This is a huge loss for the Air Force Academy and our condolences go out to Torkelson’s loved ones. Torkelson was recently awarded the Bronze Star for his meritorious service in Iraq.

The compulsory men will finally get a taste of the new system in the 2009 season. The first year is always the toughest to compare one’s performance to those in previous years. 2009 will establish a new baseline for scoring. Things will be a lot easier for the optional guys since they broke in the new system last year, but 2009 will foment some initial confusion for the compulsory guys without a baseline for comparison. Oh well, by the end of the season, they’ll be used to it, and at least a baseline will be established.

It will be nice to have everybody on the same page, although many will certainly miss the opportunity to score that 9.9 or the coveted perfect “10!”

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John Orozco has certainly made an indelible impact on men’s club gymnastics over the past several years. Consider the following achievements:

• 2008 VISA Championships: 1st place All-Around
• 2008 JO Nationals: 1st place All-Around (Level 10/14-15)
  
• 2007 VISA Championships: 1st place All-Around
• 2007 JO Nationals: 2nd place All-Around (Level 9)
  
• 2006 JO Nationals: 3rd place All-Around (Level 9)
  
• Current member USA Junior National Team

Orozco, who trains at World Cup Gymnastics in Chappaqua, NY under Coach Jason Hebert, is on the fast track, already gaining valuable international experience at the 2007 Junior Pan American Championships and the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships. It’s no secret that Orozco has some lofty goals, one of which may lead him to London in 2012.

Orozco will again be competing as a Level 10 (14-15) in the 2009 club season. The 2009 Level 10 (14-15 age group) consists of an amazing list of returnees and an outstanding crop of incoming gymnasts from Level 9. It will be exciting to watch these men battle it out. Orozco is already off to a great start, as he recently won the World Cup Local by posting a blistering 90.00 All-Around score.

StickItMedia had the recent pleasure of interviewing John Orozco.

SiM: Which gymnastics achievements have made you especially proud?

Orozco: Qualifying and competing in the Pacific Rim Championships with three of our Olympians (Paul Hamm, Raj Bhavsar and Sasha Artemev). I felt honored to compete for our country.

SiM: What have been your biggest obstacles and challenges so far, and what helped you overcome them?

Orozco: I have sacrificed having a lot of friends because of my training. I live far from the gym, so I have no time after school or after gymnastics training to hang out. To overcome any obstacles, I stay self-motivated because I know what I want more than anything. That is to go to the Olympics.

SiM: What are your goals for the 2009 season?

Orozco: I hope to succeed at the 2009 Winter Cup Challenge so that I can make the Senior National Team.

SiM: What are your future academic and gymnastics goals?

Orozco: I definitely plan on going to college. As for gymnastics, my ultimate goal is to win a medal at the Olympics. In the near future, going to the World Championships would be great!

SiM: Which of your peers do you really admire? Do you all learn from each other?

Orozco: I admire all my peers; they have worked very hard to get to where they are today. We all learn from each other.

SiM: Among the elite and Olympic gymnasts, which ones do you most enjoy watching?

Orozco: I enjoy watching Sasha Artemev for his unique style and elegance on pommels.

SiM: Describe your experience of competing with such notable gymnasts as Paul Hamm, Sasha Artemev and Raj Bhavsar. What’s the best advice they have given you?

Orozco: They have never given me any advice, but just by competing with them, I was able to gain knowledge and guidance by observing them.

SiM: Other than gymnastics, what do you like to do? (Hobbies, music, reading, gaming, etc.)

Orozco: I love to listen to music, watch movies and go on the internet.

SiM: If not for gymnastics, in what sports do you think you would compete? What other sports do you like to follow?

Orozco: I don’t really follow any other sport closely except for gymnastics. As for competing, I think it would be in the martial arts. I used to do martial arts before gymnastics.

SiM: What advice would you give to new young gymnasts just beginning to compete, to help them reach levels 9 and 10?

Orozco: I would say to keep your head up and never lose sight of your dreams or goals in life.

SiM: What is your favorite thing about walking into the gym each day?

Orozco: Getting straight to practice!

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Danell Leyva has been dominating men’s club gymnastics for the past several years. In fact, he has been so good that he competed in the senior division at the 2007 and 2008 VISA Championships, finishing 9th AA and 11th AA, narrowly missing a trip to the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Leyva is on track to possibly become one of the youngest gymnasts, at 17, to ever make the World Team. He has an impressive resume of international competition, and just recently returned from the 2008 PAGU Championships in Rosario, Argentina, where he won gold on high bar, silver on pommel horse and parallel bars and finished 6th on floor.

