Joey Hagerty backed up his dazzling first night’s performance with an even better one in the finals of the Winter Cup Challenge. Hagerty posted an 89.75 to best the field.  Perhaps the nation’s top men’s club gymnast, Danell Leyva, posted an 89.05 to finish solidly in second place.  Stanford’s Sho Nakamori, Guillermo Alvarez and Oklahoma’s Chris Brooks rounded out the rest of the top five.  The 17-year-old Leyva, from Universal, was rewarded with a coveted spot on the U.S. Senior National Team.

Seven gymnasts were named to the Senior National Team as a result of their performances in the Winter Cup.  They are as follows:

• Danell Leyva – Universal
• Sho Nakamori – Stanford
• Guillermo Alvarez – Minnesota Gymnastics
• Chris Brooks – Oklahoma
• Steven Legendre – Oklahoma
• Chris Cameron – Michigan
• David Sender – Stanford

Hagerty and Jonathan Horton were also named to the team by petition.  Six more gymnasts will be named to the team at a later date.  Oklahoma University is now well represented on the Senior National Team, with two current Sooners (Brooks and Legendre) and recent grad Horton.  It’s going to be very interesting to find out who will comprise the remaining six spots.

Three club gymnasts finished in the top 25 of a field of 42.  John Orozco finished 19th, while New Hope’s Yoshi Mori came in at 21st.  Danell Leyva’s 2nd place finish enabled him to reach his goal of making the Senior National Team in impressive style.  He had two very strong days of competition.

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