2018 GK U.S. Classic senior and junior all-around champions Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, and Leanne Wong of Overland Park, Kansas/Great American Gymnastics Express, respectively, are expected to compete at the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the national championships for men’s and women’s gymnastics, at Boston’s TD Garden. Scheduled for August 16-19, 2018, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, part of the Team USA Summer Champions Series, presented by Xfinity, features the country’s best gymnasts vying for national titles and national team berths.
Reigning World all-around champion Morgan Hurd of Middletown, Del./First State Gymnastics, 2017 U.S. all-around champion and 2016 Olympic alternate Ragan Smith of Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, and 2017 World vault and floor exercise silver-medalist Jade Carey of Phoenix, Ariz./Arizona Sunrays, are also among the 49 senior and junior women who will compete in Boston.
Last weekend, Biles kicked off her return to competitive gymnastics at the GK U.S. Classic, where she won the all-around, balance beam and floor titles. It was the first time she had competed since her record-setting performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, which included winning the team, all-around, vault and floor exercise gold and balance beam bronze medals, as well as becoming the first U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
Also at the 2018 GK U.S. Classic, Riley McCusker of Brielle, N.J./MG Elite, won the uneven bars gold and all-around silver medals. Hurd rounded out the top three in the senior all-around, and Carey won the vault gold.
Other members of the U.S. National Team competing as seniors are: Jordan Chiles of Vancouver, Washington/Naydenov; Audrey Davis of Frisco, Texas/WOGA; Kara Eaker of Grain Valley, Missouri/GAGE; Margzetta Frazier of Sicklerville, New Jersey/UCLA; Adeline Kenlin of Iowa City, Iowa/IGN; Emma Malabuyo of Flower Mound, Texas/Texas Dreams; Grace McCallum of Isanti, Minnesota/Twin City Twisters; Maile O'Keefe of Las Vegas, Nevada/Salcianu Elite; and Trinity Thomas of York, Pennsylvania/Prestige.
For the juniors, Kayla DiCello of Boyds, Md./Hill’s Gymnastics, finished behind Wong in the all-around, and Jordan Bowers of Lincoln, Neb./Solid Rock Gymnastics, was third at the GK U.S. Classic. The junior event champions were: Wong – vault and floor; DiCello, uneven bars; and Sunisa Lee of St. Paul, Minn./Midwest Gymnastics Center, balance beam. Wong is also the only junior woman hoping to defend her 2017 U.S. junior title (vault). The junior field also features three additional National Team members: Sydney Barros of Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams; JaFree Scott of Independence, Missouri/GAGE; and Tori Tatum of Chanhassen, Minnesota/Twin City Twisters.
The complete women’s field is listed below, by state.
Event information: Single-session, multi-session and all-session ticket packages are still available. All prices are per ticket or ticket package and vary in price due to location and session.
Single-session tickets, Aug. 16-19: Single-session tickets range in price from $29-$300.
Women’s Gymnastics Day One Package, Aug. 17: both junior and senior sessions, $89-$159.
Women’s Gymnastics Final Day Package, Aug. 19: both junior and senior sessions, $99-$169.
Men’s Gymnastics Package, Aug. 16 and 18: all men’s junior and senior sessions, $89-$139.
Senior Finals Package, Aug. 18-19: senior men’s and senior women’s sessions, $109-$149.
All-session Package, Aug. 16-19: includes every competitive session with prices ranging from $225 to $725. The platinum all-session package includes VIP seating, an Olympian meet-and-greet, and a commemorative gift.
Tickets maybe be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000 or at TD Garden’s Box Office. Group tickets are currently available through TD Garden’s Group Sales Department by calling (617) 624-1805. Discounted tickets are available through local gymnastics clubs that are participating in the gym club ticket program.
The four-day competition schedule, which is subject to change, is outlined below. All times are Eastern.