Coached by his father, Yin Alvarez, Leyva trains at Universal Gymnastics in Miami, FL. He anchors a very impressive men’s team that includes fellow Junior National Team members Edward Mesa and Max Mayr and National Future Stars Development Team members Marcos Gatinho and 2008 National Future Stars Champion Rafael Javellana. That’s a lot of talent under one roof! This team figures to again be one of the dominant teams in the country.

StickItMedia recently had the pleasure of interviewing Danell Leyva. This bright, talented young man ended the interview by thanking us "for being a promoter of this sport: if you ask any gymnast, he would say that it doesn’t get the credit that it deserves."

SiM: What is it like training alongside so many great gymnasts at Universal?

Danell: I actually enjoy it because it gives me the push and the strive that I need.

SiM: What is the atmosphere like in the gym?

Danell: It’s a really good atmosphere. We’re almost family in there. Everyone is always happy and we’re always helping each other out on whatever we do (gymnastics related or not).

SiM: Which of your many gymnastics achievements have made you especially proud?

Danell: My most recent achievement, which was winning the gold medal on horizontal bar at the Senior Individual Pan American (PAGU) Event.

SiM: What have been your biggest obstacles and challenges so far, and what helped you overcome them?

Danell: Well, the truth is that the only "obstacle" and/or "challenge" is that I was born with asthma, and that would occasionally give me trouble in training when I was younger. Although I do remember that in one of my Future Stars National Championships I had somewhat of an asthma attack before my last event, which was horizontal bar. Yin (my Dad/Coach) didn’t want me to finish the competition. With what little breath I had, I argued with him in a panting way that probably made him a little sentimental, so he let me go up. When I finished my routine, I practically couldn’t breathe, but I couldn’t have been happier, seeing that I had just won the meet. The asthma went away with age, so it isn’t really an issue anymore.

SiM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given (gymnastics-related or not)?

Danell: I guess it would have to be this "saying" that I came up with, that I always say to everybody who is having trouble with a skill, or just something that isn’t working out the way they want. I say, "if you’ve done it before, then there’s no doubt that you can do it again."

SiM: What advice would you give to a new young gymnast, hoping to go far in the sport?

Danell: I would say, train harder than your best, and always try to stay positive, even when it seems impossible. Always keep your head up, and never give up on your dream.

SiM: Which elite/Olympic gymnasts do you most enjoy watching?

Danell: Blaine Wilson, Jon Horton, Justin Spring, Raj Bhavsar, Sasha Artemev, Lucas Chiarlo (ARG), Paul Hamm, and Kohei Uchimura (JPN).

SiM: Which famous athlete would you most like to meet, and what would you like to talk to him/her about?

Danell: Hmm…I would have to say Michael Jordan, and I would ask him if he could give me the secret to flying.

SiM: Other than gymnastics, what do you like to do? (Hobbies, music, reading, gaming, sports, etc.)

Danell: I love to draw, play the piano, paint, listen to music… Oh, and of course, watch TV.

SiM: What have you learned most about yourself when you compete in a big meet?

Danell: That I can’t think about what I’m about to do too much, because I get nervous and end up having to fight my way through the routine. Or the opposite, when I don’t think about what I’m about to do enough, and end up having the same problem. So, pretty much that I have to relax, but not too much.

SiM: What new skills would you like to master during the 2009 season?

Danell: Peach Diamidov without putting my hand on the rail during the twist. Driggs on vault to a stuck landing. Hit my 17.2 routine on horizontal bar at VISAs, and to hit my 16.0 routine on pommel horse, also at VISAs.

SiM: What are your future academic and gymnastics goals?

Danell: Academic: finish college with two degrees under my belt (music and art). Gymnastics: Olympic All-Around champion, Olympic gold medalist on Horizontal Bar, Floor Exercise and Parallel Bars, and at least Olympic silver medalist on Pommel Horse. I think Sasha is going to be a tough guy to beat on pommels at the next Olympics.

SiM: What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?

Danell: On my way to my third Olympics. I plan on retiring when I’m 30 years old.

SiM: What is your favorite thing about walking into the gym each day?

Danell: The fact that I know that this is the place that is going to take me to where I want to be when I grow up.

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We encourage our readers to submit interesting stories and/or interview opportunities. We want to hear from everybody in the club community. Club gymnastics is the lifeblood of men’s gymnastics, and is the natural pipeline to our Olympic program. Despite the sad, continued dwindling of men’s Division I gymnastics programs, club gymnastics continues to thrive. These young men deserve expanded opportunities beyond their club years. They are after all among America’s hardest working athletes. They deserve to have their stories broadcast to the sporting world. We’re not knocking whatever coverage they are receiving now, but they certainly deserve to receive more than the very modest existing coverage.

