INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 1, 2010 – The United States will compete in both rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline in Guadalajara, Mexico, this week to qualify for the 2011 Pan American Games.

2010 U.S. all-around champion Julie Zetlin of Bethesda, Md., headlines the U.S. Team that will compete in the 2010 Pan American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Dec. 2-5. 2010 U.S. trampoline champions Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Nani Vercruyssen of Honolulu headline the eight-person U.S. Trampoline Team that will compete in the Pan American Cup 2010 on Dec. 4.

The Pan Am Championships begin on Dec. 2 with competition in individual rope and hoop at 3 p.m. and group (five hoops) at 5:30 p.m. The remaining schedule is: Dec. 3 – ball and ribbon at 4 p.m., group (three ribbon/two rope) at 6:30 p.m., and individual and team award ceremonies at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 4 –individual event finals for rope and hoop and group (five hoops) at 6 p.m.; and Dec. 5 – individual event finals for ball and ribbon and group (three ribbon/two rope) at 6 p.m. All times are local in Guadalajara.

The competition at the Pan Am Cup is a one day event on Dec. 4. The team competition and individual event preliminaries are held together in the morning, with the top eight individuals, maximum two per country, advancing to the men’s and women’s individual trampoline finals later that day.

The rhythmic gymnasts competing for the USA at the Pan American Championships are:

  • Shelby Kisiel, Houston/North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
  • Olga Pavlenko, Brooklyn, N.Y./Isadora
  • Anastasia Torba, Orinda, Calif./Allegro Rhythmic
  • Julie Zetlin, Bethesda, Md./Capital Rhythmics
  • U.S. group, which trains at North Shore Rhythmic in Buffalo Grove, Ill., includes: Jessica Bogdanov, Megan Frohlich, Michelle Przybylo, Sofya Roytburg, and Sydney Sachs.

The U.S. Trampoline Team for the Pan Am Cup is:

  • Men
    • Michael Devine, Winnebago, Ill./J&J Tumbling and Trampoline
    • Logan Dooley, Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics
    • Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Head Over Heels
    • Neil Gulati, Irvine, Calif./World Elite
  • Women
    • Hayley Butcher, St. John, Ind./Midwest Training Center
    • Dakota Earnest, Plains, Texas/Acrospirits
    • Nani Vercruyssen, Honolulu/Hawaii Academy
    • Savannah Vinsant, Lafayette, La./Trampoline & Tumbling Express

Qualification for rhythmic gymnastics at the Pan Am Games is by country not individual athlete and is based on rankings after the preliminary round. In individual rhythmic gymnastics, the countries that finish in the top six of the team rankings qualify for two gymnasts for the Pan Am Games. An additional four rhythmic gymnasts will qualify their country based on rankings in the all-around prelims. For group, the top five countries in the rankings qualify for the Pan Am Games.

In trampoline, the countries that finish in the top three in the team rankings will send two athletes each, and the two athletes who finish at the top of the individual preliminary results who are not on one of the top three teams also qualify as individuals.