DENVER, Colo. — Blaine Wilson, Columbus, Ohio, is halfway to defending his all-around title after the first night of competition at the 1997 John Hancock U.S. Gymnastics Championships, held at McNichols Arena here Wednesday evening.

” I’ve got a couple of things to clean up tomorrow for Friday, but overall the meet went well,” said Wilson, a 1996 Olympic Team member. He led the field of 48 athletes with a score of 54.55. The top 24 finishers carry their scores to Friday, when the all-around champion will be decided.
Right behind Wilson was Jason Gatson, Mesa, Ariz., a 16-year-old competing at the National Championships at the senior level for the first time. He used a strong performance in floor exercise to post a score of 52.85.
“It would be a real honor to make the World Championship Team,” said Gatson. If he finishes among the top six, he will become the youngest male gymnast to make a U.S. World Championships Team.

John Macready, Los Angeles, Calif., battled back from shoulder problems to move into Friday’s competition in third with a score of 52.70.
Wilson earned three gold medals as individual event national champions were crowned, taking titles in still rings, vault and parallel bars. Other individual event champions besides Wilson and Gatson were two-time Olympian John Roethlisberger, Minneapolis, Minn., in pommel horse, and Doug Stibel, Canton, Mich., in high bar.
Men’s competition continues Friday with senior all-around finals at 7 p.m. MT. The Junior and Senior Women compete Thursday, Aug. 14, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.

NOTE: Complete results can be downloaded from the USA Gymnastics website at http://www.usa-gymnastics.org. Jason Gatson will be the special guest of a live online chat on USA Gymnastics Online beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 14. USA Gymnastics Online also has continuously updated scores during each competition session.

Preliminary All-Around Standings (top 24, advance to finals Friday evening)
1, Blaine Wilson, Columbus, Ohio, 54.55. 2, Jason Gatson, Mesa, Ariz., 53.85. 3, John Macready, Los Angeles, Calif., 52.70. 4 (tie), Jim Foody, Addison, Ill., and John Roethlisberger, Minneapolis, Minn., 52.65. 6, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 52.55. 7, Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., 52.05. 8, Trent Wells, Keizer, Ore., 51.50. 9, Chainey, Umphrey, Albuquerque, N.M., 51.45. 10, David Kruse, Lompoc., Calif., 51.25. 11, Doug Stibel, Canton, Mich., 51.00. 12, Steve McCain, Houston, Texas, 50.80. 13, Sanjuan Jones, Tallahassee, Fla., 50.75. 14, Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb. 50.55. 15 (tie), Kenneth Sykes, Memphis, Tenn., and Garry Denk, Northbrook, Ill., 50.35. 17, Jamie Natalie, Wilmington, Del., 50.20. 18, Brent Klaus, Stroudsburg, Pa., 49.95. 19, Alex Chansky, Lexington, Mass., 49.80. 20, Michael Morgan, Cincinnati, Ohio, 49.75. 21, Mike Moran, Windsor, Conn. 48.95. 22, Christopher Camiscioli, Haddenfield, N.J., 48.85. 23, Tim Elsner, Middletown, N.J., 48.75. 24, Ron Roeder, Montrose, Pa., 48.70.

Individual Event Finals (top 6)

Floor Exercise
1, Gatson, 9.15. 2, Macready, 9.00. 3, Thornton, 8.90. 4, Wilson, 8.85. 5, McCain, 8.80. 6, Elsner, 8.75. 7 (tie) Klaus, Morgan and Dutka, 8.70. 10, Kruse, 8.65.

Pommel Horse
1, Roethlisberger, 9.30. 2 (tie) Jones and Ken Schiess, Sandy, Utah, 9.05. 4, Wilson, 8.90. 5, Izy Mlay, Fremont, Calif., 8.75. 6, Natalie, 8.70. 7 (tie), Wells, Kruse, McCain, Macready and Frank Ticknor, Milwaukee, Wis., 8.60.

Still Rings
1, Wilson, 9.15. 2, Camiscioli, 8.85. 3, Roethlisberger, 8.75. 4 (tie), Foody, Gatson and Thornton, 8.70. 7, Denk, 8.50. 8, Jones, 8.45. 9, Ticknor, 8.40. 10, Macready, 8.30.

Vault
1, Wilson, 9.65. 2, Dutka, 9.50. 3, Gatson, 9.45. 4 (tie) Foody and Roethlisberger, 9.35. 6 (tie) Klaus and Thornton, 9.30. 8, Macready, 9.20. 9, Moran, 9.15. 10 (tie) Kruse, Stibel and Shannon McAdoo, Houston, Texas, 9.10.

Parallel Bars
1, Wilson, 9.55. 2, Foody, 9.45. 3, Gatson, 9.30. 4, Umphrey, 9.15. 5, Roethlisberger, 9.00. 6, Thornton, 8.90. 7, Wells, 8.80. 8, Dutka, 8.70. 9 (tie) Kruse and Denk, 8.65.

High Bar
1, Stibel, 9.35. 2, Roethlisberger, 9.15. 3, Macready, 9.00. 4, Cotter, 8.85. 5, Foody, 8.80. 6 (tie) Chansky and Morgan, 8.60. 8 (tie) Wells and Sykes, 8.55. 10 (tie) Wilson, Dutka and Natalie, 8.45.