FRISCO, Texas, May 4, 2013 – Two tumblers and three double mini-trampolinists earned spots to represent Team USA at the 2013 World Games at the 2013 U.S. Elite Challenge at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. The newest members of the U.S. Team for the World Games, held in Cali, Colombia, July 25-Aug. 4, are: tumbling – Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho/Team Revolution, and Yuliya Brown of Idaho Falls, Idaho/Idaho Elite; and double mini – Alex Renkert of Indianapolis, Ind./Geist Sports Academy, Austin White, Newport Coast, Calif./World Elite, and Kristle Lowell of Orland Park, Ill./Branch Gymnastics. The three-day event, which wraps up tomorrow, showcases the USA’s best in men’s and women’s trampoline, tumbling, synchronized trampoline and double mini-trampoline.

The World Games are the equivalent to the Olympic Games for events and disciplines that are not currently on the Olympic program. The synchronized trampoline pairs that will compete at the World Games were determined earlier: World Elite’s Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., and Neil Gulati of Irvine, Calif.; Charlotte Drury of Laguna Niguel, Calif./World Elite, and Shaylee Dunavin of Amarillo; Texas/All American Gymnastics; and Dakota Earnest of Tokio, Texas/Acrospirits and Savannah Vinsant of Lafayette, La./T&T Express. Performances at the U.S. Elite Challenge, combined with the results of the World Games Trials, determined the team that will represent the USA at the 2013 World Games.

2012 Olympians Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, and Savannah Vinsant, Lafayette, La./T&T Express, won the trampoline titles. Gluckstein’s two-day total was 156.459, which claimed the men’s crown. Vinsant’s 154.242 total easily earned the women’s title.

The senior tumblers in the elite division who took top honors are Ludvigson (76.800), and Brown (124.500).

Renkert, (74.400), and Erin Jauch of Crystal Lake, Ill./Fox Valley Tumbling & Trampoline (139.200), won the men’s and women’s senior elite double mini-trampoline titles, respectively.

The U.S. Elite Challenge has competition for athletes who participate in the junior and senior elite division, Levels 8-10 and the Olympic Development Program.

The final day’s competition schedule is listed below.

Sunday, May 5

  • 8:30 a.m. – Level 9 boys and girls finals for trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling; awards ceremony
  • 12 p.m. – Olympic Development Program for boys and girls in trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling; awards ceremony

For the elite level, this competition is one of the qualifying events for the U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Championships, as well as part of the selection process to determine the athletes who will represent the United States at World Championships and World Age-Group Competitions.

The local organizations assisting with the hosting and staging of the U.S. Elite Challenge are the Texas Sports Commission, the Frisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Eagles Wings Athletics, assisted by the USA Gymnastics North Texas State Committee.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heightsmore than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat. Trampoline was added to the Olympic Games in 2000, and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the USA had its first athlete in history advance to the finals.

2013 U.S. Elite Challenge
Dr Pepper Arena
Frisco, Texas
May 4, 2013
Final results

Trampoline

    Junior men
    1. Colin Duda, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 144.685
    2. Trevor Jackson, Ramona, Calif./So Cal TTC, 134.501
    3. Kyle Ford, Lee’s Summit, Mo./Xtreme Trampoline, 131.162
    4. Tanner Robinson, Anaheim, Calif./World Elite, 129.040
    5. Joey Isenberg, Martinsburg, W.Va./Elite Trampoline Academy, 127.676
    6. Cody Gesuelli, Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 117.794
    7. Joseph Kozlowski, Avondale, Pa./Elite Trampoline Academy, 115.511
    8. Garret Waterstradt, Paxton, Ill./Irish’s Gymnastics, 91.052

    Junior women
    1. Lexi Vigil, Levelland, Texas/Acrospirits, 142.009
    2. Nicole Ahsinger, San Diego, Calif./So Cal TTC, 141.366
    3. Meghan O’Connell, Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 140.921
    4. Mackenzee Martin, Lubbock, Texas/Air Extreme, 140.628
    5. Madi Webster, Odon, Ind./Tumbling Express, 140.016
    6. Carly Townsend, Foothill Ranch, Calif./World Elite, 137.963
    7. Maggie Gallagher, Coto de Caza, Calif./World Elite, 137.376
    8. Courtney Walsh, Red Bank,N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 136.333

    Senior men
    1. Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 156.459
    2. Logan Dooley, Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite, 152.876
    3. Neil Gulati, Irvine, Calif./World Elite, 150.436
    4. Austin Nacey, Braidwood, Ill./Twiststars Tumbling & Trampoline, 148.03
    5. Mitch Dewey, Grand Rapids, Mich./For the Kidz, 144.811
    6. Stewart Pritchard, Greensboro, N.C./Ultimate Air, 141.393
    7. Hunter Brewster, Lafayette, La./T&T Express, 131.709
    8. Jeffrey Gluckstein,Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 125.986

    Senior women
    1. Savannah Vinsant, Lafayette, La./T&T Express, 154.242
    2. Charlotte Drury, Laguna Niguel, Calif./World Elite, 147.948
    3. Shaylee Dunavin, Amarillo, Texas/All American Gymnastics, 147.794
    4. Deana Parris, Burtonsville, Md./Fairland Trampoline & Tumbling, 141.163
    5. Dakota Earnest, Tokio, Texas/Acrospirits, 141.028
    6. Hayley Butcher, Saint John, Ind./Midwest Training, 140.294
    7. Tristan Van Natta, Pendleton, Ind./Geist Sports Academy, 133.529
    8. Erynn Stier, Morley, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, 88.975

