Leyva made it tough for Horton over the two days, and ended up hitting on all twelve events.  He was spectacular on parallel bars, besting the field on that event, and placed very close behind Chris Brooks and World Team alternate Paul Ruggeri on high bar.  His performance sealed his 2nd consecutive selection to the World Team, and firmly entrenched him as very reliable all-arounder with all sorts of upside potential.

Friday night, Brandon Wynn improved his scores on every event except on floor to take the 3rd spot, a full two points over Chris Brooks.  Glen Ishino rounded out the top 5 with a solid second day of competition.  Wynn is now well established as America’s best on rings with a 2-day total of 32.25.  His overall consistency successfully demontrated why he deserved his spot on the World Team.  Chris Brooks’ dazzling performances on vault, parallel bars and high bar enabled him to punch his ticket to Worlds.  His 2-day total of 31.25 was good enough to win the high bar title.  Steven Legendre followed up his Wednesday score on vault with an identical 17.05.  He is one of the few vaulters in the world right now capable of hitting a score over 17.00, and that is why the U.S. team will need him on floor and vault in Rotterdam.

Chris Cameron earned the sixth and final World Team spot primarily with his steady work on floor, pommel horse and rings.  The selection committee was also busy handing out international assignments for the upcoming Pan-Am Championships.  Those winning slots were Alex Buscaglia, Dylan Akers, Bryan Del Castillo, Glen Ishino, Jake Dalton and Wes Haagensen.  The Pan-Am event takes place August 30-September 5 in Guadalajara.

Both Junior and Senior National Teams were selected in a very busy day put in by the selection committee:

Juniors (14-15)

• Adrian De Los Angeles (SCATS)
• Stacy Ervin (Mills)
• Sean Melton (Orlando Metro)
• Jake Martin (Orlando Metro)
• Kevin Ko (Golden Bear)
• Timmy Wang (South Coast)
• Jonathan Deaton (Daggett’s)

Senior (16-18)

• Sam Mikulak (SCATS/Michigan)
• Dylan Akers (Cypress)
• CJ Maestas (Gold Cup/Illinois)
• Cale Robinson (Premier/Stanford)
• Wyatt Aycock (Orlando Metro/Nebraska)
• Jacoby Rubin (Buffalo Grove)
• Jordan Valdez (Champion)

Seniors

• Chris Brooks
• Alex Buscaglia
• Chris Cameron
• Jake Dalton
• Bryan Del Castillo
• Wes Haagensen
• RJ Heflin
• Jonathan Horton
• Glen Ishino
  
• Steven Legendre
• Danell Leyva
• Tim McNeill
• Alex Naddour
• Paul Ruggeri
• Brandon Wynn

All-Around Results

Individual Event Results

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The saddest sight of the evening was when John Orozco was carried out of the arena after suffering an injury on vault.  Orozco was having a great meet and was forced to scratch on his final event, parallel bars.  Presumably, his injury is related to his achilles tendon.  Orozco was well on his way to a spot on the Senior National Team.

Danell Leyva really shined in his 2nd place finish.  Leyva hit on all six events, including his spectacular performance on high bar (15.65).  Chris Brooks posted the highest scores of the evening on parallel bars (15.70) and high bar (15.80), but suffered setbacks on floor and pommel horse.  Nevertheless, he still finds himself in strong contention for a spot on the World Team.  Daniel Ribeiro took advantage of all the low scores on pommel horse, as he put up the evening’s top score (15.50).  A repeat of that performance may earn him a ticket to Rotterdam.  The most impressive score of the night was Steven Legendre’s 17.05 on vault.  He absolutely nailed his Dragulescu.

The top club performers who are advancing to Friday’s finale are Jesse Silverstein, Sam Mikulak, Dylan Akers, CJ Maestas, Sean Melton, Stacey Ervin, Trevor Howard, Matt del Junco and Jordan Valdez.  A total of 43 gymnasts will compete on Friday.

Click here for complete results.

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The 14-15 division competition was an outright dogfight, but Sean Melton’s steady routines propelled him to the All-Around title.  Adrian De Los Angeles led after three rotations, but Melton’s brilliant routines on floor (14.50) and pommel horse (13.80) were the gamebreakers.  The 14-15 division had an amazing amount of depth, where at least a half dozen gymnasts who placed out of the top 5, easily had the talent to make the top 5.  The future for all these gymnasts is looking very bright.  4th place finisher Stacey Ervin is emerging as a powerful force to be reckoned with.  If not for his 11.80 on pommel horse, Ervin had a legitimate shot at the title.  His 15.50 on vault earned him a U.S. championship on that event.

Hats off to Anne Phillips at Gymnastike for her timely Twitter updates and to Blythe Lawrence at Gymnastics Examiner for her great live blogging.

16-18 Division

1. Sam Mikulak (SCATS) - 86.50
2. Jacoby Rubin (Buffalo Grove) - 81.05
3. Wyatt Aycock (Orlando Metro) - 80.65
4. Jordan Valdez (Champions) - 80.30
5. Cale Robinson (Premier) - 80.25

14-15 Division

1. Sean Melton (Orlando Metro) - 83.40
2. Adrian De Los Angeles (SCATS) - 82.15
3. Jake Martin (Orlando Metro) - 81.50
4. Stacey Ervin (Mills) - 81.15
5. Timmy Wang (South Coast) - 80.65

Click here for final results.

Glen Ishino on pommel horse

Overview:  Glen Ishino, the brother of Olympic alternate Allyse Ishino, won the all-around title in the junior division at the 2008 Visa Championships, just prior to joining the NCAA scene that fall.  Ishino, who competes for the University of California – Berkeley, placed 2nd all-around at last year’s NCAA Championships while only a freshman.  Placements of 6th at last year’s Visa Championships and 5th at this year’s NCAA Championships make Ishino an outside medal threat for the all-around in Hartford; however, his bill to make the World team will be downplayed by his average work on still rings.

Pros:  Ishino has several fine qualities to his gymnastics: clean form, good amplitude, and, most of all, immense speed.  His speed is particularly noticeable on pommel horse, an event that all too many American men execute as if they were molasses in winter.  Ishino, who was 2nd on that apparatus at this year’s NCAA Championships, also excels on parallel bars.  However, it’s his abilities across all six events that could turn heads on the selection committee, as more all-arounders on a team means more options for lineups in prelims.  Ishino’s relative inexperience allows him to enter these Championships with little pressure or expectation, and the 20-year-old’s youth ensures him of several opportunities down the road, something that so many of his rivals cannot say.

