Top male gymnasts to compete at 2007 Winter Cup Challenge

Winter Cup’s final round available via free Web cast at usa-gymnastics.org

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Feb. 6, 2007 – 2006 pommel horse world bronze-medalist Alexander Artemev of Morrison, Colo./Team Chevron, and 2005-06 Winter Cup Challenge all-around champion David Durante of Garwood, N.J./Team Chevron, are among the 13 members of the current U.S. Men’s Senior National Team who will compete at the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge, Feb. 8 and 10, at the Las Vegas Sports Center in Las Vegas. Fans across the country can enjoy the action from the final day of the Winter Cup Challenge via a free, live Web cast at usa-gymnastics.org on Feb. 10 from 7-10 p.m. Pacific Time.

Seventeen athletes from the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team also will participate in the event. Based on performances at the Winter Cup Challenge, seven gymnasts will be added to the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team.

“This field includes the United States’ top male gymnasts who will provide exciting and close competition,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The Winter Cup Challenge promises to be a great preview for 2007 as the senior athletes have their sights set on making the U.S. team for the 2007 World Championships.”

U.S. Olympians Steve McCain (2000) and Mihai Bagiu (1996) will serve as commentators for the free Web cast, which will be available live through a link on USA Gymnastics Web site, usa-gymnastics.org. Saturday’s competition features an all-around format, with medalists determined in both the all-around and individual events.

In addition to his world bronze medal, Artemev won the all-around, pommel horse and parallel bars titles at the 2006 Visa Championships, which is USA Gymnastics’ national championships. In 2006, Durante placed sixth in the all-around at the Visa Championships, finished third at the Tyson American Cup and tied for third on the parallel bars at the Pacific Alliance Championships.

Four of the 13 U.S. Men’s Senior National Team members competing in the Winter Cup Challenge are 2006 U.S. champions. Other members of the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team slated to compete in Las Vegas are listed below.

* Guillermo Alvarez of Denver/Team Chevron finished third in the all-around at the 2006 Visa Championships and 2006 Winter Cup Challenge. He was a member of the U.S. Men’s Team at the 2006 World Championships.
* Raj Bhavsar of Houston/HGA/Team Chevron placed third in the parallel bars at the 2006 Visa Championships and was an alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. He was a member of the U.S. Men’s Team that won the silver medal at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships.
* Sean Golden of Camden, N.J./HGA/GymMasters, placed second on the still rings at the 2006 Visa Championships and 2006 Winter Cup Challenge. He also was on the 2005 World Championships Team.
* Joseph Hagerty of Albuquerque, N.M./Team Chevron, finished second on the parallel bars and fourth in the all-around at the 2005 Visa Championships.
* Jonathan Horton of Houston/University of Oklahoma won the 2006 Tyson American Cup, as well as the 2006 U.S. floor exercise title. He also won the 2006 NCAA all-around, still rings and floor exercise crowns and was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team.
* Tim McNeill of Falls Church, Va./UC Berkeley, placed second on the pommel horse at the 2006 Visa Championships and third in the same event at the 2006 Winter Cup Challenge.
* David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./Stanford University, was the 2006 U.S. and NCAA vault champion and a member of the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team. He tied for second in the floor exercise at the 2006 Visa Championships and placed third in the vault at the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships.
* Clay Strother of Jasper, Texas/Team Chevron, tied for second on the floor exercise and placed second in the vault at the 2006 Visa Championships. He also was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team.
* Kevin Tan of Fremont, Calif./Team Chevron, was the 2006 U.S. still rings champion and was captain of the U.S. Men’s Team at the 2006 World Championships. He was third in the still rings at last year’s World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, and fourth in the same event at last year’s World Cup in Lyon, France.
* Yewki Tomita of Tucson, Ariz./Team Chevron, was the high bar champion at the 2006 Winter Cup Challenge and pommel horse champion at the 2005 Visa Championships. In 2006, he won the horizontal bar at the World Cup in Lyon, France. This will be his first competition since shoulder surgery last year.

