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SAINT PAUL, Minn., July 12, 2009 – 2008 world silver-medalists Michael Rodrigues and Kristin Allen of Livermore, Calif./West Coast Training Center, won the all-around title in World Cup mixed pair at the 2009 Freedom Cup at The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minn. During finals on the last day of competition, Rodrigues and Allen posted a 28.890 combined performance, just ahead of Russia’s Anastasia Gorbatyuk and Alexandr Barleben, who earned a 28.754, and the 28.688 scored by Belgium’s Julie Van Gelder and Menno Vanderghote.

Belgium’s Eloise Vanstaen, Maaike Croquet and Corinne Van Hombeeck held onto the all-around women’s group title with a finals combined score of 28.383. Magalie Van Echelpoel, Laura Purdy and Marlene Hameroy followed with 27.227.

In women’s pairs, Florence Henrist and Tatsiana Devos of Belgium tallied a finals combined score of 28.829, maintaining their first place position and winning the all-around. Russian pair Natalia Fedorova and Tatiana Alexseeva finished second with a 28.150, while Janina Hiller and Sophia Muller of Germany placed third with a finals combined score of 27.727.

The United States swept the Age Group 11-16 women’s group division finals winning gold with Kendall Meyer and Mackenzie Meyer of Silver Spring, Md., and their teammate Erica Prestipino of Rockville, Md./Xtreme Acro and Cheer (27.900), silver with Kaitlyn Plata, Monika Terry, and Jenna Provazek of San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics (27.700), and bronze with Jesse Kelly and Brooke Rhoades of San Jose, Calif., and Alyssa Liardon of Morgan Hill, Calif./Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics (27.667). The USA’s also took home all three women’s pair trophies as Mariah Cockshell of Lees Summit, Mo., and Kennedy Swanson of Blue Springs, Mo./Acro Explosion, posted a finals score of 27.800 to finish first while Helena Hall of Monrovia, Md., and Alana Floyd of Mt. Airy, Md./Skyview Gymnastics /USA, recorded a 27.434 for second, and Olivia Niva and Gabby Titinger of San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics, USA, edged out Ashlyn Jarvis and Allie DeGuire of St. Louis, Mo./Power Club Express, to take third with 27.133.. After finals, the two mixed pairs were Kendall Meyer of Silver Spring, Md., and Christopher Ball of Rockville, Md./ Xtreme Acro and Cheer /USA, with 27.434 and Kiley Boynton of Riverside, Calif., and Ryan Smethers of Mira Loma, Calif./Realis/USA, with a score of 27.134.

Portugal won three all-around categories in the Age Group 12-19 division. In women’s group, Portugal’s Sofia Costa, Vera Costa and Sofia Roiao earned the highest all-around score at 85.134, followed by Alexa Vitale, Kelly Phillips and Jessica Picone of San Jose, Calif./Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics /USA, with 84.067 and Tiana Terry, Alayna Davis and Elika Sudo of San Jose, Calif./Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics /USA, with 81.466. The Portuguese pair of Ana Marujo and Leonor Oliveira/Ginasio Clube Portugues also won the women’s pair all-around with a total score of 82.767. Valerie Bryant and Hayley Lemmons of Boerne, Texas/ Boerne Gymnastics Center /USA, took second place with 78.683, while the Australians Shelby Lacey and Molly Hanrahan/Oak Flats Gymnastics & Acrobatic Club finished third with 78.001. Iris Mendes and Joao Costa of Portugal won in the mixed pair with 82.466 total points, while the USA’s Eirian Smith and Jake Kanavel of San Jose, Calif./Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics/USA, took second with 80.283.

The senior all-around categories finished in the same order as they began, with women’s group leaders Kailey Maurer of Fontana, Calif., Holli Morris of Beaumont, Calif., and Crystal Johnston of Riverside, Calif./Empire/USA winning the all-around with a score of 83.040. Savannah Shields of Grain Valley, Mo., Megan Muehlberger of Blue Springs, Mo., and Mallory Henthorn of Independence., Mo./Acro Explosion /USA, finished second with 79.100, and Judith De Vegt, Marion Dijkstra and Henrieke Koopman/Adonis Sportcrobatiek- Netherlands, placed third with 79.016. Mixed pair leaders Sienna Martinez of Riverside, Calif., and Ryan Ward of Corona, Calif./Realis/USA, held the all-around lead to win with 83.559, while Sarah Radcliffe of Ellicott City, Md., and Kevin Grear of Columbia, Md./ Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics Club /USA, remained in second with 79.117 and Nicole Faubert of Danville, Calif., and Brian Kincher of Livermore, Calif./West Coast Training Center placed third with 77.635.

The Freedom Cup included three competition divisions: senior, junior, and age-group. Preliminary rounds were held Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, with the final round taking place Sunday, July 12. A complete list of the entire field and results are available online.

The U.S. Acrobatic Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships, which showcases the nation’s top acrobatic gymnasts, will begin July 13-16 in conjunction with the Freedom Cup. The Junior Olympics features competition in Levels 5-10, junior elite and senior elite, and serves as a qualifying event for the 2009 Visa Championships, scheduled for Aug. 12-15 in Dallas, Texas.