Cons:  Ishino has yet to demonstrate prowess as a competitor, and that was none more apparent than in April at the NCAA Championships.  Ishino didn’t break the 15 point barrier at all in prelims (with the exception of floor) and struggled in team finals as well, scoring 13.1 on parallel bars and 14.0 on high bar.  The native of Santa Ana, California, has extremely limited international experience under his belt:  he has yet to compete at a World Championships and has not received any international assignments since 2008.  The pommel/rings positions on the World team are the only spots available for Ishino to claim, as the other four events are already covered by other, far more capable, gymnasts.  Ishino’s work on rings is only average and not team final caliber at all; his pommel set, although great, is not great enough to warrant him a spot just for that one event.

Outlook:  Although few American women have taken part in an international competition this year, a plethora of American men have.  USA Gymnastics has taken advantage of numerous international events – American Cup, Pacific Rim Championships, Moscow World Cup, and Japan Cup – to give athletes experience, but Ishino was not granted an assignment to any of those competitions.  It is very clear that Ishino is not on USA Gymnastics’s radar yet, and barring numerous injuries and a fantastic performance from Ishino at Nationals, he will not be a part of this year’s World team.  Ishino is another athlete who will have to wait his turn until the following quadrennial, but the talent is certainly there to attain success then.

Steven Legendre on floor

Overview:  The native of Port Jefferson, New York, has been making waves for the last three years with his spectacular talents on floor exercise and vault.  Legendre, who formerly trained at WOGA, joined the University of Oklahoma’s gymnastics team in the fall of 2007, instantly becoming a leading member of the team.  At the 2008 NCAA Championships, he took home the floor and vault individual event titles, and shared another victory with his OU team.  A year later, Legendre defended his floor and vault titles and won his first all-around title as well.  After winning floor at the 2009 Visa Championships, he was selected to compete at the 2009 World Championships, where he successfully qualified to the floor exercise final.  Two gold medals on floor and vault at the 2010 Winter Cup, as well as his third consecutive NCAA floor title, have been added to Legendre’s packed trophy case.  Unfortunately, such success on only two apparatus clouds doubt on Legendre’s world team chances, and his all-around abilities have never proven competitive at this level of competition and are not expected to begin doing so.

Pros:  Legendre has made it clear to every male gymnast in the country who’s the boss on floor, having dominated the event on both the NCAA and elite scenes for the past two years.  Legendre’s quick, dynamic power enables him to do skills never thought to be possible, such as his 2.5 twisting double layout.  The 21-year-old is also a powerhouse on vault, where his handspring double front seems far too easy for him.  Last year, Legendre was said to be training two 7.0 vaults – a handspring double pike and a Tsukahara double pike – which have yet to surface in competition.  A 7.0 vault executed successfully in Hartford would likely be the only vault of such difficulty to be performed at the event.  Such a skill would, of course, help Legendre’s world team chances sizably.

Cons:  Legendre adds nothing to the team besides floor and vault.  If Brooks, Horton, and Ruggeri hit at Nationals, Legendre will have little chance of making the World team because his specialty events are already covered by other athletes.  With a ticket to Worlds on the line, it would seem like this would be the perfect event to debut a 7.0 vault, but such an upgrade seems unlikely:  Legendre talked on Gymnastike about training a handspring double pike over a year ago and has still yet to compete it.  The only athlete who Legendre can really knock off the selection committee’s ideal World team would be Paul Ruggeri.  Even if Ruggeri is not to deliver at Nationals, one event will always keep his chances for Worlds alive: high bar.  Neither Cameron, McNeill, Naddour, Tan, Wynn or Legendre himself should do that event in team finals, as a full point, or more, would be forfeited from the team total. Even a .4 gain on vault (which is unlikely) and a few tenths gain on floor would not make up for such a deficit, and thus don’t allow Legendre to control his own destiny toward making this team.

Outlook:  Similar to Danell Leyva, Legendre’s two events will be difficult to cut it for this year’s World team and will not even allow him to be a threat two years from now.  At this competition, Legendre should expect to gain his usual accolades:  a gold medal on floor and perhaps a gold on vault as well, but he should also expect to find himself without medals on any of the other apparatus or in the all-around.  The time Legendre can start winning medals at major competitions as an all-arounder, and on events other than floor and vault, will be the time when he becomes a viable threat for the 2012 Olympic team.  With Legendre not having any downright dreadful events, it seems possible, although by no means probable, that he can make such improvements and fulfill his dream of becoming an Olympian.

Danell Leyva on high bar

Overview:  Leyva’s talent, and always impressionable stepfather, have been garnering him attention since he was 15, when he first qualified to the senior men’s competition back in 2007.  The 2008 Olympic picture saw no place for Leyva, who later joked in a Gymnastike interview that he would’ve only been named to the team as the mascot.  A mascot on the team he was not, in 2009, when Leyva competed at his first World Championships, where he was .025 away from medaling on high bar.  However, Leyva, who was 5th all-around at last year’s Visa Championships, has yet to follow up his strong 2009 season with notable performances this year.  With other athletes improving and Leyva falling behind, it appears as though he will have to wait at least another year to experience World Championship glory.

Pros:  The 18-year-old is arguably the most talented gymnast in the country on both parallel bars and high bar and has numerous accolades on those two apparatus.  Leyva’s swing on both events is breathtaking, and he has recently added a Liukin to his already ladened high bar routine.  Leyva already has a great amount of international experience for someone so young: he has competed in a World Championships, French International, and a Pacific Rim Championships, all within the last 10 months.  Leyva does not have a glaringly weak event and did hit all but one routine at last year’s Visa Championships.  The bonus points system, which allows gymnasts to achieve additional points for difficult routines, will play in Leyva’s favor on parallel bars and high bar, as he should gain at least .4 collectively from those two events.

Cons:  Aside from Leyva’s two specialty apparatus, there is nothing remarkable about his gymnastics. His form is hardly pristine, and his lack of raw power shows up on vault especially.  Leyva’s gymnastics has made few strides this year, and his competitive year as a whole has been very bumpy.  He began the year missing a top three all-around finish at the Winter Cup, thus relegating him to alternate status for the Tyson American Cup.  Given his first international assignment of the year in April, Leyva won the gold medal with his team, but problems during the competition prevented him from winning an all-around medal in a depleted field.  USA Gymnastics would grant the 2009 World team member a spot on the Japan Cup training squad, but Leyva backed out of the meet, only to be beaten a week later by Jesse Silverstein, a gymnast who has no international experience and whom many haven’t even heard of.

