GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Oct. 14, 2011 – Shelby Kisiel of Missouri City, Texas/North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Julie Zetlin of Bethesda, Md./Capital Rhythmics, are the first of 24 U.S. gymnasts to take to the competition floor at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Rhythmic gymnastics will begin tomorrow, followed by trampoline and men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics later in the Games.

"It feels amazing to be at the Pan American Games," said Kisiel, the 2011 U.S. all-around champion. "I have always wanted to compete at a big event like this and I feel honored to be here. It’s a really fun atmosphere."

Zetlin, the 2010 Pan American Championships all-around champion, will be competing in her second Pan American Games. She competed in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she was second in rope and fourth in the all-around.

"It’s really surreal to be competing at the Pan American Games for the second time," said Zetlin, who just had the USA’s highest performance at the recent World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. "It is a great competition and we have so much support from our country – it feels really cool. I love being here and I am loving this experience."

Competition begins tomorrow with the rhythmic individual all-around finals. The all-around also serves as the qualification round for the individual event finals, and the top eight competitors from each event (maximum of two per country) advance to the individual event finals.

In addition to Kisiel and Zetlin, the six-member rhythmic group is vying for the gold in the group competition starting Oct. 16.

Members of the U.S. rhythmic group of North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center are as follows: Jessica Bogdanov, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Megan Frohlich, Glenview, Ill.; Aimee Gupta, Orchard Lake, Mich.; Michelle Przybylo, Glenview, Ill.; Sofya Roytburg, Buffalo Grove, Ill.; and Sydney Sachs, Deerfield, Ill.

The group competition will begin with the all-around competition, which will qualify them for individual group event finals. A total of 16 individuals and five groups from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, United States, and Venezuela are competing in rhythmic gymnastics.

Oct. 17 has competition in both rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. Overlapping with rhythmic gymnastics group all-around finals, trampoline gymnasts compete in the qualification round, which determines which athletes will go forward to the finals on the following day.

Following rhythmic and trampoline, artistic gymnastics competition begins on Oct. 24 with the women’s team finals. The team finals for men’s gymnasts are Oct. 25. For both men’s and women’s gymnastics, performances in the team finals determine which athletes advance to the all-around finals on Oct. 26 and the individual event finals, Oct. 27-28. There is a maximum of two athletes per country in the all-around and individual event finals.

Information on participating countries, the draw, and results are available on the websites of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), http://www.teamusa.org, and organizing committee, http://www.guadalajara2011.org.mx.

USA Gymnastics’ Pan American events page, https://usagym.org/panam, will have results, photos and other information on the U.S. Team’s efforts in Guadalajara.

Athlete roster for 2011 Pan American Games
(Listed by order of competition, then last name)

RHYTHMIC – INDIVIDUAL
Shelby Kisiel, Missouri City, Texas/North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Julie Zetlin, Bethesda, Md./Capital Rhythmics

RHYTHMIC – GROUP
Jessica Bogdanov, Brooklyn, N.Y./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Megan Frohlich, Glenview, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Aimee Gupta, Orchard Lake, Mich./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Michelle Przybylo, Glenview, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Sofya Roytburg, Buffalo Grove, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Sydney Sachs, Deerfield, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

TRAMPOLINE
Dakota Earnest, Plains, Texas/Acrospirits
Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Head Over Heels
Jeffrey Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Head Over Heels
Alaina Williams, Amarillo, Texas/Acrospirits

ARTISTIC – WOMEN
Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC
Jessie DeZiel, Rogers, Minn./Twin City Twisters
Brandie Jay, Ft. Collins, Colo./GK Gymnastics
Shawn Johnson, West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Bridget Sloan, Pittsboro, Ind./Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy

ARTISITC – MEN
Donothan Bailey, Lake Forest, Calif./University of California – Berkeley
Christopher Maestas, Corrales, N.M./University Of Illinois
Tyler Mizoguchi, Houston, Texas/University Of Illinois
Sho Nakamori, Albany, Calif./Champions Academy
Paul Ruggeri III, Manlius, N.Y./University Of Illinois
Brandon Wynn, Columbus, Ohio/Team Hilton HHonors/The Ohio State University