To submit interesting stories, and we know there are plenty out there, please click here to go to our contact us form. StickItMedia is only interested in positive stories about our young gymnasts: obstacles overcome, interesting meets, funny happenings, gentleman rivalries, amazing scores, awesome coaches. Send us a suggestion and we’ll do the rest. We wish all the nation’s club gymnasts much success in the 2009 season. We know you all won’t disappoint.

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SiM: Briefly provide our readers with a history of Team Gattaca.

Garcia: The CEO of Gattaca, Inc. started Team Gattaca in 2003 as a response to the growing need for corporate sponsorship in elite men’s gymnastics.

Initially it was planned to have Team Gattaca function only as an athlete sponsor. By the 2004 Olympics, Team Gattaca was sponsoring five men on the national team (Taqiy Abdullah, Steve McCain, Dan Gill, Sean Townsend and David Durante). Of these five, McCain was on the Olympic team. In 2004 we began sponsoring junior athletes as well. The first junior group included Taqiy Abdullah, Wes Haggenson, Tim McNeill, Sho Nakamori, DJ Bucher and Sasha Artemev. In 2005 Sean Golden, as a member of Team Gattaca, made the men’s World Team.

In 2006 the Gattaca Combine was born and Team Gattaca hosted two weekend camps which were a huge success. In 2006 Team Gattaca began sponsoring elite women with the sponsorship of Courtni Beers, who is now at Utah. The 2007 Winter Cup Nationals saw Sean Townsend bring home the all-around gold and establish Team Gattaca leading up to the Olympic year. Sean Golden, again as a member of Team Gattaca, made the world team again in 2007.

From 2007-08 Team Gattaca produced more than 20 weekend camps employing hundreds of coaches and athletes from around the world. Team Gattaca experienced a lot of success on the junior level this year with national team honors going to Jake Dastrup (Level 9), Darling Hill (Elite) and Tim McNeil (Elite). Tim Pittman was 3rd AA at JO Nationals (Level 10). Our top elite finishers for 2008 were Tim McNeil and Darling Hill, who both participated at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

SiM: Team Gattaca sponsors gymnasts throughout the country. How does Team Gattaca identify which gymnasts to sponsor?

Garcia: It is a first come, first served type of situation. As one of two corporate sponsors over the past seven years, we’ve experienced some interesting political posturing that has significantly impacted our ability to sign top male gymnasts. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing athletes in our short history, but we’ve been unable to work with a select few due to political pressure. It is a reality not unique to USAG or athletics. Politics and the pressure to be with the “in crowd” will always have an influence. Our role in the sport at Team Gattaca is to be available when an athlete or coach does call upon us. Notably, Team Chevron is not going to be around after the 2008 season so we’re curious to see how this influences our sponsorship of athletes at the elite level.

SiM: Are the gymnastics sponsorships based strictly on talent or need?

Garcia: It is much more based on need than anything else. We’ve been delighted to work with some very talented athletes, but talent is hardly a factor when we’re evaluating a potential athlete or club. Heart and sincerity are what we look for. One of my favorite Team Gattaca athletes of all time is Clint Gyory. Clint never came close to making a junior national team or a VISA Championships. While he completed his senior year of high school, he admitted to us that he didn’t plan to continue gymnastics in college. This wasn’t a factor for us and we enjoyed every minute working with that young man.

SiM: Who are some of Team Gattaca’s sponsors?

Garcia: Team Gattaca has always been solely funded by Team Gattaca, Inc. and Gattaca, Inc. Though we are grateful for partnerships with several companies that provide us with goods, we do not receive financial support from any outside companies. The Gattaca Camps produce a healthy revenue stream to help offset the sponsorship costs.

SiM: What specific activities is Team Gattaca involved in to help the sport and the gymnastics community?

Garcia: Our individual sponsorships have helped keep top athletes in the sport longer. Steve McCain went on to make the Olympic Team after contemplating retirement before signing with Team Gattaca. Thus, we see our direct sponsorship of athletes as our biggest impact for helping the sport. Many of the athletes we sponsor don’t have the financial means to afford what they need to pursue their dreams. We’re proud to assist those athletes however we can.

A handful of spots (about 40) to every Gattaca Combine is put aside to accommodate athletes who might not be able to afford the camp. These spots include overnight accommodations, food and training for two days. The implementation of the Gattaca Youth Program (GYP) in Philadelphia, PA last year impacted the lives of many young people who attended the weekly free tumbling class that was sponsored and organized by Team Gattaca. That program has now been shifted to Charlotte, NC, where we’re in the final stages of planning the new Gattaca Youth Program. In 2008 we sponsored the Gattaca Training Center (GTC) at LVSA in Allentown, PA. That project sponsored six elite athletes who trained year-round. Their sponsorship included housing, food, full travel, meet fees, all coaching expenses and uniforms. These athletes had to adhere to a strict schedule, college class requirements, drug testing and community service. The concept of the GTC and the GYP have now been moved to Charlotte, where we’re receiving more community support than Allentown and Philadelphia combined.

