COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 3, 2014 – Region 3, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, claimed the senior and junior team titles, respectively, at the inaugural Regional Elite Team National Championships, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on March 2. Region 3 also won the Super Team competition.

The USA Gymnastics Regional Elite Team Championships is a new national competition among the men’s regional elite team programs that is designed to showcase the top Junior Elite Level 10s representing their regions in team competition. Teams from eight of the nine regions participated in three divisions: Level 10, ages 15 to 16; Level 10, ages 17 to 18; and the Super Team competition that combines both age divisions.

In the senior division, the Region 3 Team of Jacob Barrus of Dallas, Texas/Ridgewood Gymnastics Club, Ryan Sheppard of Murphy, Texas/WOGA, Yaroslav Pochinka of Plano, Texas/WOGA, and Alexander Wilson of Sugar Land, Texas/Champions Gymnastics, posted a total of score of 255.250 to easily take the team title. Region 5 was second at 252.200, and its team included Grant Breckenridge of Libertyville, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center, Jonathon Fornoff of Bartlett, Ill./Premier Gymnastics Academy West, Austin Hodges of Lincolnshire, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center, and Michael Burns of Baltimore, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center. Third place went to Region 9, which includes athletes from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, with 251.150 points. The Region 9 team members were: Dylan Ellsworth of Farmington, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, Drew Burton of Elizabeth, Colo./Colorado Training Center, Quin Malm of Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Training Center, and U.S. Junior National Team member Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics.

For the junior division, Region 5 earned a team total of 259.800, and the team consisted of Alex Diab of Glen Ellyn, Ill./Premier Gymnastics Academy, Anton Stephenson of Fishers, Ind./DeVeau’s Gymnastics, Junior National Team member Maxim Andryushchenko of Chicago/Lake Shore Academy of Artistic Gymnastics, and Junior National Team member Alec Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./InterActive Academy. Region 3 captured the runner-up spot at 259.650, based on performances by Levi Anderson of Spring, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, Tristan Burke of Royse City, Texas/WOGA, Junior National Team member Fabian DeLuna of Frisco, Texas/WOGA, and Cole Casanova of Dallas/WOGA. The bronze team medal went to Region 9 for its 245.000. The Region 9 team included John Jacobson of Syracuse, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, Esteban Montiel of Sunset, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, Isaac Xiong of Denver/5280 Gymnastics, and Jordyn Lopez of Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics.

For the Super Team competition, Region 3 took top honors at 433.300, followed by Region 5 at 431.800 and Region 9 at 419.100.

Each region selected its best athletes to compete in a regional elite team competition that uses an international format and competition environment. Supported and sponsored by USA Gymnastics, the competition is designed to help educate athletes and coaches with regard to procedures used in international team competition and serves to assist in the development of our coaches and athletes who are working toward elite level training and international competition.

Each of the nine men’s regions is developing a regional elite program based on the developmental activities of the National Junior Elite Team Program that is also tailored to its own particular needs. The Regional Elite Team Program is intended to be a core elite development activity that supports and expands the national junior elite program. The regional team activities will culminate at the Regional Elite Team Championships each year.