Outlook:  Things are not looking great this year for Leyva, but being left off a world team could be an enormous blessing in disguise for the 18-year-old, who still has plenty of years ahead of him.  Leyva improved drastically from 2008 to 2009, but hasn’t much at all from 2009 to 2010.  A missed world team could be what prompts Leyva to get back on track, and he really must improve a great deal on two other events – especially pommel, where he is not terrible – to become a viable threat for major teams in the future.  Leyva’s in an unlucky position at the moment, as his two best events are where the U.S. is stacked. If his two best events happened to be pommel and rings, his chances would go up greatly.  However, for now, it looks as though Leyva will have to wait until the next quadrennial to become a consistent player on major teams.  This World team is looking more and more like it will be divided into two categories: those who can do pommel and those who can do everything else.  Leyva falls into neither category, so an alternate position is what is most realistically attainable.

John Orozco on parallel bars

Overview:  Junior competitions often fail to display gymnastics that excites a seasoned viewer.  Such was not the case last year, however, when John Orozco dominated the junior competition at the 2009 Visa Championships, showcasing immense potential in the process.  Orozco won the all-around title and five out of the six individual event titles at that competition, and he would later compete against the senior men on the second day of their competition, finishing 11th overall.  Orozco has since competed at the Pacific Rim Championships, winning the junior all-around title, and he was also featured in Sports Illustrated’s August 2nd-9th issue.

Pros:  Orozco is a true all-arounder with no glaringly weak event, something very difficult to do in today’s code that does not cater to all-arounders.  Only 17, Orozco already has a vast array of original skills, chief among them his tucked full-out off parallel bars.  USA Gymnastics is certainly recognizing Orozco’s potential, having named him to both the Pacific Rim Championship team and the Japan Cup training squad.  Orozco contributed greatly to the American men’s team gold at the Pacific Rim, and won four individual event medals (gold on HB and silvers on PH, SR, and PB) to go along with his team and all-around golds.  Orozco has plenty of attention entering in this competition, but not necessarily pressure:  he has many years ahead to achieve all he wants to in the sport.

Cons:  Besides vault, Orozco cannot break 15 on any event, thus practically negating his chances to make the World team.  The 17-year-old was the odd man out on the Japan Cup’s training squad, despite having performed close to the best of his best abilities in Australia at the Pacific Rim.  Orozco’s overall gymnastics lacks difficulty, as his D-scores are only in the 5.5 range on every event besides vault.  Vault is an event where Orozco has actually downgraded since last year’s Visa Championships, presumably because of consistency issues with his old vault (he fell on his handspring double full at last year’s Visa Championships).  Although many of Orozco’s weaknesses as a gymnast can be chalked up to youth and inexperience, it is interesting to compare him to another youngster, Danell Leyva, who should have the last laugh if both perform to their potential.  Leyva, only a year older, handily defeated Orozco at both last year’s Visa Championships (by six placements) and at this year’s Winter Cup (by four placements).

Outlook:  Unlike female gymnasts, male gymnasts do not peak until their early 20’s, so there is no doubt that Orozco’s best days are ahead of him.  It is a bit unreasonable to expect Orozco to be able to contend in two years for the Olympic team, but the 2013-2016 quadrennial should be his time to shine.  Blessed with commendable gymnastics on six events and a razor-sharp focus in competition, Orozco has a bright career ahead.  World teams won’t be forthcoming yet, but this is perhaps to his benefit.  He doesn’t want too much success too soon, and waiting his turn for success will ensure that, when Orozco is sent on a plane to a World Championships or Olympic Games, he will be fully prepared.  Featured last year in an article for the NY Daily News, Orozco made it very clear just how far he wants to get in the sport:  “I want to be the best in the world, that’s what I’m training for. I want to win the all-around gold in the Olympics.”  With his rapid improvement, even such an arduous task doesn’t seem out of the question for Orozco.

Paul Ruggeri on high bar

Overview:  Ruggeri may be tall for a gymnast at 5’8’’, but that hasn’t stopped him from displaying impressive gymnastics on four events and from becoming a top all-around medal threat for this competition.  A rising senior at University of Illinois, Ruggeri had his career breakthrough at last year’s NCAA Championships, winning parallel bars and high bar and placing 3rd in the all-around.  Despite a disappointing 2009 Visa Championships, Ruggeri was granted two international assignments this year.  He took advantage of both of them, qualifying to three event finals at the Moscow World Cup and winning bronze with his team at the Japan Cup.  However, a disappointing NCAA Championships in April leads gymnastics observers to question whether he can display consistency for these Visa Championships, perhaps the most important competition of his career to date.

Pros:  Ruggeri is an athlete who the selection committee really wants to do well in Hartford, as a good performance there will simplify the World selection process so much more.  Ruggeri’s strengths on floor, vault, parallel bars, and high bar make him a lock for the team if he hits all of his routines on those events in Hartford.  USA Gymnastics gave Ruggeri two international assignments this year after he only placed 17th AA at last year’s Visa Championships, and he performed well at both of them despite being a rookie to international competition.  In terms of his gymnastics, Ruggeri is a very clean, stylish gymnast who is well-suited for good execution scores in international competition.  In addition to his prowess with execution, Ruggeri has his share of difficult skills, including an Arabian double layout on floor and a tkatchev ½ on high bar.

Cons:  Ruggeri’s major weaknesses on pommel horse and still rings hurt his chances for winning an all-around medal here significantly.  A great showing from Ruggeri at the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Championships was reversed this year, as he was partly responsible for Illinois’s disappointing 4th place finish with scores of 10.75 on pommel horse and 11.5 on high bar.  At that same event, Ruggeri only qualified to one event final, parallel bars, where he would struggle once again by finishing 9th.  A repeat of that competition, or of last year’s Visa Championships, would give the selection committee little rationale to put him on the World team, even if the team would have to forfeit scoring potential in favor of another athlete.  Pressure is sure to be mounting for Ruggeri at this event, as he has never before competed at this event with so much at stake.