Thursday, August 16: Men’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7:30 p.m., seniors
Friday, August 17: Women’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7:30 p.m., seniors
Saturday, August 18: Men’s gymnastics – 10:30 a.m., juniors, and 3:30 p.m., seniors
Sunday, August 19: Women’s gymnastics – 1:30 p.m., juniors, and 7:30 p.m., seniors
The championships determines the men’s and women’s U.S. champions and U.S. National Teams for the junior and senior elite levels. The championships also will serve as part of the selection process for the U.S. Team for the 2018 World Championships.
2017 U.S. all-around and two-time American Cup champion Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colorado/University of Oklahoma; two-time Olympian and four-time U.S. all-around champion Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; and 2016 U.S. Olympic team alternate Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center, headline the senior men’s field Three gymnasts are hoping to defend their senior 2017 U.S. titles: Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee, Wisconsin/Salto Gymnastics, still rings and horizontal bar (tie); Akash Modi of Morganville, New Jersey/Stanford University, parallel bars; and Moldauer, all-around and floor exercise. The U.S. Senior National Team members expected to compete are: Donothan Bailey of Mission Viejo, California/U.S. Olympic Training Center; Allan Bower of Chandler, Arizona/University of Oklahoma; Kimble; Sean Melton of Orlando, Florida/Ohio State University; Mikulak; Modi; Moldauer; Whittenburg; Shane Wiskus of Spring Park, Minnesota/University of Minnesota; and Alec Yoder of Indianapolis /Ohio State University.
The men’s junior field includes four 2018 junior elite champions: Brandon Briones of Gilbert, Arizona/Aspire Kids Sports Center, all-around, still rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar (17-18); John Chou of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, all-around and pommel horse (15-16); Vitaliy Guimaraes of Arvada, Colorado/University of Oklahoma, floor exercise (17-18); and Riley Loos of El Dorado Hills, California/Technique Gymnastics, floor exercise, pommel horse and vault (17-18). Members of the U.S. Junior National Team entered to compete in Boston are: Justin Ah Chow of Miami /Universal Gymnastics; Lazarus Barnhill of Houston/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; Garrett Braunton of Olympia, Washington/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics; Briones; Chou; Guimaraes; Bennet Huang of Palo Alto, California/University of Iowa; Paul Juda of Deerfield, Illinois/Buffalo Grove Gymnastics; Loos; Kevin Penev of Penfield, New York/University of Michigan; Colt Walker of Cedar Park, Texas/AcroTex Gymnastics; and Dylan Young of Burbank, California/Wallers GymJam Academy.
The 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships is part of the 2018 Team USA Summer Champions Series, presented by Xfinity. The champions series showcases numerous Olympic sports throughout the season, highlighting the year-round quest of Team USA athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.
Smith and Moldauer won the women’s and men’s 2017 U.S. all-around titles, respectively. The roster of former U.S. all-around champions is a veritable who's who of gymnastics, including: women – Simone Biles, Jordyn Wieber, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton; and men – Sam Mikulak, Jonathan Horton, Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, Peter Vidmar and Bart Conner. The U.S. Gymnastics Championships traces its history back to 1897 for the men and 1931 for the women.
While Boston played host to the 2008 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Championships, 2018 marks the event’s debut at the TD Garden and the first time Boston has staged the national championships for both men’s and women’s gymnastics. In addition, Boston was the site for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials and several post-Olympic gymnastics tour events.
For more information, go to usgymchampionships.com.
Background
TD Garden. TD Garden, owned and operated by Delaware North, first opened its doors to the public on September 30, 1995. In the 20-plus years since, the venue has generated more than $365 million in direct economic impact to the Greater Boston region from its major national events alone, not including its high-profile Bruins and Celtics tenants. The arena has played host to countless marquee events, including the Democratic National Convention, NHL All-Star Game, NCAA Frozen Fours, NCAA Women’s Final Four, U.S. Olympic Trials - Gymnastics, U.S. Figure Skating Championships and ISU World Figure Skating Championships among others. Delaware North, owner and operator of TD Garden, is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos.
