INDIANAPOLIS, July 21, 2005 – 2004 Olympic silver-medalists Blaine Wilson, Jason Gatson and Brett McClure are expected to compete in the 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS in Indianapolis Aug. 10-13 at Conseco Fieldhouse. 2005 Winter Cup Challenge all-around bronze-medalist Todd Thornton and 2002 parallel bars national champion Sean Townsend are also among the male gymnasts to watch in the first major competition in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Other senior national team members in the men’s field are: Guillermo Alverez of Denver, the recipient of the 2005 NCAA Nissen Award, collegiate gymnastics’ highest honor; Raj Bhavsar of Houston, the 2004 still rings national champion and Olympic team alternate; David Durante of Garwood, N.J., the 2003 Pan American Games all-around silver medalist; Jonathan Horton of Houston, the 2003 Pan American Games bronze medalist; Eric LaMorte of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., the still rings gold medalist at the 2004 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships; and; David Sender of Chicago, the 2004 national vault champion.

Geoffrey Corrigan of Colorado Springs, Colo., who won the 2005 U.S. Qualifier, is also in the field, as well as local Indianapolis gymnast Cameron Deer, who qualified to compete in the junior division.
The 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics. Artistic gymnastics is held at Conseco Fieldhouse, with rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics staged at the Indiana Convention Center. The women’s field for the Visa Championships will not be finalized until after the 2005 U.S. Classics on July 23.
Before claiming the silver team medal at the 2004 Olympics, Wilson of Columbus, Ohio, was a 2003 World Championship team silver medalist and a five-time U.S. national champion. He also represented the United States in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. A member of Team Chevron, he has been on the senior national team for 12 years.
Gatson of Mesa, Ariz., won all-around, still rings, parallel bars and the high bar (tied) at the 2004 Visa American Cup. Also was a member of the 2003 World Artistic Championship silver medal team, he trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs and has been on the senior national team for five years..
McClure of Mill Creek, Wash., won pommel horse and placed second in the all-around at the 2004 Visa Championships. He was a member of the 2003 World Artistic Championship silver medal team. His past international accomplishments includes a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships and a bronze at the 2001 Goodwill Games. He too lives and trains at the USOTC and has been on the senior national team for six years.
Earlier this year, Thornton of Houston claimed bronze medals in the all-around, parallel bars and horizontal bar at the 2005 Winter Cup Challenge. In 2004, he finished fourth in the all-around at the 2004 Visa Championships, as well as won the horizontal bar at the 2005 Jurassic Classic in Calgary, Alberta. He has been on the senior national men’s team for four years.
A seven-year member of the senior national team, Townsend became the world champion in parallel bars at the 2001 World Championships, as well as earning the team silver medal. He was a finalist in 2001 for the Sullivan Award, which honors America’s top amateur athlete. Townsend also competed in the 2000 Olympic Games.
Tickets for the 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com 

List of competitors (by state) for the 2005 Visa Championships

(as of 7/18/05) NOTE: list shows gymnast’s name, his club and hometown; * denotes junior

Arizona
Jason Gatson, Team Chevron, Mesa, Ariz
Yewki Tomita, USOTC, Tucson, Ariz.

California
Kyle Bunthuwong*, Golden Bear Gymnastics, El Cerrito, Calif.
Kyson Bunthuwong*, Golden Bear Gymnastics, El Cerrito, Calif.
Jason Chu*, SCATS-HB, Bellflower, Calif.
Bryan Del Castillo*, South Coast Gymnastics, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Josh Dixon*, Cal Sports Center, San Jose, Calif.
Daniel Geri*, California Dreams Gymnastics, Reseda, Calif.
Eric Haeussler*, San Mateo Gymnastics, Redwood City, Calif.
Glenn Ishino*, SCATs-HB, Santa Ana, Calif.
Sho Nakamori, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
Kyle Oi*, South Coast Gymnastics, Coto de Caza, Calif.
Kevin Tan, Penn State University, Fremont, Calif.

Colorado
Guillermo Alvarez, Team Chevron, Denver
Lucas Hughes*, 5280 Gymnastics, Golden, Colo.
Kyle Shanahan*, Colorado Training Center, Monument, Colo.

Conneticut
Nicholas Noone*, American GTC, Danbury, Conn.

Florida
Jonathan Buese*, Sun Country Gymnastics, Gainesville, Fla.
Chris Cameron*, Florida Flips, Winter Haven, Fla.
Colin Christ, UC Berkeley, Oldsmar, Fla.
Edward Mesa*, Universal Gymnastics, Cooper City, Fla.
Michael Reavis, University of Iowa, Tallahassee, Fla.
Seung Tai Lee*, Orlando Metro Gymnastics, Sorrento, Fla.

Georgia
Justin Laury, University of Michigan, Atlanta
Torrance Laury*, Atlanta School of Gymnastics, Powder Springs, Ga.

Illinois
Ben Baldus-Strauss*, Bartlett Gymnastics, Wheaton, Ill.
Ted Brown, University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill.
Thomas Kelley*, Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, Libertyville, Ill.
Ryan Lieberman*, Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, Lake Forest, Ill.
David Sender, Stanford University, Chicago
Cameron Deer*, Indy School of Gymnastics, Carmel, Ind.

Massachusetts
Mel Anton Santander*, Mass Gym Center, Southborogh, Mass.
Christopher Lung*, Mass Gym Center, Lexington, Mass.

Michigan
Geoffrey Corrigan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Daniel Diaz-Luong, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

New Jersey
Joe Catrambone*, Temple Universit