Outlook:  Ruggeri has had less than stellar performances at big competitions, but the selection committee can still choose him if he does not bring his A-game to these Visa Championships; he just cannot afford a disastrous performance.  Ruggeri is strong on floor and parallel bars, but those events can be performed by others in team finals.  Also, with Legendre being so far behind Ruggeri on high bar, and the same being true for Leyva on vault, Ruggeri has a bit of breathing room at this competition to make the squad.  It also must be said that both the Moscow World Cup and Japan Cup came after Ruggeri’s poor NCAA Championships showing, and coming into this competition with those experiences right behind him should give Ruggeri confidence and a good reputation entering this event.  For Ruggeri, it is up to him and him alone to make the World team.

Notable Specialists

Alex Naddour on pommel horse – Among all the specialists, the 19-year-old rising sophomore at University of Oklahoma stands the best chance of making the World team.  Although Wes Haagensen and Kevin Tan are battling for one spot, Naddour can knock both men off the team if he wins pommel horse in Hartford.  Naddour can break 15 on the event internationally, but it’s his consistency that has been turning heads since the year began.  Despite not having been on the elite scene much, USA Gymnastics gave him two international assignments – Moscow World Cup and Japan Cup – this year, proving that he is on the radar for the World team.  Naddour is a relatively adequate all-arounder but cannot contribute anything to the team besides pommel horse.  Nevertheless, if Naddour hits two pommel sets in Hartford, the selection committee has room to give him the last ticket for that one event alone.

Kevin Tan on rings – With the exception of Paul Hamm, Kevin Tan was the only lock for the 2008 Olympic team, but he ended up contributing far less than expected to the team’s outcome.  Now in the process of a comeback, the Olympic bronze medalist returned to competition back in February at the Winter Cup, where he struggled on his specialty apparatus, still rings.  Tan’s prospects for qualifying to the World Championships appeared decent at the beginning of the year, even after his unremarkable showing at that event.  However, months have gone by and Chris Cameron has made a name for himself, Alex Naddour is proving himself on pommel horse, and other men are getting assignments right and left.  Tan will give up at least a point to Naddour on pommel, and it is doubtful he can make that up on rings over other athletes.  Tan’s showing here should be one of the most interesting storylines of the Championships, but it is doubtful to go as successfully as he might like.

Brandon Wynn on rings – Wynn has become the latest lord of the rings in the United States, winning the NCAA title there by a staggering 0.75.  He was also chosen to compete at the Moscow World Cup and made finals on the event, but a lackluster effort kept him down in 8th place.  Unlike Haagensen and Tan, Wynn has shown in recent competition to be a top gymnast on this event.  However, like Haagensen and Tan, his contribution to the team on rings can be outdone by a standout pommel worker, likely Naddour.  What is unfortunate for Wynn is that, even though David Sender has retired, Jonathan Horton is still around and was in great form on rings at the Japan Cup. Horton’s status means that two holes need to be filled on rings, but both of those athletes must perform pommel horse in team finals as well, an event where Wynn is dreadful.  Wynn isn’t a bad all-arounder, and he can certainly contribute several tenths on rings, but those attributes become useless when the committee takes into account the cons of naming him to the team.  The selection committee would prefer not to embarrass themselves, or the team, by naming Wynn, which would then require Horton to do pommel in team finals.

Tim McNeill’s Situation – Tim McNeill’s father tragically passed away last week, which means that last year’s silver medalist in the all-around will withdraw from these Championships.  McNeill had a breakthrough year last year, making his first World team and finishing 7th in the all-around (where he was 3rd in prelims).  McNeill also qualified to the pommel horse finals at that event, finishing 5th.  He has only competed once this year, at the Moscow World Cup, but qualified to two event finals – pommel horse and parallel bars – and medaled on the latter.  In addition to those two events, rings is another apparatus where McNeill has a creditable routine, one that is superior to the majority of ring routines that will be performed in Hartford. McNeill’s all-around prowess, contributions on three events, and good consistency and experience make him too great a candidate to be passed over.  If McNeill happens to not want to go to Worlds, there are several athletes who can feasibly replace him.

All-Around Medal Predictions

Gold:  Chris Brooks
Silver:  Jonathan Horton
Bronze:  Chris Cameron

World Team Predictions

Chris Brooks
Chris Cameron
Jonathan Horton
Tim McNeill
Alex Naddour
Paul Ruggeri

World Team Lineups

Prelims (Bolded athletes will compete in team finals also)

FX:  (Brooks, Cameron, Ruggeri, Horton, McNeill)
PH:  (Cameron, McNeill, Naddour, Brooks, Horton)
SR:  (Cameron, Horton, McNeill, Brooks, Naddour)
VT:  (Brooks, Horton, Ruggeri, McNeill, Naddour)
PB:  (Brooks, Horton, McNeill, Cameron, Ruggeri)
HB:  (Brooks, Horton, Ruggeri, McNeill, Naddour)

Alternates

Wes Haagensen
Steven Legendre
Danell Leyva

Related stories:

Prelude to 2010 VISA U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Championships - Part 1

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The 2010 VISA U.S. Championships take place August 10-14 in Hartford, CT.  Click here to see the men’s field. Last year’s analysis by Matthew was well received and widely read.  We hope you all enjoy his latest gem.   

By Matthew Rusk

The senior men’s field at the 2010 Visa Gymnastics Championships will be one of the deepest and most competitive fields in memory, with 45 athletes competing for just six slots on the World Championship team.  While all ended well with the U.S. men’s team winning the bronze in Beijing, USA Gymnastics had an inauspicious field of athletes four years ago, when the U.S. men’s team finished 13th at the World Championships.  This competition will be the major deciding factor for determining the team, and with several talented, albeit uneven, athletes, the selection committee will have quite a task to certify who will be allowed to compete in Rotterdam.  While the American men are in far superior form than how they looked at this stage of the game last quad, glory will not come easily to the team that ends up taking the floor in the Netherlands.  With China and Japan sure to go 1-2 in either order, the American team will need to bring its A-game to fend off numerous other countries in order to return home with a bronze medal.

