CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 11, 2012 – Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, and Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, and Alicia Powder of Ladera Ranch, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics and Shanelle Landry of Lafayette, La./Elite Trampoline Academy, won the men’s and women’s synchronized trampoline titles at the 2012 Stars and Stripes Cup in Cleveland, Ohio. Held at Cleveland Public Auditorium, the three-day event continues tomorrow with the junior and senior elite finals for men’s and women’s trampoline, tumbling, synchronized trampoline and double mini-trampoline. The Stars and Stripes Cup is the second of three events in the selection process for the U.S. Olympic Team for trampoline.
Gluckstein and Dooley posted a 140.50 total to cruise to the men’s synchro title, finishing ahead of Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./ETA, and Michael Devine of Winnebago, Ill./J and J Tumbling and Trampoline Team, who were second, and Justin Hackett of Allendale, Mich., and Ryan Walsh of Kalamazoo, Mich., both of Branch Gymnastics, who finished in third. For the women, Powder and Landry scored a total of 121.40 for first, followed by Deana Parris of Fairland T&T and Audrey Ghanian of Elite Trampoline Academy. The junior champions were Joseph Kozlowski of Avondale, Pa./Elite Trampoline Academy, and Cody Gesuelli of Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, for the men, and Erynn Stier of Morley, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, and Meghan O’Connell of Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, for the women.
In the prelims for the individual trampoline competition, S. Gluckstein earned the top score at 106.215, followed by Dooley and Devine in second and third, respectively. Savannah Vinsant of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, captured the highest women’s score at 101.475 to finish ahead of Landry and Dakota Earnest of Plains, Texas/Acrospirits, who were second and third respectively. The juniors at the top of the prelim rankings are Alexi Shostak of Lafayette, La./T&T Express (men) and Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo, Texas/All American Gymnastics (women).
Heading into the tumbling finals, Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho/Team Revolution, and Brittney Bernard of Bixby, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme, had the top prelim scores for the senior division. For the juniors, AGT Flip City’s Casey Skinner of Livonia, Mich., posted the highest women’s score, with teammate Aaron Cook of Detroit at the top of the men’s preliminary rankings.
The top double mini-trampoline scores were earned by Marina Moskalenko of Orlando/Stick It Gymnastics (senior women), Ryan Roberts of Ramona, Calif./Southern California TTC (senior men), Madi Webster of Odon, Ind./Tumbling Express (junior women) and Joshua Brown of Gilbert, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center (junior men).
Preliminary scores do not carry over to the final rounds for the senior men’s and women’s competition.
In addition to the junior and senior elite levels, the Stars and Stripes Cup also includes athletes in Levels 8-10 and the Olympic Development Program. The four events for the elite and Olympic Development Program levels will have both preliminary and final rounds. Check for results at usagym.org.
The remaining competition schedule is as follows.
May 12
9:30-12:30 – Level 9 trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline
2-5 p.m. – Levels 8 and 10 trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline
6:30-8:30 p.m. – Junior and senior elite men’s and women’s trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling finals
May 13
9-11:40 a.m. – Levels 9 and 10 trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline finals
1-3 p.m. – Levels 9 and 10 synchronized trampoline finals and Level 8 tumbling and double mini-trampoline
One man and one woman will represent the United States in trampoline at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Stars and Stripes Cup is the second of three qualifying events for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team for trampoline. The other two events are the 2012 U.S. Elite Challenge, held March 30-April 1 in Tulsa, Okla., and the trampoline nationals in June in San Jose, Calif. Athletes earn points based on their finishes at the three selection events, with points earned at two of the three competitions counting toward the final ranking.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the City of Cleveland and Cleveland Public Auditorium are assisting with the hosting and staging of the Stars and Stripes Cup.
Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission prides itself on being one of the most distinguished Sports Commissions in the country, effectively leveraging sports events and activities to further economic development in Northeast Ohio. The philosophy of the Sports Commission sets it apart from others by operating as an economic and community development organization utilizing sports as a vehicle to forward other community agendas. The organization takes the unique approach of becoming a management and financial partner in each event with the goal of producing events that are more successful in Cleveland than other cities in which they have been held. Since 2000, the Sports Commission has been responsible for attracting, creating and/or managing over 120 sporting events resulting in more than $370 million in economic activity. For more information, please visit www.clevelandsports.org.