Acrobatic gymnastics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatic and gymnastic skills with intense acrobatic balance showing grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise.

An acrobatic gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A women’s group is comprised of a base, middle and top partner, while a men’s group has a base, two middle partners and one top partner. Bases generally are older athletes who display strength and balance and top partners generally are younger athletes who display flexibility and agility. Middle partners often are required to show a combination of all attributes.

2009 Freedom Cup
Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Saint Paul, Minn.
July 11, 2009

World Cup Division

Women’s Group
Finals – Combined
1. Eloise Vanstaen, Maaike Croquet, Corinne Van Hombeeck/ Belgium, 28.383
2. Magalie Van Echelpoel, Laura Purdy, Marlene Chameroy/ France, 27.227

Mixed Pair
Finals – Combined
1. Kirstin Allen, Michael Rodrigues/Livermore, Calif./USA, 28.890
2. Anastasia Gorbatyuk, Alexandr Barleben/Russia, 28.754
3. Julie Van Gelder, Menno Vanderghote/ Belgium, 28.688

Women’s Pair
Finals – Combined
1. Florence Henrist, Tatsiana Devos/ Belgium, 28.829
2. Natalia Fedorova, Tatiana Alexseeva/Russia, 28.150
3. Janina Hiller/, Sophia Muller/ Germany, 27.727

Men’s Pair
Finals – Combined
1. Joao Maia and Tiago Figueiredo/Portugal, 28.322

Senior Division

Women’s Group
All-around
1. Kailey Maurer/Fontana, Calif., Holli Morris/Beaumont, Calif.,Crystal Johnston/Riverside, Calif./Empire, USA, 83.040
2. Savannah Shields/Grain Valley, Mo., Megan Muehlberger/Blue Springs, Mo., Mallory Henthorn/Independence, Mo./ Acro Explosion, USA, 79.100
3. Judith De Vegt, Marion Dijkstra, Henrieke Koopman/Adonis Sportacrobatiek- Neitherlands, 79.016

Mixed Pair
All-around
1. Sienna Martinez/Riverside, Calif., Ryan Ward/Corona, Calif./ Realis, USA, 83.559
2. Sarah Radcliffe/Ellicott City, Md., Kevin Grear/Columbia, Md./ Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics Club, USA, 79.117
3. Nicole Faubert/Danville, Calif., Brian Kincher/Livermore, Calif./West Coast Training Center, 77.635

Women’s Pair
All-around
1. Lucy Stevens and Rebecca Buffrey/GLAD, 66.761

Age Group 12-19

Women’s Group
All-around
1. Sofia Costa, Vera Costa, Sofia Roiao, Portugal, 85.134
2. Alexa Vitale/San Jose, Calif., Kelly Phillips/San Jose, Calif., Jessica Picone/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics, USA, 84.067
3. Tiana Terry/San Jose, Calif., Alayna Davis/San Jose, Calif., Elika Sudo/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics, USA, 81.466

Mixed Pair
All-around
1. Iris Mendes, Joao Costa/MAIA, Portugal, 82.466
2. Eirian Smith/San Jose, Calif., Jake Kanavel/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling & AcroGymnastics, USA, 80.283

Women’s Pair
All-around
1. Ana Marujo, Leonor Oliveira/ Ginasio Clube Portugues, Portugal, 82.767
2. Valerie Bryant/Boerne, Texas, Hayley Lemmons/Boerne, Texas/ Boerne Gymnastics Center, USA, 78.683
3. Shelby Lacey, Molly Hanrahan/Oak Flats Gymnastics & Acrobatic Club, Australia, 78.001

Men’s Pair
All-around
1. David Varela and Joao Assuncao, Portugal, 83.300

Age Group 11-16

Women’s Group
Finals
1. Kendall Meyer/Silver Spring, Md., Erica Prestipino/Rockville, Md., Mackenzie Meyer/Silver Spring, Md./ Xtreme Acro and Cheer, USA, 27.900
2. Kaitlyn Plata/San Jose, Calif., Monika Terry/San Jose, Calif., Jenna Provazek/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics, USA, 27.700
3. Jesse Kelly/San Jose, Calif., Alyssa Liardon/Morgan Hill, Calif., Brooke Rhoades/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics, USA, 27.667

Mixed Pair
Finals
1. Kendall Meyer/Silver Spring, Md., Christopher Ball/Rockville, Md./Xtreme Acro and Cheer, USA, 27.434
2. Kiley Boynton/Riverside, Calif., Ryan Smethers/Mira Loma, Calif./Realis, USA, 27.134

Women’s Pair
Finals
1. Mariah Cockshell/Lee Summit, Mo., Kennedy Swanson/Blue Springs, Mo./Acro Explosion, USA, 27.800
2. Helena Hall/Monrovia, Md., Alana Floyd/Mt. Airy, Md./Skyview Gymnastics, USA, 27.434
3. Olivia Niva/San Jose, Calif., Gabby Titinger/San Jose, Calif./ Aerial Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics, USA, 27.133

Men’s Group
Finals
1. Nicholas Jackson, Andrei Binseel, Alexander Ruth, Skye Robinson, 27.067