Not to be lost in the process of naming the World Championship team will be naming the U.S. all-around champion.  Jonathan Horton, the reigning champion and the only man competing to have won a senior National all-around title, appeared as the favorite earlier in the year with solid, if unremarkable, competitions at the Tyson American Cup and the French International.  At the Japan Cup, however, Horton pulled out of the all-around there due to injury, putting his status for these Championships in doubt.  Tim McNeill, who finished 7th in the all-around at last year’s World Championships, has yet to compete all six events this year, as is also the case for last year’s bronze medalist, Wes Haagensen.  Chris Brooks had an excellent start to his year, winning Winter Cup and placing 3rd at the Tyson American Cup, but he was not chosen to compete in the all-around at the Japan Cup in favor of another athlete, Chris Cameron, who won the NCAA all-around title.  Danell Leyva and John Orozco may be the new guys on the block, but they would also like something to say about whom the medals belong to at this competition.  Leyva placed 5th at the senior event last year, while Orozco dominated the junior competition, winning the all-around and every apparatus title besides vault.

As this competition comes off the heels of Paul Hamm’s recent comeback announcement, Hamm should motivate the other men, even before he steps foot into a competition, to train and compete like never before.  The competition may be intense now, but it is paradise compared to how it will be two years down the road.  If Hamm can get within striking distance of his old form, there will be one less title to win and one less ticket to fight for.  With such stiff competition to come down the road, opportunities cannot be relinquished now.

Chris Brooks on HB at 2010 Tyson American Cup

Overview:  Injuries prevented Brooks from doing two of his strongest events, floor and vault, at last year’s Championships.  However, this year, the 23-year-old Houstonian enters these Championships injury-free and with a solid first half of his competitive year behind him. Brooks beat his former OU teammate, Jonathan Horton, to win the Winter Cup, and he later replaced Tim McNeill at the Tyson American Cup, where he performed admirably with a third place finish.  Brooks’s consistency and strong gymnastics across five apparatus (all but pommel horse) make him a strong candidate for the world team, as well as a contender for this year’s all-around crown.

Pros:  Brooks is an extremely powerful gymnast, which helps him particularly on floor, where he displays fine tumbling, and vault, but where his handspring double front seems far too elementary for him.  At the same time, he is able to maintain good form throughout most of his gymnastics, something not seen often in such physically strong gymnasts.  While Brooks has always been known for his expertise on the power events, he has made creditable strides on parallel bars and high bar this year.  With the selection committee looking for gymnasts who can contribute on as many events as possible, Brooks makes a strong case for the World team because he could easily do those four events in team finals.  In addition to the individual success Brooks has had this year, he contributed greatly to his team’s success at the Japan Cup, where the U.S. men won the bronze medal.

Cons:  Brooks is very weak on pommel horse, where he has not marked above a 13.15 this year, and his rings are only adequate.  Despite Brooks’s success earlier this year, he was passed over for an all-around slot at the Japan Cup.  Later, when Jonathan Horton withdrew, Brooks was passed over again when Paul Ruggeri was chosen to replace Horton.  While Brooks’ chances are great for making this year’s World team, he could be hurt when the team downsizes to five gymnasts for the Olympics, because his strengths and weaknesses match up closely with those of Horton and Ruggeri.  Being in contention for an all-around title and a world team will be newfound pressures for Brooks entering in this event, as he has had little hope for attaining either honor until now.

Outlook:  Brooks’ potential to contribute on four events makes him a strong candidate, although not entirely a lock, for the World team.  With Horton being nearly assured of a spot on the team if healthy, there is a small possibility for Brooks to be left off the team; however, he will be on it if he performs as he has been doing all year.  Much would need to happen for Brooks to be left off:  Ruggeri would have to score higher collectively on FX/VT/PB/HB, Danell Leyva would need to perform to his full potential on PB/HB, and the same would need to be true for Steven Legendre on FX/VT.  While four great events and one adequate event are great for now, Brooks ought to focus on rings a bit more leading up to London.  If it comes down to Brooks and Ruggeri for one spot, improvement on rings would prompt Brooks to have a leg up on his rival for a coveted Olympic berth.

Kyle Bunthuwong on PB at 2009 VISAs

Overview:  Kyle Bunthuwong, whose older brother, Kyson, is also a competitive gymnast, shocked many with his 4th place all-around finish at last year’s Visa Championships, which was his first time competing at the Championships in the senior division.  The 20-year-old, who competes for the University of California – Berkeley, also placed 4th on parallel bars, 6th on pommel horse, and 8th on rings and vault at last year’s Championships.

Pros:  Bunthuwong’s gymnastics is extremely clean and polished, and he excels at an event that is the Achilles heel for so many American gymnasts: pommel horse.  While there are also gymnasts (i.e. Daniel Ribeiro) who are only good on that event, Bunthuwong is at least adequate on each event.  His relative strength on pommel and rings could also help the team, as good quality gymnastics on that combination of events is something that Brooks, Horton, Legendre, Leyva, and Ruggeri (among others) do not have.  Bunthuwong’s talent as an all-arounder should help his status for making a world team, as all-arounders can give the team greater cushion for error in prelims.

Cons:  Bunthuwong has a serious roadblock for a world team spot:  Tim McNeill.  McNeill is far more experienced than Bunthuwong, and McNeill’s consistency, all-around prowess, and strength on pommel horse deflate Bunthuwong’s worth to the team immensely.  McNeill is a stronger rings worker as well, so Bunthuwong’s strength there should not be of much necessity as well.  With McNeill having a strong case to be named to the team, there will still be other athletes to contend with for a slot.  Wes Haagensen’s rings can contribute more to the team than Bunthuwong’s pommel set can, and rings is a far more reliable event than pommel is when it comes to hitting routines.  Chris Cameron’s all-around abilities, in addition to his strength on pommel and rings, will present yet another obstacle to Bunthuwong.

Outlook:  Bunthuwong is developing into a fine gymnast, but his chances for an all-around medal and a world team berth are looking very cloudy, particularly with both Chris Brooks and Chris Cameron on the upswing.  Bunthuwong does have a legitimate hope for being an alternate, however, because of how much the team needs a decent pommel and rings worker. With so much depth now in the United States, Bunthuwong’s chances for major international assignments might have to wait until after 2012.

Chris Cameron on PH at 2009 Big 10 Championships

Overview:  The 21-year-old native of Winter Haven, Florida, became this year’s NCAA all-around champion in April.  A rising senior at the University of Michigan, Cameron has competed at multiple elite gymnastics events this year, including Winter Cup (placing 3rd AA), Pacific Rim Championships, and the Japan Cup.  Cameron enters these Visa Championships as a medal contender in the all-around, and his strengths on floor, pommel horse, and still rings could propel him to his first world team as well.

