© John Cheng

GREENSBORO, N.C., March 2, 2019 – Region 3 successfully defended its team title at the 2019 Elite Team Cup, which features the country’s top junior elite male gymnasts in a regional team competition, at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum Complex. The Elite Team Cup concluded the Triple Cup weekend that included the 2019 American Cup, an International Gymnastics Federation World Cup event, and the Nastia Liukin Cup.

Region 3 earned a team total of 325.150, which included the top team scores for the floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings and vault. Region 1 took second place at 321.950 and had the top team score for the horizontal bar. Region 8 rounded out the top three at 317.350 and earned the top team score for the parallel bars.

The team members of champions Region 3, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, were: Lazarus Barnhill, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; Fuzzy Benas, Richmond, Texas/EnRich Gymnastics and Dance Academy; Garrett Braunton, Olympia, Wash./Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; JR Chou, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; Jack Freeman, Palestine, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; and Colt Walker, Cedar Park, Texas/AcroTex Gymnastics.

Region 1 represents four states (Arizona, Hawaii, California and Nevada), and the members of the runner-up team were: Brandon Briones, Gilbert, Ariz./Aspire Gymnastics; Isaiah Drake, Los Angeles, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica; Raydel Gamboa, Phoenix, Ariz./North Valley Gymnastics; Riley Loos, El Dorado, Calif./Technique Gymnastics; Zachary Martin, Elk Grove, Calif./Elevate Gymnastics Academy; and Brandon Nguyen, Elk Grove, Calif./Elevate Gymnastics;.

In third, the squad for Region 8 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) included: Ethan Boder, Knoxville, Tenn./GymTek Academy; Crew Bold, Delray Beach, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics; Steven Lukasik, Lutz, Fla./LaFleur’s Tampa; Kameron Nelson, Jackson, Tenn./Arrow Athletic Center; Travis Wong, Miami, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics; and Adam Wooten, Kingston Springs, Tenn./Harpeth School of Gymnastics.

The team scores all nine regional teams are listed below.

  1. Region 3: total, 325.150; floor exercise, 53.950; pommel horse, 53.850; still rings, 54.750; vault, 59.700; parallel bars, 52.450; and horizontal bar, 50.450.
  2. Region 1: total, 321.950; floor exercise, 53.400; pommel horse, 49.900; still rings, 53.850; vault, 58.850; parallel bars, 52,500; and horizontal bar, 53.450.
  3. Region 8: total, 317.350; floor exercise, 50.900; pommel horse, 48.800; still rings, 52.950; vault, 58.100; parallel bars, 53.700; and horizontal bar, 51.900.
  4. Region 9: total, 313.750; floor exercise, 52.800; pommel horse, 49.550; still rings, 51.050; vault, 58.850; parallel bars, 52.750; and horizontal bar, 48.750.
  5. Region 7: total, 311.050; floor exercise, 53.400; pommel horse, 51.250; still rings, 50.100; vault, 54.900; parallel bars, 50.850; and horizontal bar, 50.550.
  6. Region 6: total, 310.700; floor exercise, 53.050; pommel horse, 48.700; still rings, 50.150; vault, 55.850; parallel bars, 52.650; and horizontal bar, 50.300.
  7. Region 2: total, 308.750; floor exercise, 51.700; pommel horse, 50.000; still rings, 52.050; vault, 53.350; parallel bars, 51.400; and horizontal bar, 50.250.
  8. Region 5: total, 306.250; floor exercise, 50.150; pommel horse, 49.550; still rings, 50.750; vault, 55.400; parallel bars, 50.750; and horizontal bar, 49.650.
  9. Region 4: total, 303.550; floor exercise, 52.100; pommel horse, 46.400; still rings, 50.650; vault, 56.350; parallel bars, 50.100; and horizontal bar, 47.950.

The Elite Team Cup features nine men’s Regional Teams, each consisting of six junior elite gymnasts. The states that comprise the remaining six regions are: Region 2 – Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington; Region 3 –; Region 4 – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin; Region 5 – Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio; Region 6 – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont; Region 7 – Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; and Region 9 – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Most recently, the Elite Team Cup has been staged in Newark, N.J, in 2016-17, and Hoffman Estates, Ill., in 2018.

Background Information

 

  • Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is an independent, non-profit governmental authority whose mission is to aggressively market Greensboro’s assets, maximizing economic impact while providing excellent visitor service. Guilford County ranks third in the state in travel and tourism expenditures, with over $1.2 billion generated in 2015 and more than 13,000 people employed in travel-related jobs. For more information: www.visitgreensboronc.com.
  • Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a multi-building facility designed to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding area through a broad range of activities, including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, and public and private events of all kinds including conventions, convocations and trade and consumer shows. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is one of the most actively booked facilities in the country hosting more than 1,100 events on an annual basis. With its incredible versatility, the Complex has gained worldwide acclaim from promoters, producers, event planners and patrons. For more information; www.greensborocoliseum.com.
  • Sports & Properties, Inc. SPI is a sports marketing and sports development firm concentrating in three primary areas of business: major sponsorships, including naming rights; sports tourism; and major events. SPI recent projects include the Raleigh-Durham market’s Major League Soccer Application, the USA Masters Games, greater Asheville sports tourism, and the Seminole County Sports Complex. Event projects include the Africa Youth Games, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and the American Cup. SPI clients include Capitol Broadcasting Company, the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, the North Carolina Football Club, and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, among others. For more information on SPI, visit sportsproperties.com.
  • Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational (GGI) – Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019, the Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational, hosted by Flip Force Gymnastics, is one of the largest gymnastics events on the East Coast. The event includes competition in men’s and women’s gymnastics, and power tumbling and trampoline. In 2018, GGI hosted over 3,000 athletes and was a Nastia Liukin Cup senior and junior qualifying event. 2018 was also the inaugural year of the GGI State Men’s Team Competition. Held annually at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in February, GGI is directed by Chris Young (Flip Force Gymnastics), Esau Huang (Flip Force Gymnastics), and Sarah Myers (Flip Force Kidsport Gymnastics). GGI is a sponsor of Big Brothers Big Sisters, raising $25,000 for the local chapter. For more information, go to www.greensborogyminvite.com.
  • USA Gymnastics. 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 encourages 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.