Team USA Champions Series. The Team USA Champions Series, presented by Xfinity, is composed of both a summer and winter season, showcasing elite U.S. athletes year-round through broadcasts on NBC, NBCSN, and the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA. America’s elite athletes are always in season. The champions series was created to help showcase their year-round quest to make Team USA and compete at the Olympic Games.
USA Gymnastics. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that empowers and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has already taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its safe sport policies and procedures. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to usagym.org.
Women’s field for the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Listed alphabetically by state, indicates competition level
Arizona
Jade Carey, Phoenix, Arizona/Arizona Sunrays, senior
California
Ciena Alipio, San Jose, California/West Valley Gymnastics, junior
Claire Dean, Piedmont, California/Head Over Heels, junior
Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Woodland Hills, California/Paramount Elite, junior
Brenna Neault, Rancho Cucamonga, California/Precision, junior
Ui Soma, Belmont, California/San Mateo, junior
Madelyn Williams, Vacaville, California/San Mateo, senior
Colorado
Alyona Shchennikova, Evergreen, Colorado/5280, senior
Delaware
Morgan Hurd, Middletown, Delaware/First State, senior
Iowa
Adeline Kenlin, Iowa City, Iowa/IGN, senior
Kansas
Leanne Wong, Overland Park, Kansas/GAGE, junior
Maryland
Kayla Di Cello, Boyds, Maryland/Hill's Gymnastics, junior
Maddie Johnston, Boyds, Maryland/Hill's Gymnastics, senior
Sydney Morris, Bowie, Maryland/First State, junior
Minnesota
Sunisa Lee, St. Paul, Minnesota/Midwest Gymnastics Center, junior
Grace McCallum, Isanti, Minnesota/Twin City Twisters, senior
Tori Tatum, Chanhassen, Minnesota/Twin City Twisters, junior
Missouri
Kara Eaker, Grain Valley, Missouri/GAGE, senior
Aleah Finnegan, Lee's Summit, Missouri/GAGE, junior
Alexis Jeffrey, Warrensburg, Missouri/GAGE, junior
JaFree Scott, Independence, Missouri/GAGE, junior
Nebraska
Jordan Bowers, Lincoln, Nebraska/Solid Rock, junior
Nevada
Kailin Chio, Henderson, Nevada/Gymcats, junior
Selena Harris, Henderson, Nevada/Gymcats, junior
Maile O'Keefe, Las Vegas, Nevada/Salcianu Elite, senior
New Jersey
Olivia Dunne, Hillsdale, New Jersey/ENA Paramus, senior
Margzetta Frazier, Sicklerville, New Jersey/UCLA, senior
Zoe Gravier, Holmdel, New Jersey/MG Elite, junior
Riley McCusker, Brielle, New Jersey/MG Elite, senior
New York
Olivia Greaves, Staten Island, New York/MG Elite, junior
Ohio
Shania Adams, Plain City, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, senior
Shilese Jones, Westerville, Ohio/Future Gymnastics Academy, senior
Lilly Lippeatt, Mason, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, junior
Pennsylvania
Trinity Thomas, York, Pennsylvania/Prestige, senior
Texas
Sydney Barros, Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams, junior
Simone Biles, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, senior
Skye Blakely, Frisco, Texas/WOGA, junior
Sloane Blakely, Frisco, Texas/WOGA, senior
Luisa Blanco, Little Elm, Texas/WOGA, senior
Sophia Butler, Houston, Texas/Discover, junior
Audrey Davis, Frisco, Texas/WOGA, senior
Karis German, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, junior
Jaylene Gilstrap, McKinney, Texas/Metroplex, senior
Emma Malabuyo, Flower Mound, Texas/Texas Dreams, senior
Katelyn Rosen, Boerne, Texas/Mavericks at Artemovs, junior
Ragan Smith, Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams, senior
Deanne Soza, Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams, senior
Washington
Jordan Chiles, Vancouver, Washington/Naydenov, senior
West Virginia
Konnor McClain, Cross Lanes, West Virginia/Revolution, junior
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