Four 2016 Olympians Expected to Compete in 2017 Winter Cup Challenge

Four members of the 2016 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team are expected to compete at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas, Feb. 16-18, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort. Performances at the 2017 Winter Cup will determine 15 members of the 2017 U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2017 P&G Gymnastics Championships, Aug. 17-20, in Anaheim, Calif.

The members of the 2016 Olympic Team slated to compete in Vegas are: Chris Brooks of Houston/U.S. Olympic Training Center; Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; and Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center. Mikulak, a four-time U.S. all-around champion and two-time Olympian, is the defending Winter Cup champion. 2016 Olympic alternates Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University, and Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center, are also in the field. Three-time World medalist and 2012 Olympian John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, who was originally named to the 2016 Olympic team but had to withdraw with an injury, has also registered to compete.

The field also includes 2013 World floor exercise silver medalist and 2011 World team bronze medalist Steve Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./University of Oklahoma; 2016 Pacific Rim team and vault gold medalist Eddie Penev of Rochester, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center; and 2015 Pan American Games team & pommel horse champion Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee, Wis./U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Other senior national team members registered for the 2017 Winter Cup Challenge are: Donothan Bailey of Lake Forest, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Sean Melton of Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University; Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma; and Kanji Oyama of Huntington Beach, Calif./University of Oklahoma.

Performances at the 2017 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 15 men who will comprise the U.S. Men's Senior National Team through the 2017 P&G Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 17-20. Following the two-day competition, the top four ranked all-around athletes will automatically qualify for the 2017 senior national team. The Men’s Program Committee will select up to eleven more gymnasts from the participants at the Winter Cup Challenge. The members of the 2016 Olympic team, plus the alternates, will automatically retain their spots on the national team provided they earn National Points on both days of competition.

The top 42 gymnasts, according to the all-around placements and Men's Program Committee's points ranking system, will advance to the final competition, along with the top three gymnasts on each apparatus. The all-around and individual event champions will be determined via a combined two-day score. For information on the points ranking system used for advancement to the final round, as well as the one for determining the national team, go to www.usagym.org.

The Winter Cup competition schedule is: preliminary rounds, Feb. 16 - 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.; and final round, Feb. 18 at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $25 for Feb. 16 (both sessions) and Feb. 18 (finals), with an all-event pass for $50 (which also includes access to the Black Jack Invitational). Tickets may be purchased on site on the afternoon of Feb. 15 and on both competition days. The Winter Cup format has junior and senior gymnasts competing in the same field.

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, acrobatic gymnastics, and group gymnastics (known internationally as Gymnastics for All). For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.

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Athlete roster for 2017 Winter Cup Challenge

(Alphabetical by state, then last name)

Arizona

Allan Bower, Mesa, Ariz./University of Oklahoma

Brandon Briones, Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center

Angel Leon, Tucson, Ariz./Gymnastics World Central

Brett Miller, Tucson, Ariz./Gymnastics World Central

Alex Naddour, Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center

California

Donothan Bailey, Lake Forest, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Jeremy Bischoff, Canyon Country, Calif./Wallers Gym Jam Academy

Cameron Bock, Tustin, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Andrew Botto, Redwood City, Calif./University of Iowa

Julian Brutchin-Roose, Thousand Oaks, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA

Cecilio Garcia, San Gabriel, Calif./Southern California United

Matthew Geuy, Murrieta, Calif./SCEGA

Andrew Herrador, Livermore, Calif./University of Iowa

Riley Loos, El Dorado Hills, Calif./Technique Gymnastics

Sam Mikulak, Newport Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Brandon Ngai, Sacramento, Calif. /University of Illinois

Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./University of Oklahoma

Samuel Phillips, Woodland Hills, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA

Shane Sadighi, Laguna Niguel, Calif./Azarian U.S. Gymnastics Training Center

Nathan Tsuji, Aptos, Calif./University of Washington

Timothy Wang, Riverside, Calif./U.S. Air Force Academy

Jordan Williams, Concord, Calif./Liberty Gymnastics Training Center

Daniel Yoon, Huntington Beach, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics

Colorado

Yul Moldauer, Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma

Florida

Sean Melton, Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University

Travis Wong, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics

Georgia

Justin Ah Chow, Alpharetta, Ga./Universal Gymnastics

Brody Malone, Cedartown, Ga./Cartersville Twisters

Illinois

Max Andryushchenko, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Gymnastics

Grant Breckenridge, Libertyville, Ill./Stanford University

Alex Diab, Glen Ellyn, Ill./University of Illinois

Bailey Perez, Glen Ellyn, Ill./Stanford University

Curran Phillips, Naperville, Ill./Prairie Gymnastics Club

Indiana

Mitchell Brown, Fortville, Ind./University of Michigan

Parker Clayton, Fishers, Ind./DeVeau's School of Gymnastics

Russell Johnson, Indianapolis, Ind./DeVeau's School of Gymnastics

Ellis Mannon, Indianapolis, Ind./University of Minnesota

Alec Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University

Louisiana

Jalon Stephens, Shreveport, La./University of Minnesota

Maryland

Donnell Whittenburg, Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Massachusetts

Addison Chung, Medfield, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy

Peter Daggett, E. Longmeadow, Mass./University of Oklahoma

Michigan

Jacob Moore, West Bloomfield, Mich./Twistars USA Inc.

Minnesota

Shane Wiskus, Spring Park, Minn./Mini-Hops Gymnastics

Nebraska

Christopher Stephenson, Lincoln, Neb./University of Nebraska

Nevada

Emyre Cole, North Las Vegas, Nev./University of Michigan

Jake Dalton, Sparks, Nev./University of Oklahoma

Brennan Pantazis, Sparks, Nev./Gymnastics Nevada

New Hampshire

Nicholas Merryman, Brookline, N.H./University of Iowa

New Jersey

Leroy Clarke, Maplewood, N.J./Pennsylvania State University

Tristan Duran, Franklin Lakes, N.J./University of Minnesota

Evan Hymanson, Morganville, N.J./University of Nebraska

Akash Modi, Morganville, N.J./Stanford University

Favian Valdez, Kearny, N.J./Pennsylvania State University

New York

Dominic DiFulvio, Marietta, N.Y./Pennsylvania State University

Nathan Goff, West Point, N.Y./Army

Steve Legendre, Port Jefferson, N.Y./University of Oklahoma

John Orozco, the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Eddie Penev, Rochester, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Kevin Penev, Rochester, N.Y./Rochester Gymnastics Academy

North Carolina

David Willett, High Point, N.C./High Point Gymnastics Academy

Ohio

Michael Burns, Baltimore, Ohio/Pennsylvania State University

Seth Delbridge, Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University

Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio/Pennsylvania State University

Connor Lewis, Grove City, Ohio/Stanford University

Drew Moling, Canal Winchester, Ohio/Ohio State University

Oklahoma

Jordan Kovach, Chickasha, Okla./Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy

Pennsylvania

Alexander Frack, Nazareth, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center

Joseph Peters, Orefield, Pa./University of Illinois

Jonathan Tang, Malvern, Pa./Navy

Anthony McCallum II, Columbia, S.C./University of Michigan

Texas

Levi Anderson, Spring, Texas/University of Oklahoma

Chris Brooks, Houston, Texas/U.S. Olympic Training Center

Tristan Burke, Royse City, Texas/Ohio State University

John Chou, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Joshua Davis, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics

Ian Gunther, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Hunter Justus, Cypress, Texas/University of Oklahoma

Griffin Kehler, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics

David Pochinka, Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics

Michael Reid, Killeen, Texas/Southlake Gymnastics

Colin Van Wicklen, Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma

Alexei Vernyi, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Matthew Wenske, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma

Joshua Williams, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Utah

Johnny Jacobson, Syracuse, Utah/University of Illinois

Washington

Garrett Braunton, Olympia, Wash./Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Wisconsin

Dmitri Belanovski, Milwaukee, Wis./University of Michigan

Marvin Kimble, Milwaukee, Wis./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Robert Neff, Brookfield, Wis./Stanford University

For more information, please contact:

South CarolinaJennifer Teitell

USA Gymnastics

Content and Communications Manager

Tel: 317.829.5642

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