The GTC in Allentown last year produced the first ever triple back on floor by a junior gymnast (Eddie Crane). Tim Pittman earned a 3rd place AA finish at the 2008 JO Nationals and was offered a full scholarship to Nebraska. Josh Dilworth signed a half scholarship to Nebraska. Every level 9 and level 10 athlete in the LVSA program qualified for JO Nationals. Kerry Adderly competed at both the Winter Cup and Visa Championships after not competing in either meet for over three years. We won several team championships, including the 2008 West Point Open.

SiM: What are the future plans for relocating the Gattaca Training Center?

Garcia: The termination of the project in Allentown, PA was strictly a business decision. We’re extremely appreciative of the relationship we had with LVSA. In exchange, we feel that we did a great job of elevating the LVSA program and leaving them with a tremendous group of athletes and coaches that they did not have prior to working with Team Gattaca.

Charlotte offers us a tremendous support system which includes funding from the city of Charlotte. What we established last year in Allentown was nothing short of amazing, but Charlotte offers us the next level for where we want to be with the Gattaca Training Center.

We strongly considered San Diego, CA, and even prematurely pulled the trigger on the project. The Charlotte project is completely unrelated to San Diego. Ron Howard, the head coach we were expecting to have there, simply couldn’t relocate to San Diego as soon as we had expected. Thus the project is on pause for now and may be picked up at a later date. We hope to establish multiple GTCs around the country some day. First, we must establish a long-term GTC that is consistently producing top athletes.

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This unofficial rivalry that has been budding since the start of the 2008 men’s club season is between Azarian’s Marty Strech and SCATS Gymnastics’ Jonah Urlaub.   They ultimately finished one-two at the California State Championships and the Region I Championships in Reno, NV. Strech won the state all-around, while Urlaub eked out the Regional title. Now they are taking their rivalry to the national level as Level 9s. They will both strut their stuff against the rest of the country at the 2009 J.O. Nationals, which will be held next April in Cincinnati, OH.

Both gymnasts have an impressive history. Urlaub won the Region I Level 6 all-around title in 2006 and Strech won Region I titles at Level 5 in 2006 and Level 6 in 2007.  And these young, talented men happen to be good friends.

Strech has been on the USA National Development Team since the age of nine. He is also a former Future Stars National Champion and will end up being a three-year Level 9, which is a rarity in the sport.  The most recent three-year Level 9, that we know of, was Black Hills’ Dominic Morris.  The 2009 club season is shaping up to be a great one, and we look forward to seeing how Marty and Jonah will fare against the best Level 9s in the country.

Meanwhile, Iowa also landed a huge recruiting class. Anton Gryshayev, Matt McGrath and Broderick Shemansky have been signed for the 2010 season.  All three gymnasts were top 30 all-around finishers at the 2008 J.O. Nationals.  Gryshayev currently trains at 5280 in Littleton, CO.  McGrath is from Bartlett Gymnastics and Shemansky trains at Champions Academy in Los Gatos, CA.  This is a very impressive class, and perhaps ranks as one of Iowa’s finest ever.

The early fall signing period is producing incredible new talent that will be unveiled in 2010.  This impressive group of signees nicely complements the new crop recently announced by Oklahoma.

The stated purpose of the PCC is to provide direct assistance in preserving men’s collegiate athletic programs and increase scholarship and competitive opportunities in the United States. Proceeds from the PCC benefit organizations that significantly impact the expansion of men’s sports opportunities. One such organization is the newly formed Fairness in Sports Foundation , which is dedicated to addressing the elimination of collegiate men’s athletic programs. Its purpose is to restore the original intent of Title IX and to stop and reverse the decimation of men’s sports.

The 2008 PCC collegiate all-around champion Jonathan Horton won’t be back, however, one of Oklahoma’s top 2010 recruits, Alex Naddour, will be back to defend his Level 10 all-around title. This should be an interesting preview of the NCAA championships, with five of the top eight Division I teams battling it out.  The 2009 PCC is shaping up to be one of the premier meets of the season.

Horton’s inspiring Beijing performance has positioned him to be Team USA’s leader and one of the world’s leading all-around medal contenders leading into the 2012 Olympics.  He’s not bashful about it, nor is he arrogant.  He’s going to go about business with the same attitude that he took with his Beijing high bar gamble.  “No fear, no regrets.”