Pros:  Lauded by coaches and teammates alike for his work ethic and competitive drive, Cameron is a powerhouse all-arounder who can fill a needed hole for the U.S. on pommel horse.  Entering this competition in perhaps the best condition of his career, Cameron has had a breakthrough year, placing a respectable 9th against a formidable international field at the Japan Cup and winning the NCAA all-around title by a staggering 1.55.  Cameron qualified to four event finals (FX, PH, SR, and PB) at NCAA’s, and his strength on pommel, improvement on rings, and overall strength across six events makes him a force to be reckoned with for the all-around title at these Championships, as well as a spot on the world team.

Cons:  Although Cameron attained success with his team at the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships, he failed to win an all-around medal in a fairly depleted field.  He also finished dead last in rings finals, an event that will play a pivotal role in deciding his fate for a ticket to Worlds.  Both Wes Haagensen and Tim McNeill have the potential to match or surpass Cameron’s ability on rings, and Cameron struggled on pommel horse, another crucial event for him to hit in Hartford, at the Pacific Rim.  Like Chris Brooks, Cameron has yet to experience competing at Nationals with serious hopes for both a world team spot and an all-around medal.

Outlook:  While there are American gymnasts who are solid on pommel, rings, or both, Cameron provides something to the selection committee that many of those men don’t have.  While the selection committee should design the team around scoring potential for team finals, prelims cannot be ignored, and Cameron’s all-around strength enables him to help out the team in prelims and to fill in on any event if a teammate is to go down with injury.  USA Gymnastics will likely have three spots designated for decent pommel workers as Brooks, Horton, Legendre, Leyva, and Ruggeri are all weak there.  With McNeill likely to take one, two spots are still available, with at least one being there for rings as well.  Considering both prelims and finals, Cameron fits the bill for a slot very well.  However, the committee can only believe this if he is hitting at Nationals; otherwise, another specialist should be issued a plane ticket instead.

Wes Haagensen on SR at 2009 VISAs

Overview:  A top junior gymnast, the native of Sheridan, Wyoming took several years to find that same success on the senior level, but a move to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in December 2008 prompted remarkable improvement.  Haagensen won the bronze medal at last year’s Visa Championships, a 19-rank improvement from his 2008 result.  Haagensen competed at his first Worlds last year, where he, unsurprisingly, failed to qualify for an event final.  This year’s Visa Championships will mark the first time Haagensen has competed since 2009 Worlds.

Pros:  Haagensen’s gymnastics may not be flashy, but it is certainly among the most workmanlike: clean, consistent, and creditable across all six events.  With Kevin Tan struggling on rings at the Winter Cup (averaging 14.45), and Raj Bhavsar retiring, the U.S. team has spaces available for strong ring workers, and Haagensen is ideal for taking one.  Winner of the bronze medal on rings at last year’s Nationals, Haagensen’s stock on that event has since grown considerably because of David Sender’s retirement.  Although far from a brilliant pommel worker, he is stronger there than several of the top contenders for this team, and his strong, reliable, contribution on rings is likely to outweigh other gymnasts’ potential advantages over him because of pommel.

Cons:  Haagensen has not competed in nearly ten months and recently withdrew from the men’s national qualifier in early July because he is still coming back from shoulder surgery.  Haagensen’s worth to the team could be deflated considerably if Kevin Tan is to return to his former form on rings.  Tan, whose potential is sizably higher than that of Haagensen on rings, was also a midway decent pommel worker back in 2008.  A Kevin Tan in fighting form on those two events in Hartford will make Haagensen’s case to make the world team a weak one.  Adding that with Chris Cameron’s ability on pommel and rings would completely negate Haagensen’s chances for a second world team.

Outlook:  Kevin Tan’s status is completely up in the air on rings, but he was relatively adequate at Winter Cup on pommel horse the first day, only to crash and burn on the second.  Although Haagensen’s all-around strength will help him if he and Tan are even to the bone on pommel/rings in Hartford, it isn’t entirely necessary when the rest of the U.S. team is likely to have up a number of decent all-arounders.  However, with three pommel spots to fill, it can be argued that Tan is the only gymnast standing in the way of Haagensen making the world team, assuming that Haagensen is in top form for Nationals.  Two high profile gymnasts competing at the Championships, Steven Legendre and Danell Leyva, actually find themselves in very tough positions for making the team.  Both men have two great events apiece (Legendre-FX/VT, Leyva-PB/HB), but their strongest events can already be covered by other athletes, athletes such as Brooks, Horton, and Ruggeri who can contribute on four-five events in team finals.  Thus, Haagensen’s world team chances are very much alive.  His competitive story will be one of the most interesting in Hartford, as he has been out of competition for so long, something that Tan, perhaps Haagensen’s top rival for a ticket to Rotterdam, can say as well.

Joey Hagerty on PB at 2009 Winter Cup

Overview:  Joey Hagerty came out of nowhere to deliver strong performances at both the 2008 U.S. Nationals and Olympic Trials to make the Olympic team even before the Hamm twins withdrew.  However, after contributing to the team’s bronze medal and placing 3rd individually at the Tyson American Cup, Hagerty has slipped back under the radar.  A weak, unusually inconsistent performance at last year’s Visa Championships prevented him from being named to the world team, and he was even passed over for an alternate position.  Hagerty had not competed this year until the recent national elite qualifier, where he displayed little brilliance on the three events (FX, VT, and HB) that he competed on.

Pros:  Hagerty is a clean gymnast and is one of only three athletes competing in Hartford to have Olympic experience.  The 28-year-old will be one of the oldest and most experienced gymnasts competing at the Championships, and his admirable work on floor, parallel bars, and high bar should give the selection committee something else to think about when selecting the team.  Hagerty was rock solid throughout the Olympic selection process, when he was considered a complete underdog to make the team.  Having not performed well since the Games, Hagerty has little pressure on him to do well at this competition, and he proved two years ago that being the underdog can do wonders for his gymnastics.

Cons:  Although Hagerty is an Olympian and someone who is fairly ancient in gymnastics years, it is easy to forget that he has never competed at a World Championships.  The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist had far less glamorous results than that prior to the Olympic year, and while he managed some strong results in the earlier part of 2009, his showing at Nationals gave the selection committee little reason to send him to Worlds.  Hagerty’s scores of 14.8 on floor and 14.5 on high bar at the National Qualifier meet, although not terrible, are not going to give him any hope of even attaining an alternate position for Worlds.  Having not competed much this year, Hagerty will have to perform brilliantly at this event to even have a meager chance of making the team.

