Country’s top trampoline, tumbling athletes head to Schaumburg, Ill.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., June 30, 2006 – More than 1,600 gymnasts who compete in trampoline and tumbling will compete in the 2006 Trampoline and Tumbling National Championships, July 8-14, at the Renaissance Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill. The seven-day event includes the U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Championships, which is a junior and senior elite competition that determines the U.S. champion, on July 8-9 and the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Championships, which features competitions for Levels 5-10, on July 10-14.

This year’s event features competition in trampoline, double-mini trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling for both men and women. Competition in the senior elite division is expected to be fierce on each event.

Women’s trampoline will feature Amanda Bailey of Levelland, Texas, who was on the women’s team that earned the bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships, and Brittany Dircks of Orland Park, Ill. 2005 U.S. champion Chris Estrada of Lafayette, La., hopes to successfully defend his title, but must hold off efforts from eight-time national champ Ryan Weston of Chubbuck, Idaho.

In double mini, Derek Stangel of Rockford, Iowa, and Daniel Walker of Lubbock, Texas, are among those to watch. The women’s field includes two members of the women’s team that earned the silver medal at the World Championships: Shelley Klochan of Whiting, Ind., and Megan Dacy of Waxahachie, Texas.

Tumbling’s action is expected to feature Chris Ford of Haymarket, Va., and Kalon Ludvigson of Plano, Texas, for the men and Yuliya Hall of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Alexis Diaz of Ferndale, Mich., teammates on the silver medal team at the World Championships, vying for the women’s crown.

To compete in the event, athletes must meet the qualifying criteria and score requirements which vary by category and event. The junior and senior elite levels include athletes at the highest level of their event. Those in Levels 5-10 are ranked by their level of expertise, with 10 being the highest and just below elite.

The event competition schedule is: July 8 -- junior and senior preliminary rounds; July 9 – junior and senior preliminary finals; July 10 -- Levels 9-10 competition; July 11 -- Levels 9-10 competition and Level 10 finals; July 12 -- Levels 7-8 competition; July 13 -- Levels 7-8 and Levels 5-6 competition; and July 14 -- Levels 5-6 competition. Daily tickets are available at the door for $12 per person; children 6-years and under are admitted free.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform single, double and twisted somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated spring runways that enable athletes to jump at heights over 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. Double mini competition involves the athlete making a short run and leaping onto a small two-level trampoline. The athlete will then perform an aerial maneuver and dismount onto a landing mat.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics. For more complete information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.