AIRDRIE, Alberta, Canada, July 30, 2011 – On the final day of competition at the 2011 Canada Cup in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada, the United States won five more gold medals: Austin White of Newport Coast, Calif./World Elite, men’s senior double mini-trampoline; Kaylah Whaley of Knoxville, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville North, senior women’s tumbling; Harley Merritt of Auburndale, Fla./Reflex, the novice tumbling title for women 11-14; Jordan Webb of Tulsa, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, the novice tumbling title for women 15+; and James Lichtenstein of Buffalo Grove, Ill./5 Star Tumbling and Trampoline, junior men’s double mini. The USA contingent won a total of 15 medals.
Here’s a quick overview for the USA’s results on July 30.
Tumbling
Whaley won the senior women’s tumbling title at 117.600. Brittney Bernard of Bixby, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, and McKenzie Kulka of Tulsa, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, finished second (117.100) and third (117.000), respectively, in junior women’s tumbling. In novice tumbling, Merritt scored a 111.700 to win the title for women 11-14; Webb won the women’s 15+ title at 111.300; Nathan Miller of Greensboro, NC/Ultimate Air, was fourth (108.900) in the 11-14 finals; Choyce Hayes of Bristow, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, was fifth (105.900) in women’s 15+; and Joshua Browne of Phoenix, Ariz./Aspire, was sixth (48.300).
Trampoline
In the junior men’s division, Cody Gesuelli of Middletown, N.J./Head Over Heels/UltraTwisters, earned the silver medal with his 139.900, followed by Sean Sargent of Mason, Ohio/Queen City Gymnastics, in third (139.145). Samuel Chiacchia of Colorado Springs, Colo./Artsports, finished in sixth place (116.270). Erynn Stier of Morley, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, captured the junior women’s bronze medal at 134.320, and Maggie Gallagher of Coto de Caza, Calif./World Elite, landed in fifth place (133.145). Savannah Vinsant of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, took fifth (145.430) in the senior women’s finals, with Dakota Earnest of Plains, Texas/Acrospirits, finishing 10th (108.690), and Alicia Powder of Ladera Ranch, Calif./World Elite, 11th (90.850).
For novice trampoline, Joseph Kozlowski of Avondale, Pa./KMC, was second (129.890) in the men’s 11-14 final, and Hally Piontek of Warrensburg, Mo./KC Trampoline, finished in third place in the women’s 11-14 final with her 129.175. Shea Silhan of Morton, Texas/Acrospirits, was eighth (124.365) in the women’s 11-14 final. Miller was eighth (123.645) and Isaac Rowley of Allen, Texas/Eagles Wings, was 10th (106.620) in the men’s 11-14 final.
Double mini-trampoline
White won the men’s gold medal with his 147.600 and unofficially set a world record for degree of difficulty at 11.600 with a triple front half out into a triple back flip with a full twist. Casey Chandler of Reno, Nev./Legacy Trampoline and Tumbling, and Justin Hackett of Allendale, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, finished 11th (126.400) and 14th (107.700), respectively. Ashleigh Thomas of Issaquah, Wash./Gymnastics East, finished sixth in the senior women’s competition (130.100).
Lichtenstein took top honors in junior men’s division at 143.300, and teammate Chiacchia was third at 134.700. Zachary Moore of Woodville, Wash./Gymnastics East, just missed the medals podium with his fourth-place finish at 134.300.