanon, Tenn./GymTek Academy, junior 17-18
Adam Wooten, Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth School of Gymnastics, junior 17-18
Texas
Alan Camillus, Flower Mound, Texas/Southlake Gymnastics Academy, junior 17-18
Tanner Justus, Cypress, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior
Kyle King, Mesquite, Texas/University of Nebraska-Lincoln, senior
Colin VanWicklen, Magnolia, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, senior
Alexei Vernyi, Cypress, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior
Oliver Zavela, Lakeway, Texas/Crenshaw Athletic Club Inc., junior 15-16
Virginia
Kyte Crigger, Manassas, Va./University of California – Berkeley, senior
Washington
Garrett Braunton, Olympia, Wash./Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, junior 15-16
Michael Sloat, Bothell, Wash./University of Washington Men’s Gymnastics, senior