* Sean Townsend of Dickinson, Texas/HGA/GymMasters, finished second in the parallel bars competition at the 2006 Visa Championships and fourth on the vault at the 2005 Visa Championships. He also placed third on the parallel bars at the 2006 Glasgow Grand Prix. Townsend, who was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, was the parallel bars world champion in 2001.

All five members of the U.S. Team that won the team gold medal at the 2006 Junior Pan Am Championships are competing: Tim Gentry of Plano, Texas/WOGA; Ryan Lieberman of Lake Forest, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics; Philip Onorato of Plano, Texas/WOGA; Miguel Pineda of Galloway, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics; and Mel Anton Santander of Southborough, Mass./University of Michigan.

In addition to U.S. junior all-around champions Danell Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics and Timothy Pittman of Houston/Cypress Academy, the other members of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team are competing in this year’s Winter Cup Challenge. Members of the 14-15 year-old team are: Alexy Bilozertchev of Hilliard, Ohio/OSU Boys Team; Kyle Bunthuwong of El Cerrito, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics; Josh Dixon of San Jose, Calif./Champions Academy; Edward Mesa of Cooper City, Fla./Universal Gymnastics; and Neal Thompson of Woodside,Calif./San Mateo Gymnastics. Members of the 16-18 year-old team are: Chris Cameron of Winter Haven, Fla./Florida Flips; Thomas Kelley of Libertyville, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics; Paul Ruggeri III of Manlius, N.Y./CNY Gymnastics Center; Cole Storer of Plano, Texas/Minnesota Gymnastics; and Andrew Stover of Fullerton, Calif./University of Illinois-Chicago.

The Winter Cup Challenge has two days of competition. Scores from both days of competition count toward the final rankings for the all-around and individual events. The qualification round on Feb. 8 consists of two sessions, each with approximately 42 athletes, beginning at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. The top 36 gymnasts, based on the points ranking system approved by the Men’s Program Committee, will advance to the finals, which begin at 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 10.

Tickets go on sale on the afternoon of Feb. 7 at the Las Vegas Sports Center. One-day admission for the qualification sessions is $20 per adult and $12 per child, while the final round is $20 per person. An all-event pass with admission to all sessions may be purchased for $40 per adult and $30 per child. There is no reserved seating.

Seven gymnasts will be added to the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team following the Winter Cup Challenge. Three athletes will be added to the team based on the national team points system rank order, while the final four gymnasts will be selected from the Winter Cup Challenge participants and petitioned athletes by the Men’s Program Committee. These seven, along with the seven members of the 2006 World Championships Team who already qualified for the team, will comprise the Senior Men’s National Team until the 2007 Visa Championships in August.

About USA Gymnastics
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 information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.

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2007 Winter Cup Challenge participants

By state, information shows name, hometown/club

Arizona
Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz./Team Chevron

California
Tyler Block, Kensington, Calif./UC Berkeley
Kyle Bunthuwong, El Cerrito, Calif./Golden Bear Gymnastics
Matt Cohen, Agoura Hills, Calif./Penn State University
Josh Dixon, San Jose, Calif./Champions Academy
Glen Ishino, Santa Ana, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics
Willie Ito, Huntington Beach, Calif./Ohio State University
Brian Lee, Fremont, Calif./Army Gymnastics
Andrew Stover, Fullerton, Calif./University of Illinois-Chicago
Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif./Team Chevron/Penn State University
Neal Thompson, Woodside, Calif./San Mateo Gymnastics

Colorado
Guillermo Alvarez, Denver/Team Chevron
Alexander Artemev, Morrison, Colo./Team Chevron
Geoffrey Corrigan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Chevron
Grant Osborne, Ft. Collins, Colo./Ohio State University

Florida
Jon Buese, Gainesville, Fla./University of Iowa
Chris Cameron, Winter Haven, Fla./Florida Flips
Derek Helsby, Orlando, Fla./Penn State University
Vladi Klurman, N. Miami Beach, Fla./Penn State University
Seung tai Lee, Sorrento, Fla./Ohio State University
Danell Leyva, Miami/Universal Gymnastics
Edward Mesa, Cooper City, Fla./Universal Gymnastics
Michael Reavis, Tallahassee, Fla./HGA/GymMasters

