LANDOVER, Md. – Six members of the U.S. National Acrobatic Gymnastics Team headline the 58-person U.S. athlete delegation for the 2005 Freedom Cup, Nov. 17-19, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Md. The three-day competition features acrobatic gymnasts from Australia, England, Kazakhstan, Puerto Rico, the United States and Wales. The U.S. contingent includes a mixture of U.S. senior national team members, Junior Olympic national team members and club representatives.

The six members of the senior national team are: Clare Brunson of Riverside, Calif., and Michael Rodrigues of Livermore, Calif., mixed pair; Julian Amaro of Pleasanton, Calif., and Tyler Spray of Livermore, Calif., men’s pair; and Andre Solodar of San Jose, Calif., and Xiau-Ling Wee of Monte Sereno, Calif., mixed pair.
Earlier this year, the mixed pair duo of Brunson and Rodrigues, the reigning national champions, won the Machuga Cup in Krasnodar, Russia, and placed fourth at the World Games in Duisburg, Germany. Solodar and Wee finished behind Brunson and Rodrigues at the 2005 U.S. Championships. Amaro and Spray are the current U.S. men’s pair champions.
The Freedom Cup features competition in women’s pairs, men’s pairs, mixed pairs, women’s group and men’s group on both the senior and junior levels. Tickets are available on day of competition at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. Ticket prices are: adults, $15 per day or $40 for a three-day pass; and children, $7 per day or $15 for a three-day pass; children under seven are admitted free.
The schedule is:
Nov. 17 – 3-5 p.m., age group competition
              6-9 p.m., Freedom Cup Opening Ceremony and competition
Nov. 18 – 4-6 p.m., age group competition
              7-9 p.m., junior and senior competition
Nov. 19 – 2-3:30 p.m., age group finals
              4-6 p.m., junior and senior finals
Acrobatic gymnastics features the combined beauty of dance and acrobatics. Some observers have compared acrobatic gymnastics to pairs figure skating, only without the ice. Acrobatic balances demonstrate grace, strength and flexibility, while dynamic elements demonstrate power, flight and agility. Acrobatic gymnastics’ basic elements have the same source as other gymnastics disciplines – choreography, agility, balance, strength and grace – with the added element of synchronization.
Pairs are made up of a base and a top. Women’s groups are comprised of a base, a middle and a top partner, while men’s groups have a base, two middle and one top partner. Bases are generally older athletes who display strength and balance. Tops are generally younger athletes who display flexibility and agility. Middles are often required to show a combination of all attributes.

 
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U.S. Athlete Delegation for 2005 Freedom Cup

alpha by state / club and club location / event with partner(s) / leve / national team or representing club
  # denotes senior national team
  * denotes Junior Olympic national team; AGAGC, denotes age group

California

  • Julian Amaro, Northern California Sports Academy/Livermore, Calif., Men’s Pair (w/Spray), Senior#
  • Kyle Bloom, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Mixed Pair, (w/Bones), AGAGC*
  • Makaela Bogowitz, California Acro Team/Sacramento, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Cusano, Kidwell), Junior*
  • Madeline Bones, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Mixed Pair, (w/Bloom), AGAGC*
  • Hannah Busha, Northern California Sports Academy/Livermore, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Spray, Scheid), AGAGC*
  • Clare Brunson, Mission Hills/Riverside, Calif., Mixed Pair (with Rodrigues), Senior#
  • Caitlin Cusano, California Acro Team/Sacramento, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Bogowitz, Kidwell), Junior*
  • Alayna Davis, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Pair (w/Eklund), AGAGC*
  • Lauren Eklund, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Pair, (w/Davis), AGAGC*
  • Jake Kanavel, Paramount Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics/Sunnyvale, Calif., Men’s Pair (w/Martinick), Junior, club
  • Paula Kidwell, California Acro Team/Sacramento, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Cusano, Bogowitz), Junior*
  • Lukas Martincik, Paramount Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics/Sunnyvale, Calif., Men’s Pair (w/Kanavel), Junior, club
  • Michaela Meyer, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Meyer, Morris), AGAGC*
  • Michelle Meyer, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Meyer, Morris), AGAGC*
  • Elizabeth Morris, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Meyer, Meyer), AGAGC
  • Lori Oberst, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Provazek, Steib), Junior, club
  • Jenna Provazek, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Steib, Oberst), Junior, club
  • Michael Rodrigues, Mission Hills/Riverside, Calif., Mixed Pair (w/Brunson), Senior#
  • Steffi Scheid, Northern California Sports Academy/Livermore, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Busha, Spray), AGAGC*
  • Andre Solodar, Paramount Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics/Sunnyvale, Calif., Mixed Pair (with Wee), Senior#
  • Mariah Spray, Northern California Sports Academy/Livermore, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Busha, Scheid), AGAGC*
  • Tyler Spray, Northern California Sports Academy/Livermore, Calif., Men’s Pair (w/Amaro), Senior#
  • Kelianne Stankus, Mission Hills/Riverside, Calif., Mixed Pair (w/Ward), AGAGC*
  • Shauna Steib, Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics/San Jose, Calif., Women’s Group (w/Provazek, Oberst), Junior, club
  • Ryan Ward, Mission Hills/Riverside, Calif., Mixed Pair (w/Stankus), AGAGC*
  • Xiau-Ling Wee, Paramount Tumbling and Acro Gymnastics/Sunnyvale, Calif., Mixed Pair (w/Solodar), Senior#
Maryland
  • Laura Ames, Skyview/Mt. Airy, Md., Women’s Pair (w/Hall), AGAGC, club
  • Jessica Geppert, TOPS/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Hilton, Guiel), Junior*, club
  • Jessica Guiel, TOPS/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Geppert, Hilton), Junior*, club
  • Kayla Hall, Skyview/Mt. Airy, Md., Women’s Pair (w/Ames), AGAGC, club
  • Becky Herzfeld, Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics Club/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Slavinsky, Randazzo), Junior*
  • Jennyfer Herzfeld, TOPS/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Hill, Walter), AGAGC
  • Ariel Hill, TOPS/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/J. Herzfeld, Walter), AGAGC
  • Kaitlyn Hilton, TOPS/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Geppert, Guiel), Junior*, club
  • Keisha Padello, Xtreme/Rockville, Md., Women’s Pair (w/Sundberg), AGAGC
  • Erica Prestipino, Xtreme/Rockville, Md., Women’s Pair (w/Walden), AGAGC, club
  • Ekaterina Randazzo, Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics Club/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Slavinsky, B. Herzfeld), Junior*
  • Kari Rockhill, Skyview/Mt. Airy, Md., Women’s Group (w/M. Summers, N. Summers), Junior
  • Roksana Slavinsky, Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics Club/Columbia, Md., Women’s Group (w/Randazzo, B. Herzfeld), Junior*
  • Melissa Summers, Skyview/Mt. Airy, Md., Women’s Group (w/Rockhill, N. Summers), Junior
  • Nic