Outlook:  Hagerty has not had a great competition in over a year, thus making it probable that his best days are behind him.  A flash in the pan would describe Hagerty, whose success in 2008 has not been reiterated much elsewhere throughout his career.  Hagerty’s no-show record at Worlds is doubtful to change this year, with so many other men being given international assignments and making good use of them.  Even a peaked Hagerty would have a difficult time making the team, as there are other men who can perform to Hagerty’s ability on his strengths (FX, PB, and HB) while contributing elsewhere as well.

Jonathan Horton on HB at 2010 Tyson American Cup

Overview:  All knew Jonathan Horton was talented leading up to the 2008 Olympics, but no one expected him to lead the team quite the way he did.  After the Hamm twins’ withdrawals, the press had a field day with how the American men had virtually no chance for a medal.  Horton decided to take matters in his own hands, delivering a stunning display of gymnastics in the team finals to take home the bronze medal.  He would go on to ad-lib a high bar routine in event finals that he won the silver medal for, which many, including gold medalist Zou Kai, felt might have deserved gold.  Horton’s true return to competition at last year’s Visa Championships proved successful, as he won his first U.S. all-around title.  However, the World Championships would prove to be a cruel competition for the reigning U.S. Champion.  Horton got by in prelims, but catastrophe loomed.  A dreadful performance in all-around finals caused Horton to finish 17th, and, just to top it off, Horton finished dead last in event finals with a routine that contained two falls.

So far this year, the 24-year-old has performed decently at the Tyson American Cup and at the French International in Paris.  However, according to Scapegoat on WWGYM, Horton sustained several injuries prior to the Japan Cup.  In addition to spraining his big toe, Horton had several bone chips floating around his foot and had been told that foot surgery would be required.  Horton withdrew from the all-around in Tokyo, clouding uncertainty for his ability to perform well in Hartford.

Pros:  Horton is an extremely strong, dynamic gymnast who takes advantage of his miniscule 5’1’’ frame to explode up into the air and complete tricks with little apparent effort at all.  The two-time Olympic medalist is fearless and is always a crowd favorite, with his suspension on high bar and immense power on floor and vault.  With the exception of pommel horse, Horton has the ability to compete on every event in team finals, making him a near lock for the World team.  Horton’s contributions to the team are so great that he is perhaps the only athlete competing in Hartford who can still be named the team even if he is not 100% healthy and performing well.  Horton’s experience is vast, with four years of NCAA, three World Championships, two Olympic Trials, and an Olympic Games all behind him.

Cons:  Horton, who has been doing gymnastics for 20 years now, surely has realized that his pommel set is simply never going to be strong, or even adequate.  Horton’s stocky frame may prevent him from doing difficult skills on pommel, but it has other disadvantages as well.  Horton is far from the most flexible gymnast out there, and certain skills that he performs are not great aesthetically.  The reigning U.S. Champion is someone who can lose his rhythm just as easily as he gains it.  If a competition begins poorly for Horton, it is doubtful to ever end well.  At last year’s Worlds, a relatively weak prelim session escalated into one of the worst competitions Horton has had in memory, and a potential opportunity for redemption in event finals was more than wasted.  Horton, being the defending champion, has much more pressure at this competition than younger athletes who are all hungry for their first U.S. all-around titles.

Outlook:  Despite his performances at Worlds, Horton’s showings at American Cup and French International would have made him the certain favorite for gold in Hartford.  However, injuries put his abilities at these Championships into question.  Despite this, the committee has every reason to name Horton to the World team even if he is not in top form at these Championships because of his potential contributions.  Injuries could be a blessing in disguise for Horton, as he will be forced to not repeat last year’s pattern of getting into shape quickly before Nationals and burning out before Worlds.  While the team needs Horton more than anything for a medal in Rotterdam, he needs his team more than anything also.  Team competitions motivate Horton unlike any other, and that motivation is actually what gives him individual success as well.  It is no coincidence that the only time (being the 2008 Olympics) Horton has won a major individual medal was preceded by winning his only major team medal as well.  Horton may not end something well that doesn’t start well, but the competitions where he has his mojo from the beginning are the competitions where he is likely to keep it to the end.  A team atmosphere, something Horton hasn’t experienced on a world stage since the Olympics, could be what gets that mojo back.

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According to Yul’s dad, Shaw, he had an atypical early aptitude for gymnastics.  At 18 months, Yul rode his little Radio Flyer around the house at breakneck speed, making his mom very nervous.  He was constantly jumping off of things, which ultimately forced his parents’ hand.  Because Yul grew up on a farm, his parents promised to buy him a big turkey for his birthday.  Imagine Yul’s disappointment when Shaw unloaded a trampoline from his truck instead of a large bird!  We know he eventually got over that.

At age 7, Yul enrolled in a free workout at a local gym, which led very quickly to a spot on the team.  The next year, Yul’s private workouts with Raleigh Wilson inspired him.  Wilson challenged him to write down a set of goals for the following four years.  Yul has met each goal on schedule.  He ended up at 5280 at age 10 and placed 7th at Future Stars.  The following year he qualified for JOs after winning the State meet and finishing 2nd at Regionals.  Yul maintained his momentum in 2009 as he won State, Regionals and earned his first spot on the Junior National Team by placing 12th at JO Nationals.

He likes helping with engineering and carpentry projects in the house, and he gets a kick out of driving the tractor around the family’s nearby farm, tending to the many animals.  Yul has grown up surrounded by horses, goats, chickens, turtles, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and ducks.  Although he is a farm boy, he loves his hot, spicy Thai food.  Still, his first love is gymnastics, and he trains about 22 hours a week.  5280 offers a very interesting school program that allows their gymnasts to work out in the morning, buses them to public school, and then back to gym in the afternoon.  So devoted is he to his training that he doesn’t like anything to delay his return to the gym.  5280’s program seems to be tailored perfectly for this young, up-and-coming star.

StickItMedia had the recent pleasure of interviewing Yul Moldauer:

SiM:  What has it been like training at 5280 for all these years?

Yul:  5280 is an incredible gym.  It is set up well and has all the equipment anyone could want.  It is also the best private gym for meets.  Home meets are always fun.  It is inspirational watching Sasha train and having older boys doing harder skills.  Vladimir and Irina are the best coaches and they are also my best friends.  All of the staff is great.  The Trammells, the owners of the gym, have been really supportive of me and my family.

