INDIANAPOLIS – Reigning Mixed Pair World Champions Arthur Davis and Shenea Booth of Empire Acrogymnastics Sports in Riverside, Calif., will lead the U.S. team at the inaugural Freedom Cup, July 30-Aug. 3, at the Prime Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Freedom Cup team was named at the Team Trials in Milwaukee, Wis., during the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, June 19-22. More than 80 Elite, Level 10, and Level 9 athletes attended the competition last week.
The World Champion pair most recently won a silver medal at the International Mixed Pairs Competition in Paris-Bercy in March. Also selected from Empire were Nicolette Bohnert and Jessica Gardner, who finished in fifth place at the 2002 World Championships.
Without another Sports Acrobatics World Championship until mid-2004, the 2003 Freedom Cup presents gymnasts with the opportunity to gain valuable international experience. Top nations expecting to compete include Great Britain, France, Germany, and Puerto Rico.
Events include Men’s Pair, Women’s Pair, Mixed Pair, Women’s Group and Men’s Group. Each discipline will be contested at the 11-16 compulsory, 12-18 optional, and senior (14+) age groups.
Sports Acrobatics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. Each pair or group performs a Balance, Tempo and Combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the Balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and dynamic flight elements define the Tempo exercise. Finally, the Combined exercise unites elements of Balance and Tempo.
The following athletes were named to the U.S. Freedom Cup team:

11-16 Age Group

Women’s Pair Kimberly Hall, Arielle Ziegler – Rising Star Acrobatics Club, Kearney, Mo.
Courtney Miles, Audra Gustin – Rising Star Acrobatics Club, Kearney, Mo.
Alyssa Olivencia, Amanda Demby – Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics, San Jose, Calif.

Men’s Pair Ting-Tien Wee, Lukas Martincik – Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics, San Jose, Calif.
Jake Kanavel, Christopher Kindell – Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics, San Jose, Calif.

Mixed Pair Samantha Olivencia, Kevin Smith – Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics, San Jose, Calif.

Women’s Trio Kelsey May, Ravenne Eschette, Devin Shackelford – Fliptastics, Belle Chasse, La.
Elizabeth Hower, Ashley Harpster, Kelly Stevens – Xtreme Acro, Rockville, Md.
Alyssa Edwards, Rachel Schreiber, Stephanie Nozaki – Aerial Tumbling and Acrobatics, San Jose, Calif.


12-18 Age Group

Women’s Pair Katie Bohl, Kaylyn Nowack – Mid-America Acro & Tumbling Team, Owensville, Mo.

Mixed Pair Megan Vaughan, Kris Duncan – California Acrosports Team, Sacramento, Calif.
Roksana Slavinsky, Kevin Grear – Emilia’s AcroGymnastics Club, Columbia, Md.

Women’s Trio Gina Nicolo, Angela Hatch, Kelly Topp – Wings USA, Livermore, Calif.
Holly Middag, Natalie Miller, Mackenzie Prewitt – Empire Acrogymnastics, Riverside, Calif.
Alanna Weisberg, Lindsey Zupancic, Ashley Gillett – California Acrosports Team, Sacramento, Calif.


14+ Age Group

Women’s Pair Nicolette Bohnert, Jessica Gardner – Empire Acrogymnastics, Riverside, Calif.

Mixed Pair Shenea Booth, Arthur Davis – Empire Acrogymnastics, Riverside, Calif.
Laura Fitzsimmons, Michael Rodrigues – Northern California Sports Academy, Livermore, Calif.

Women’s Trio Erika Bisgaard, Julie DuPree, Amanda Richard – Crescent City Gymnastics, New Orleans, La.
Samantha Schabow, Danielle Heider, Jennifer daSilva – Empire Acrogymnastics, Riverside, Calif.
Kaitlyn Hilton, Emily Madavo, Courtney Davis – Emilia’s AcroGymnastics Club, Columbia, Md.
Brittany Horrell, Tamara Annonson, Megan Vogeli – California Acrosports Team, Sacramento, Calif.

Jacksonville will also host the Sports Acrobatics U.S. National Championships, Aug. 3-7. For more information on Sports Acrobatics, visit www.usa-gymnastics.org/acro.

Tickets for the Freedom Cup can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 904-353-3309.