Georgia
Justin Laury, Marietta, Ga./University of Michigan

Illinois
Wesley Haagensen, Belleville, Ill./University of Illinois
Thomas Kelley, Libertyville, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics
Ryan Lieberman, Lake Forest, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics
Geoffrey Reins, Buffalo Grove, Ill./University of Iowa
David Sender, Arlington Heights, Ill./Stanford University

Kansas
Bryant Hadden, Wichita, Kan./Stanford University

Louisiana
Matt Hicks, Baton Rouge, La./HGA/GymMasters

Maryland
John Vogtman, Baltimore, Md./Temple University

Massachusetts
Dylan Carney, Dartmouth, Mass./Stanford University
R.J. Heflin, Storeham, Mass./Gymnastics & More
Chris Lung, Lexington, Mass./University of Illinois
Mel Anton Santander, Southborough, Mass./University of Michigan

Mississippi
Jimmy Wickham, Gulfport, Miss./Ohio State University

Nebraska
Timothy Schmidt, Blair, Neb./University of Nebraska
Stephen T�trault, Lincoln, Neb./University of Nebraska
Jason Wassung, Lincoln, Neb./University of Nebraska

North Carolina
Colin Christ, Charlotte, N.C./UC Berkeley
Nyika White, Williamston, N.C./Temple University

New Jersey
Joe Catrambone, Deptford, N.J./University of Michigan
David Durante, Garwood, N.J./Team Chevron
Andrew Elkind, Cherry Hill, N.J./University of Michigan
Sean Golden, Camden, N.J./HGA/GymMasters
Curtis Kleffman, Washington, N.J./University of Iowa
Sterling Kramer, Garwood, N.J./Temple University
Ralph Rosso, Morganville, N.J./University of Michigan

New Mexico
Jacques Bouchard, Rio Rancho, N.M./University of Iowa
Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M./Team Chevron
Edward Umphrey, Albuquerque, N.M./University of Michigan

New York
Alex Gorski, Cicero, N.Y./Temple University
Paul Ruggeri III, Manlius, N.Y./CNY Gymnastics Center

Ohio
Alexy Bilozertchev, Hilliard, Ohio/OSU Boys Team
DJ Bucher, Mason, Ohio/Ohio State University
Ben Ketelsen, Lancaster, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics
Kristopher Kline, Westerville, Ohio/Ohio State University
Miguel Pineda, Galloway, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics
Nicholaus Searcy, Dublin, Ohio/Ohio State University
Blaine Wilson, Worthington, Ohio/Ohio State University

Pennsylvania
Taqiy Abdullah, Philadelphia/University of Oklahoma
Cody Carnahan, East Brady, Pa./Penn State University
Eddie Hay, Butler, Pa./Ohio State University
Randy Monahan, Elizabethtown, Pa./Ohio State University
Adam Pummer, Allentown, Pa./University of Illinois
Nick Virbitsky, Harrisburg, Pa./Penn State University

Tennessee
Jake Bateman, Kingsport, Tenn./Ohio State University

Texas
Andre Berry, Hempstead, Texas/Minnesota Gymnastics
Raj Bhavsar, Houston/HGA/Team Chevron
Tim Gentry, Plano, Texas/WOGA
Jamie Henderson, Crosby, Texas/University of Oklahoma
Jonathan Horton, Houston/University of Oklahoma
Steven Legendre, Flower Mound, Texas/WOGA
Philip Onorato, Plano, Texas/WOGA
Tim Pittman, Houston/Cypress Academy
Cole Storer, Plano, Texas/Minnesota Gymnastics
Clay Strother, Jasper, Texas/Team Chevron
Todd Thornton, Houston/Team Chevron/USOTC
Sean Townsend, Dickinson, Texas/HGA/GymMasters
Tyler Yamauchi, Sugarland, Texas/University of Illinois

Utah
Jake Lee, Saratoga Springs, Utah/Minnesota Gymnastics

Virginia
Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va./UC Berkeley
Viorel Popescu, Glen Allen, Va./RRMG

Washington
Kevin Perkins, Lake Forest Park, Wash./University of Washington