SiM:  What favorite stories about Sasha Artemev can you tell us?

Yul:  I’ve enjoyed doing demonstrations with Sasha for the Olympic Committee, at basketball games and at collegiate gymnastics meets, and it is always fun to do flairs with him.  He is a close friend and also a great coach and has always helped me with skills especially on pommel horse.

SiM:  
What have been the hardest things about remaining highly competitive?

Gym is fun and I just have to go.  I always train hard and try to do what my coach asks quickly.  I don’t have any trouble ever being motivated to train or compete.  I look forward to competitions with talented gymnasts.

SiM:  
 
What are your most challenging events, and why?

Yul:  Although I like Pommel Horse, Parallel Bars, and High Bar, I feel as though I have a pretty competent all-around performance.  Because of my small size, I have to really punch hard.

SiM:  What are your goals for next season?

Yul: I’d like to be competitive as a level 10 and make VISAs and the national team.

SiM:  
What are your goals for the next four years?

Yul:  I think that international competition would be something that I would enjoy.  If I could qualify for Worlds or the Olympics, that would be an honor.  I keep my grades up because I would like to compete at the collegiate level.

SiM:  Who are your role models, and why?

Yul:  My role models are my family, my coaches, Sasha and the older boys in the gym.  Vladimir and Irina are really good at their jobs and the other gymnasts are doing skills that I need to learn and they are helpful and supportive of their teammates.  We all go out of our way to cheer for our team, even if they are in different sessions or at meets where we don’t compete.

SiM:  
What were the highlights of your recent week of training at the OTC?

Yul:  
The coaching and training was great, but the best parts are the OTC cafeteria food and the play time.

SiM:  
What is the best advice you’ve ever received, and why?

Yul:  My Dad once told me to “don’t talk, show.”  I think this is the best advice because it has helped me be humble about my gymnastics and the rest of my life.  I really don’t spend much time talking about gymnastics at all.

SiM:  
What are your favorite things to do other than gymnastics?

Yul:  Sleeping on the floor, sleepovers, airsoft, legos, animals, bikes, basketball, and driving go karts and tractors.

SiM:  
If you were king for a day, what things would you do to increase interest in the sport of men’s gymnastics?

Yul:  I hope that what I do will be inspirational to others and cause them to want to compete.  I think that part of the problem with gymnastics is that people who aren’t in the sport can’t see what we are doing.  It all happens too fast.  If I were king for a day, I’d institute slow motion playback at national meets.

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

Yul:  Working with my coaches and friends and learning a new skill.

** Photo courtesy of Champion Images **

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Danell Leyva was asked about his decision to train at home (Universal Gymnastics) with his Dad (Yin Alvarez) instead of competing at the collegiate level.  He mentioned the fact that he had received money and determined that it would be more comfortable for him to train in a familiar environment.  Leyva also discussed why he decided to drop out of the Japan Cup.  He thought it was too soon after his recent competitions at the French International and Pacific Rim Championships.  Also, he thought his performance at the Qualifier was a great tune-up for VISAs.  Leyva was ebullient and gracious when asked about his friendly rivalry with Horton and Brooks on high bar, admitting that "Horton probably has a higher start value."  He was very steadfast when stating that he definitely sees his future as an all-arounder and not a specialist.

Horton was his usual upbeat self commenting on Hamm’s return and the current state of men’s gymnastics.  Upon hearing the news about Hamm, he said he got "pumped and amped-up" about how Hamm’s return would energize the team.  Asked about the team’s goal for 2012, he reiterated that the team’s goal has never changed, as far as he’s concerned, since he has been a member of the National Team.  "We expect to be able to compete well enough to make it to the top of the podium."

Horton was very excited about the high level of talent in both the junior and senior ranks.  He said he can’t recall ever seeing so much talent on all six events.  He is amazed at what many of the younger guys are doing now, especially on floor, pommel horse, rings and vault.  When asked about the situation at Cal, he was very concerned and agreed that Title IX needs to be reformed to address Olympic sports like men’s gymnastics and wrestling.  Finally, he lamented the lack of television coverage for men’s gymnastics and thought that broadcasting JO Nationals and additional meets would be good ideas to help increase popularity of the sport.  Horton said he’d love to sit at a table full of marketing gurus to figure out a way to better promote the sport.

Check out this video of Hamm taken two months ago.

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Current Junior National Team member Jake Dastrup, a Level 10 (14-15), easily qualified for the Senior Division field.  Dastrup placed 17th AA (79.80) and garnered plenty of points (28) to earn his way to Hartford.  Cypress’ Dylan Akers was the only other current clubber to qualify as a Senior.  Rounding out the top 5 in the Senior Division were Alexy Bilozertchev (85.85) and Andrew Elkind (86.90).  The top qualifiers for the Junior Division were Potemski, Kevin Baker (80.80), Alex Bubnov (80.00), Joe Peters (79.75) and Cale Robinson (79.35).

Yesterday’s Qualifier, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, was the final qualifying event for the 2010 U.S. Championships that will be held August 10-14 in Hartford, CT.

Senior Division

1. Jesse Silverstein (USDGC) - 88.10 (96)
2. Alex Buscaglia (Stanford) - 86.30 (82)
3. Danell Leyva (Universal) - 87.70 (77)
4. Alexy Bilozertchev (USOTC) - 85.85 (74)
5. Andrew Elkind (USOTC) - 86.90 (70)
6. Kyson Bunthuwong (Golden Bear) - 86.30 (68)
7. Thomas Kelley (Michigan) - 83.65 (58)
8. Dylan Akers (Cypress) - 84.50 (58)
9. Bryan Del Castillo (Cal) - 84.40 (50)
10. Daniel Ribeiro (Illinois) - 58.10 (44)

Junior Division

1. Daniel Potemski (Cypress) - 82.50
2. Kevin Baker (Queen City) - 80.80  &  Wyatt Aycock (Orlando Metro) -80.80
3. Alex Bubnov (Surgent’s Elite) - 80.80
4. Joe Peters (Parkettes) - 79.75
5. Cale Robinson (Premier) - 79.35
6. Michael Strathern (Bartlett’s) - 79.30
7. Nicholas Hunter (Gym World) - 78.85
8. Spencer Smith (Metropolitan) - 78.65
9. Kevin Ko (Golden Bear) - 78.45

Click here for complete results.

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