Indianapolis – More than 100 of the nation’s top men’s gymnasts tumble into Ann Arbor on May 17 for the Men’s U.S. Championships Qualifier at Keen Arena on the campus of the University of Michigan.
The Men’s Qualifier is the only route for athletes not already on the Senior National Team to qualify for the U.S. Championships, and eventually onto the U.S. National Team headed to the 2003 Pan American Games, Aug. 1-17 in Santo Domingo, and the 2003 World Championships, Aug. 16-24 in Anaheim, Calif.
Among the competitors are two-time Olympian and five-time National Champion Blaine Wilson, 2000 Olympian Morgan Hamm, two-time World Championships team member Brett McClure, and 2003 NCAA Champion Daniel Furney. Michigan standouts expected to compete include Scott Vetere and Justin Laury, who finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in the all-around at the 2003 NCAA Championships, plus 2003 Senior National Team member Justin Toman and 2003 Junior National Team member Gerry Signorelli.
“The Men’s U.S. Championships Qualifier is a very important event on the men’s gymnastics calendar,” said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi. “These athletes represent the nation’s established and up-and-coming talent which we will look to during the Pan American Games and World Championships, and on to next summer’s Olympic Games.”
Session I at 11 a.m. on May 17 features Sr. National Team athletes pre-qualified for the Championships and Jr. athletes attempting to qualify to the Jr. Elite Division at the U.S. Championships. Session II at 4 p.m. and Session III at 8 p.m. include Jr. and Sr. athletes hoping to qualify for the Sr. Division at the U.S. Championships.
The top 13 all-around athletes will advance to the Senior Division of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, along with the top two three-event, four-event, and five-event qualifiers who finish among the top 13 all-around athletes. Additionally, any individual event specialists placing first or second on their event at the Qualifier will advance to the Championships.
In the Junior Division, the top four all-around 14-15-year-olds and top four all-around age eligible 16-18-year-old athletes will move on to the U.S. Championships, joining gymnasts who qualified at the 2003 Junior Olympic Championships.
Tickets are $15, $5 for children 5 and under, and can be purchased at the door.