INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The mixed pair of Clare Brunson of Riverside, Calif., and Michael Rodrigues of Livermore, Calif., and the women’s group of Mariah Henninger, Allysha Kidd and Tisa Penny, all of whom are from Livermore, will represent the United States in the 2006 World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships, June 15-17, in Coimbra, Portugal. The USA also selected its team for the International Age Group Competition, which serves as acrobatic gymnastics’ junior world championships and is slated for June 22-24 in Coimbra.

The World Championships are acrobatic gymnastics’ most prestigious event and are held every two years. In 2004, the United States won the mixed pair title and placed third in the women’s group. At the 2004 International Age Group Competition, the USA was second in both the mixed pair and the women’s group for the 12-19 age division.
Brunson and Rodrigues, the reigning U.S. senior elite mixed pair champions, recently claimed their first World Cup medal when they finished second at the Flanders Cup. The trio of Henninger, Penny and Kidd were second in the women’s group final in the Flanders Cup’s senior age division.
The athletes chosen for the International Age Group Competition include Cassidy Dolstra of Tracy, Calif., and Jordan Rozsa of Livermore, who won the age-group women’s pair title at the Flanders Cup. The women’s groups of Ariel Walsh of Rosebud, Mo., Kayla Huesgen of Rosebud and Amber Kottwitz of Owensville, Mo.; and Marina Mihov of Pleasanton, Calif., Samantha Olivencia of Los Banas, Calif., and Kristen Sanchez of Livermore, finished in sixth and seventh place, respectively, in the age group division at the Flanders Cup. A complete list of the U.S. Team is listed below.

U.S. Team for the World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships

NOTE: information includes name, hometown, club, event, with partners listed in parenthesis.
  • Clare Brunson, Riverside, Calif., Mission Hills Acrobatics, mixed pair
    (Michael Rodrigues)
  • Mariah Henninger, Livermore, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, women’s group
    (Allysha Kidd, Tisa Penny)
  • Allysha Kidd, Livermore, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, women’s group
    (Mariah Henninger, Tisa Penny)
  • Tisa Penny, Livermore, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, women’s group
    (Allysha Kidd, Mariah Henninger)
  • Michael Rodrigues, Livermore, Calif., Mission Hills Acrobatics, mixed pair
    (Clare Brunson)

U.S. Team for International Age Group Competition

NOTE: athletes are divided into two age groups, 11-16 and 12-19; information includes name, hometown, club, age group and event, with partners listed in parenthesis.


California
  • Makaela Bogowitz, El Dorado Hills, Calif., California Acrosports Team, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Caitlin Cusano, Paula Kidwell)
  • Caitlin Cusano, El Dorado Hills, Calif., California Acrosports Team, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Makela Bogowitz, Paula Kidwell)
  • Cassidy Dolstra, Tracy, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s pair
    (Jordan Rozsa)
  • Jacob Kanavel, San Jose, Calif., Paramount Tumbling and Acrobatics, IAGC 12-19, men’s pair (Lukas Martincik)
  • Paula Kidwell, Fair Oaks, Calif., California Acrosports Team, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Makela Bogowitz, Caitlin Cusano)
  • Lukas Martincik, Milpitas, Calif., Paramount Tumbling and Acrobatics, IAGC 12-19, men’s pair
    (Jacob Kanavel)
  • Marina Mihov, Pleasanton, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Kristen Sanchez, Samantha Olivenica)
  • Samantha Olivencia, Los Banas, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Marina Mihov, Kristen Sanchez)
  • Courtney Olivencia, Los Banas, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s pair
    (Jordan Seto)
  • Jordan Rozsa, Livermore, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s pair
    (Cassidy Dolstra)
  • Kristen Sanchez, Livermore, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Samantha Olivencia, Marina Mihov)
  • Jordan Seto, San Jose, Calif., West Coast Acrobatics, IAGC 11-16, women’s pair
    (Courtney Olivencia)
Maryland
  • Karilynn Rockhill, Clarksburg, Md., Skyview Gymnastics, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Nicole Summers, Melissa Summers)
  • Nicole Summers, Dickerson, Md., Skyview Gymnastics, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Melissa Summers, Karilynn Rockhill)
  • Melissa Summers, Dickerson, Md., Skyview Gymnastics, IAGC 12-19, women’s group
    (Nicole Summers, Karilynn Rockhill)
Missouri
  • Kayla Huesgen, Rosebud, Mo., Mid America Acro & Tumbling, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Amber Kottwitz, Ariel Walsh)
  • Amber Kottwitz, Owensville, Mo., Mid America Acro & Tumbling, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Ariel Walsh, Kayla Huesgen)
  • Ariel Walsh, Rosebud, Mo., Mid America Acro & Tumbling, IAGC 11-16, women’s group
    (Kayla Huesgen, Amber Kottwitz)