Today, in a spineless, bull-headed and ultimately sexist decision, Cal’s powers-that-be formally took a guillotine to their men’s gymnastics program. The decision obviously smacked of a serious kowtowing to the predatory and cannibalistic insanity of Title IX. Cal’s genius bean counters and feckless bureaucrats ended up granting a reprieve to [...more]
As one of the nation’s fastest top rising stars, Stacey Ervin had a breakout season in 2010. At the 2010 JO Nationals, Ervin qualified for the finals on four events (FX,SR,VT,PB) and ended up capturing 2nd place on parallel bars and won the national championship on vault. His hard work paid off with a 3rd place all-around finish. Maintaining that momentum at the 2010 VISA U.S. Championships, Ervin placed 4th in the all-around, took 3rd on floor and again won a national championship on vault. Ervin, a high school senior, trains at Mills Gymnastics in Southgate, MI under [...more]
We need a serious come hell or high water commitment from the entire gymnastics hierarchy to be forceful in guaranteeing the future of men's collegiate gymnastics. The same amount of bravery and strength our gymnasts exhibit every single day needs to go towards the promotion of our sport. Now. [...more]
Sadly, this week we marked the passing of one amazing grandmother, who just happened to be a staunch supporter of the sport of gymnastics. Rita Jennings died on Monday, September 20 at the age of 70. Rita was wife to Sheldon, mother to Patsy, mother-in-law to Scott and grandmother to Jon and Nick Spiro. Jon and Nick, of course, are elite gymnasts who train at New Hope in Fountain Valley, CA. Rita was a Region I icon. She worked her charm, supporting Region I gymnastics for the past 32 years. As well as being Jon and Nick's grandmother, [...more]
2010 was a break-out year for Jesse Silverstein in men's gymnastics, starting out the season with a 19th place AA finish and capturing the 5th best parallel bars score at Winter Cup. Then came his epic battle with Sam Mikulak at JO Nationals, where he placed a very close 2nd in the AA, took first on pommel horse and placed in the top 5 on the rest. Competing for the first time as a Senior, Silverstein cracked the top 10 (9th) in the AA at VISAs, and finished in 8th place on pommel horse, rings and vault. Yes, his arrival as one of America's top elite gymnasts is a [...more]
Jonathan Horton picked up where he left off Wednesday night, improving his all-around score by almost a full point, and held off Danell Leyva to successfully defend his U.S. Championship title. Horton posted a 91.30 to best Leyva's 90.00 in Friday night's competition in Hartford, CT. He hit on all six events this time and even improved his score on pommel horse (14.10). If not for his slightly watered-down high bar routine (14.90) and his lower score (compared to Wednesday's 15.30) on parallel bars (14.90), Horton would have scored [...more]
Jonathan Horton obviously brought his A-game to the first night of competition. He even hit his re-vamped pommel horse routine (13.95). Although he fell on his signature event (high bar... 14.20), he still posted a respectable 90.35, outlasting 2nd place finisher Danell Leyva by a full point. What a weird day, chock full of falls and mishaps. Brandon Wynn tore it up until his 12.35 on pommel horse. Still, this guy hit 15+ on three events to potentially force his hand on the selection committee. Wynn's 16.00 on rings, plus his impressive all-around performance, seems to make his [...more]
As expected, SCATS' Sam Mikulak won his first U.S. Championship, and did so in a runaway romp. Mikulak (86.50) finished a staggering 5.45 points ahead of 2nd place finisher Jacoby Rubin (81.05). The 16-18 age division title was never in doubt as Mikulak ended up capturing titles on floor, pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar. This particular title has been elusive for Mikulak, after having been the runner-up to John Orozco the past two years. But this title is sweet, as it caps off his brilliant club career. Still, Mikulak has unfinished business [...more]
In Part 2 of our preview of the 2010 VISA U.S. Championships, guest blogger Matthew Rusk explores Glen Ishino, Steven Legendre, Danell Leyva, John Orozco, Paul Ruggeri, Alex Naddour, Kevin Tan, Brandon Wynn and Tim McNeill. Matthew leaves no stone unturned as he analyzes each gymnast's chances for making the 2010 World Team. As is customary for Matthew, he unveils his predictions for medal winners at VISAs and the makeup of the team that will represent the United States at the 2010 World Championships, which will be held October 16-24 in Rotterdam. [...more]
StickItMedia is once again pleased to have our brilliant young guest blogger Matthew Rusk analyze 12 of our top gymnasts vying for the highly coveted six spots on the 2010 U.S. World Championship team. Matthew outdoes himself in this, our 2nd annual installment. Only 17 and a resident of Houston, TX, Matthew is now a crafty media veteran, whose refreshingly candid, technical approach endears him to serious gymnastics fans. Part 1 of our series focuses on Jonathan Horton, Chris Brooks, Chris Cameron, Wes Haagensen, Kyle Bunthuwong and Joey Hagerty. In Part 2, Matthew will analyze the chances for [...more]