Tumbling

    Junior men
    1. Brandon Krzynefski, Centreville, Va./Capital Gymnastics, 67.200
    2. Garrett Wheeler, Locust Grove, Ga./Flipcity South, 64.500
    3. Alexander Katchalov, Davenport, Fla./Elite World Gymnastics, 63.400
    4. Brandon Furr, Mt. Pleasant, N.C./Cabarrus County Gymnastics, 61.700
    5. Levi Gonzalez, Grain Valley, Mo./Xtreme Tumblin, 61.100
    6. Josh Crowell, Collinsville, Okla./Xtreme Tumblin, 60.800
    7. Zavell Perry, Round Lake, Ill./5 Star Elite, 59.600
    8. Justin Celeski, Owens Cross Roads, Ala./Matrix, 57.100

    Senior men
    1. Kalon Ludvigson, Pocatello, Idaho/Team Revolution, 76.800
    2. Alex Renkert, Indianapolis, Ind./Geist Sports Academy, 70.300
    3. Austin Nacey, Braidwood, Ill./Twiststars Tumbling & Trampoline, 66.800
    4. Garret Waterstradt, Paxton, Ill./Irish’s Gymnastics, 64.900
    5. Trevor Jackson, Ramona, Calif./So Cal TTC, 63.700
    6. Josh Coles, Wonder Lake, Ill./5 Star Elite, 63.200
    7. Tyler Waller, Bloomington, Ill./Gymnastics Etc, 57.800
    8. Jackson Tyson, Greensboro, N.C./Flip Force Gymnastics, 55.500

    Junior women
    1. Rachel Thevenot, Metairie, La./Elmwood Gymnastics, 65.000
    2. Reghan Brands, Belvidere, Ill./Gym Academy of Rockford, 63.800
    3. Erykah Leno, Owings Mills, Md./United Gymnastix, 63.500
    4. Hope Bravo, Plano, Texas/Eagles Wings Athletics, 62.900
    5. Cheyenne Kelley, Broken Arrow, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, 62.800
    6. Gretchen Schultz, Destrehan, La./Elmwood Gymnastics, 63.800
    7. Angel Rice, Locust Grove, Ga./Flipcity South, 61.500
    8. Abby Rowe, American Falls, Idaho/Team Revolution, 58.400

    Senior women
    1. Yuliya Brown, Idaho Falls, Idaho/Idaho Elite, 124.500
    2. Stephanie Rennie, Riverdale, Utah/Flipside Tumbling, 97.900

Double mini-trampoline

    Junior men
    1. Cody Gesuelli, , /Elite Trampoline Academy, 66.600
    2. Andrew Shurtleff, Flower Mound, Texas/Palaestra, 66.200
    3. Simon Carne, Bethesda, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics Center, 64.700
    4. Matthew Pettus, New Orleans, La./Elmwood Gymnastics, 63.600
    5. Ryan Curto, Bethesda, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics Center, 63.100
    6. Garrett Day, Bedford, Va./Lynchburg Academy, 63.000
    7. Zachary Moore, Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Trampoline & Tumbling, 62.700
    8. Josh Browne, Gilbert, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center, 54.100

    Senior men
    1. Alex Renkert, Indianapolis, Ind./Geist Sports Academy, 74.400
    2. Ryan Roberts, Ramona, Calif./So Cal TTC, 74.300
    3. Trey Katz, Charleston, Ill./Sun Elite Athletics, 73.300
    4. Justin Hackett, Grand Rapids, Mich./Branch Gymnastics, 72.000
    5. Jerrett Jensen, Gilbert, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center, 70.100
    6. James Lichtenstein, Buffalo Grove, Ill./5 Star Elite, 68.300
    7. Trevor Jackson, Ramona, Calif./So Cal TTC, 66.900
    8. Garret Waterstradt, Paxton, Ill./Irish’s Gymnastics, 58.800

    Junior women
    1. Carly Townsend, Foothill Ranch, Calif./World Elite, 63.100
    2. Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club, 62.800
    3. Breanne Millard, Mission Viejo, Calif./World Elite, 62.200
    4. Breanna Bradley, Pocatello, Idaho/Team Revolution, 62.100
    4. Paige Howard, USAFAcademy, Colo./High Country Gym Academy, 62.100
    6. Emily Kaler, Rantoul, Ill./Gymnastics Etc, 62.000
    7. Miranda Maldanado, Amarillo, Texas/Palaestra, 60.500
    8. Shelby Gill, Ladera Ranch, Calif./Air Sports, 60.100

    Senior women
    1. Erin Jauch, Crystal Lake, Ill./Fox Valley Tumbling & Trampoline, 139.200
    2. Kristle Lowell, Orland Park, Ill./Branch Gymnastics, 138.100
    4. Sonia Shah, Indianapolis, Ind./Scamps, 132.800
    3. Tristan Van Natta, Pendleton, Ind./Geist Sports Academy, 135.100
    5. Hailey Harper, Orland Park, Ill./Branch Gymnastics, 54.000