LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Sean Townsend of Dickinson, Texas/Gattaca, posted a combined two-day score of 177.150 to win the all-around title at the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge at the Las Vegas Sports Center in Las Vegas, Nev. David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./Stanford University, and Guillermo Alvarez of Denver/Team Chevron finished second and third in the all-around with a 176.950 and a 176.700, respectively.
“I started out pretty good, but knew it would be a battle to the end with Sender,” Townsend said. “I just kept creeping up on him and came through with the win. It was a good start for the competitive season and I wanted to make a good impression on the committee and show that I am a contender for the world team.”
Townsend also claimed the top spot on parallel bars with a 31.350, and Sender placed first on vault with a 32.80. Other individual event winners included Michael Reavis of Tallahassee, Fla./HGA/GymMasters, floor exercise; Yewki Tomita of Tucson, Ariz./Team Chevron, pommel horse; Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif.,/Team Chevron, still rings; and Joseph Hagerty of Rio Rancho, N.M.,/Team Chevron, horizontal bar.
In addition, Townsend, Hagerty and Tomita received an automatic berth on the U.S. Senior National Team for being the top three point-earners of the competition. After a meeting of the Men’s Program Committee following the competition, Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./University of California – Berkeley, Raj Bhavsar of Houston/Team Chevron and Sean Golden of Camden, N.J./Gattaca, were added to the national team. The final spot on the team will be selected by the committee early next week. These seven, along with the seven members of the 2006 World Championships Team who already qualified for the team, will comprise the Senior Men’s National Team until the 2007 Visa Championships in August.