Top women’s gymnasts compete in 2005 U.S. Classic

INDIANAPOLIS, July 15, 2005 – Double 2003 World Championship gold medalist Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., and 2004 World Cup Final vault champion Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., top the field for the U.S. Classic on July 23 at Virginia Beach, Va. 1996 Olympic gold-medalist Dominique Moceanu of Cleveland, Ohio, is also planning to compete in the U.S. Classic, which is the final opportunity for female gymnasts to qualify for the 2005 VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS.

2003-04 junior national all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Plano, Texas, is also competing. In addition, the field boasts four members of the Excalibur Gymnastics, the host club for the U.S. Classic: Marcia Newby and Casey Overton in the senior division and Morgan Evans and Randy Stageberg in the junior competition.

Some of the athletes have already qualified for the Visa Championships. Of those who have not, the top 14 in the junior and senior divisions will advance if they meet the minimum score standard. Those advancing to the Visa Championships, set for Aug. 10-13 in Indianapolis, Ind., will be determined following the conclusion of the competition.

An alternate on the 2004 Olympic Team, Memmel wonthe uneven bars at the 2004 World Cup Final. At the 2003 World Championships, Memmel was a member of the team that won the gold medal and the co-champion in the uneven bars. Earlier that year, she garnered the all-around gold medal at the Pan American Games. She trains at M&M Gymnastics and is coached by her father, Andrew. She has been on the national team for six years.

Sacramone, who has been on the senior national team for two years, won the vault gold medal at the 2005 American Cup and two 2005 World Cup events in Paris and Ghent, where she also won the floor exercise. In 2004, she took first in the vault at the World Cup Finals, the most important international event since the Olympic Games. Sacramone, who also finished second in the vault at the 2004 Visa Championships, is coached by Mihai and Sylvia Brestyan at Brestyan’s American Gymnastics in Ashland, Mass.

Moceanu, who competes for Team Woodward, is mounting a comeback in competitive gymnastics. In addition to her Olympic team gold medal, she won the all-around title at the 1998 Goodwill Games and claimed both a silver and bronze medal at the 1995 World Championships. She was on the national team for seven years (1992-99). Her coach is Michael Canales.

In addition to her back-to-back junior national all-around titles, Liukin was the junior national champion in the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise in 2003-04. She competes for the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy and is coached by her father, Valeri, who won four medals at the 1988 Olympics. Liukin has been on the national team for three years.

The Visa Championship is the gymnastics’ national championship, held at Conseco Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center, August 10-13. Competition includes men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatic gymnastics. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

List of competitors (by state) for the 2005 U.S. Classic (as of 7/15/05)

NOTE: list shows gymnast name, her club and hometown; * denotes junior

Arizona
Monique De La Torre, Flames Gymnastics Academy, Glendale, Ariz.

California
Annie DiLuzio, Byers Gymnastics Center, Folsom, Calif
Ashley Jenkins, SCATS Gymnastics, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Brittani McCullough, Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy, Corona, Calif.
Shantessa Pama*, Gym-Max Gymnastics, Dana Point, Calif.
London Phillips, SCATS Gymnastics, Inglewood, Calif.
Makayla Stambaugh*, Byers Gymnastics Center, Citrus Heights, Calif.

Florida
Jana Bieger, Twisters Gymnastics Academy, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Brittney Emmons, First City Gymnastics, Milton, Fla.
Kyra Platt*, Coast Elite Gymnastics Academy, Myers, Fla.
Kassandra Price, Orlando Metro Gymnastics, Plantation, Fla.
Melanie Sinclair, Orlando Metro Gymnastics, Orlando, Fla.
Shayla Worley*, Orlando Metro Gymnastics, Orlando, Fla.

Hawaii
Randi Lau*, Hawaiian Island Twisters, Honolulu, Hawaii
Tracie Tamashiro*, Hawaiian Island Twisters, Honolulu, Hawaii

Illinois
Kristina Comforte, Illinois Gymnastics Institute, Burr Ridge, Ill.
Kelly Fee, Illinois Gymnastics Institute, St. Charles, Ill.
Anna Li, Aerial Gymnastics Club, Aurora, Ill.
Patricia Wilson, Arena Gymnastics LTD, Naperville, Ill.

Indiana
Elizabeth McNabb*, Deveau’s School of Gymnastics, Fortville, Ind.
Samantha Peszek*, Deveau’s School of Gymnastics, McCordsville, Ind.
Bridget Sloan*, Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy, Pittsboro, Ind.

Iowa
Shawn Johnson*, Chow’s Gymnastics & Dance Institute, Des Moines, Iowa

Kansas
Sarah DeMeo*, Great American Gymnastic Express, Overland Park, Kan.

Massachusetts
Alicia Sacramone, Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, Winchester, Mass.
Ming Ya, Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, Dorchester, Mass.

Maryland
Jennifer Iovino, Hill’s Gymnastics, Olney, Md.
Britney Ranzy*, Hill’s Gymnastics, Gaithersburg, Md.

Michigan
Rebecca Bross*, World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Missouri
Ivana Hong*, Great American Gymnastic Express, Grain Valley, Mo.
Sarah Shire, Great American Gymnastic Express, Sweet Springs, Mo.

New Jersey
Amy Borsellino*, North Stars Gymnastics Academy, Boonton, N.J.
Morgan Dennis, Arena Gymnastics, Westampton, N.J.
Kayla Hoffman, Rebound Gymnastics, Union, N.J.
Stephanie Seich, Rebound Gymnastics, South Amboy, N.J.

Nevada
Cassidy McComb, Gymcats Gymnastics, Henderson, Nev.

Ohio
Bianca Flohr*, FLYTZ USA Gymnastics, Creston, Ohio
Jacquelyn Johnson, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, Westchester, Ohio
Hilary Mauro, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, Westchester, Ohio
Dominique Moceanu, Team Woodward, Cleveland, Ohio
Ashley Priess*, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, Hamilton, Ohio
Monica Shoji*, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio

Oklahoma
Cortni Beers*, Krafft Academy of Gymnastics, Tulsa, Okla.
Rachel York*, Krafft Academy of Gymnastics, Broken Arrow, Okla.

Pennsylvania
Kristina Coccia, Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, Bethlehem, Pa.
McKenzie Fechter*, Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, Allentown, Pa.
Nicole Lyons, Northeast Gymnastics Academy, Mountain Top, Pa.
Geralen Stackk-Eaton, Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, Horsham, Pa.
Amber Trani*, Parkettes National Gymnastics Center, Richlandtown, Pa.

South Carolina
Grace Taylor, Aiken Gymnastics, Aiken, S.C.

Texas
Meghan Blair,, Metroplex Gymnastics, Dallas, Texas
Liz Green*, Texas Dreams Gymnastics, Coppell, Texas
Susan Jackson, Brown’s Gymnastics, Houston, Texas
Alaina Johnson*, Texas East Gymnastics, Tyler, Texas
Natasha Kelley*, Brown’s Gymnastics, Rosenberg, Texas
Nastia Liukin, World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, Plano,