INDIANAPOLIS, May 14, 2012 - Defending U.S. all-around champion Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton HHonors (Universal Gymnastics), who is also the 2011 World parallel bars champion, headlines the men's field for the 2012 Visa Championships, June 7-10, in St. Louis, Mo., at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University. Performances at the Visa Championships will determine who advances to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in San Jose, Calif., where the U.S. Olympic team will be determined.

 

The entire 2011 World Championships team, which won the team bronze medal, is expected to compete: Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Gymnastics), Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (University of Oklahoma); Leyva; Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton HHonors (USA Youth Fitness Center); John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center); and Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Gymnastics), alternate.

 

Also expected to compete are five members of the 2011 Pan American Games bronze medal team: Donothan Bailey of Lake Forest, Calif./University of California – Berkeley; C.J. Maestas of Corrales, N.M./University of Illinois; Sho Nakamori of Albany, Calif./Stanford University; Paul Ruggeri of Manlius, N.Y/University of Illinois; and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J./Team Hilton HHonors (Ohio State University).

 

The 2011 senior U.S. individual event champions in the field are: Dalton, floor exercise and vault; Naddour, pommel horse; Wynn, still rings; and Leyva, parallel bars and high bar.

 

2008 U.S. all-around champion David Sender of Arlington Heights, Ill./Team Hilton HHonors (University of Illinois), is also expected to compete.

 

The senior men field breaks down into 43 senior athletes, representing 15 states. The complete senior field is listed below. The men compete on June 7 and 9.  The junior men’s field will be announced following the conclusion of the 2012 P&G U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships, May 10-13, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

The senior men qualified for the Visa Championships via several different avenues: a member of the current senior national team; based on all around results or video petition from the 2012 NCAA Championships; or based on approved points results from the U.S. Men's Qualifier.

 

The 2012 Visa Championships, USA Gymnastics' national championships, features the country's best gymnasts vying for national titles and spots on the U.S. National Team in men's, women's and rhythmic gymnastics. NBC Sports and Universal Sports will broadcast and webcast the action live from the men's and women's gymnastics competitions.

 

Tickets for the four-day event are on sale now, with individual session tickets, as well as multi- and all-session ticket packages. For group sales, contact 314-977-5008. In recognition of Visa's sponsorship of USA Gymnastics, USA Gymnastics is proud to accept only Visa at the 2012 Visa Championships, along with cash. For ticket and event information, go to www.usagym.org/visa.

 

The U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics are set for June 28-July 1 at the HP Pavilion at San Jose (Calif.). The Trials’ competition schedule is:  men – June 28 at 2 p.m. and June 30 at 12 p.m.; and women – June 29 and July 1 at 5:30 p.m.  All times are for the Pacific time zone.  The five men and women who will represent the United States in men’s and women’s gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games in London will be determined at the Trials, subject to the approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s board of directors. 

 

Background information

·       Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University. Chaifetz Arena (TheChaifetzArena.com) is a 10,600-seat multipurpose venue on the campus of Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. Chaifetz Arena is the home to the Saint Louis University Billikens Men’s and Women’s Basketball and 150 concerts, family shows and special events per year. The $81-million arena opened in April 2008 and features a 20,000 square foot event floor, 14 suites, two party decks, two multi-purpose rooms, and a 4,700 square foot club on the event floor. Global Spectrum (global-spectrum.com) manages Chaifetz Arena, as well as more than 100 other public assembly facilities around the world. Nearly 20-million people attended more than 11,000 events in Global Spectrum venues last year. Based in Philadelphia, Pa., Global Spectrum is part of Comcast-Spectacor, one of the world's largest sports and entertainment companies. Comcast-Spectacor also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, Paciolan, the leading provider of venue establishment ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions, Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company, and Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks.

·       St. Louis Sports Commission.  The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately funded nonprofit organization that makes St. Louis a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports.  Its efforts focus on attracting, creating and managing major sporting events for the St. Louis region – and contributing to its quality of life.  Since its inception in 1989, the organization has produced a diverse lineup of high-profile events that excite area sports fans, generate revenue for the region and garner positive exposure for St. Louis.  The Sports Commission hosted the Visa Championships in 2000 and has played integral roles in other recent Olympic events staged in St. Louis.  A catalyst for civic benefit, economic development and charitable good, the Sports Commission has been recognized as a leader in its industry and its community.

·       USA Gymnastics. 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 s​port. Its disciplines include men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.

Senior men's field for the 2012 Visa Championships

Listed by alphabetically by state

As of May 8; subject to change

 

Arizona

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

 

California

Donothan Bailey, Lake Forest, Calif., University of California – Berkeley

Alexander Buscaglia, Stanford, Calif., Stanford University

Adrian De Los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif., University of Michigan

Joshua Dixon, San Jose, Calif., U.S. Olympic Training Center Gymnastics

Jesse Glenn, Northridge, Calif., SCATS Gymnastics

Glen Ishino, Santa Ana, Calif., University of California – Berkeley

Steven Lacombe, Mission Viejo, Calif., University of California _ Berkeley

Masayoshi Mori, Irvine, Calif., University Of Illinois

Sho Nakamori, Albany, Calif., Champions Academy

 

Colorado

Wyatt Baier, Denver, Colo., University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Andrew Elkind, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S.O.T.C. Gymnastics

 

Florida

Danell Leyva, Miami, Fla., Universal Gymnastics Inc.

Jake Martin, Ovieda, Fla., U.S.O.T.C. Gymnastics

Edward Mesa, Cooper City, Fla., Universal Gymnastics Inc.

 

Illinois

Craig Hernandez, Libertyville, Ill., Penn State University Gymnastics

Ryan Lieberman, Lake Forest, Ill., Stanford University

Matthew Loochtan, Hawthorne Woods, Ill., Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center

David Sender, Arlington Heights, Ill., University of Illinois

 

Massachusetts

Matthew Felleman, Medway, Mass., Penn State University Gymnastics

 

Michigan

Samuel Mikulak, Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Michigan

Daniel Zerbel, Portage, Mich., University of Illinois – Chicago

 

New Jersey

Makenzie Dow, Cranford, N.J., Penn State University Gymnastics

Brandon Wynn, Voorhees, N.J., The Ohio State University

 

New Mexico

C.J. Maestas, Corrales, N.M., University of Illinois

 

New York

Steven Legendre, Port Jefferson, N.Y., Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y., U.S.O.T.C. Gymnastics

Eddie Penev, Penfield, N.Y., Stanford University

Paul Ruggeri, Manlius, N.Y., University of Illinois

Jesse Silverstein, Spring Valley, N.Y., U.S. Gymnastics Development Center II

 

Nevada

Jake Dalton, Reno, Nevada, University of Oklahoma

 

Ohio

Kristofer Done, Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio State University

Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio, Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center

Miguel Pineda, Galloway, Ohio, Penn State University Gymnastics

 

Pennsylvania

Scott Rosenthal, State College, Pa., Penn State University Gymnastics

Sean Senters, Center Valley, Pa., Stanford University

 

Tennessee

Alexander Tighe, Mountain City, Tenn., Philadelphia Boys Gym & Temple University

 

Texas

Dylan Akers, Kingwood, Texas, University of Oklahoma

Christopher Brooks, Houston, Texas, Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Randall Heflin, Houston, Texas, Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Eric Schryver, Richardson, Texas, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Washington

Zachary Chase, Woodinville, Wash., University Of Minnesota