U.S. Gymnastics National Championships Start Today in Kansas City, MO

Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, is seeking his sixth U.S. all-around title at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 8-11.  Mikulak and 10 of his U.S. Senior National Team teammates are among the 35 men competing in the senior division, and 43 men are competing as juniors.

Mikulak has the opportunity to tie Makoto Sakamoto, who earned his sixth all-around title in 1970.  His senior national teammates in the field are:  Donothan Bailey of Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center; Allan Bower of Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma; Trevor Howard of Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University; Sean Melton of Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University; Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University; Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma; Stephen Nedoroscik of Worcester, Mass./Pennsylvania State University; Genki Suzuki of North Wales, Pa./University of Oklahoma; Colin Van Wicklen of Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma; and Alex Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University. Justin Ah Chow of Miami, Fla./Ohio State University, and Riley Loos of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Technique Gymnastics, are current members of the U.S. Junior National Team who will be competing in the senior division.

Seven members of the U.S. Junior National Team are expected to compete in Kansas City:  Lazarus Barnhill of Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, Level 10/17-19; Taylor Burkhart of Morrison, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16; JR Chou of Cypress, Texas/Stanford Boys Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19; Isaiah Drake of Los Angeles, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, Level 10/15-16; Nicolas Kuebler of Seattle, Wash./Metropolitan Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16; Colt Walker of Cedar Park, Texas/AcroTex Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19; and Khoi Young of Bowie, Md./Sportsplex Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16.

A part of the Team USA Champions Series, the U.S. Championships determines the men’s and women’s U.S. champions and U.S. National Teams for the junior and senior elite levels. The U.S. Championships will serve as part of the selection process for the U.S. Team for the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, in October. 

Single session and five multi-session packages are available.  All ticket prices are plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchased at sprintcenter.com. For groups of 10 or more, contact Sprint Center’s group sales at 816.949.7177.  Discounted tickets are available through local gymnastics clubs participating in the gym club ticket program through July 22 and while supplies last.

·      Women’s Day 1 sessions, Aug. 9:  both junior and senior sessions, $85-$150

·      Women’s Day 2 sessions, Aug. 11: both junior and senior sessions, $99-$165

·      Men’s Day 1 and 2 sessions, Aug. 8 and 10:  all men’s junior and senior sessions, $85-$130

·      Senior men’s and women’s Day 2 sessions, Aug. 10/men and Aug. 11/women:  both men’s and women’s sessions, $95-$140

·      Single session tickets, Aug. 8-11:  range in price from $27-$122, depending on the session and day

·      All-session (all eight competitive sessions), Aug. 8-11:  $200-$550.  Platinum ticket package includes VIP seating, an Olympian meet-and-greet, and a USA Gymnastics gift.

The competition schedule, which is subject to change, for the four days is below.  All times are Central.

·      Thursday, August 8:  Men’s gymnastics – 1 p.m., juniors, and 6:30 p.m., seniors

·      Friday, August 9:  Women’s gymnastics – 1 p.m., juniors, and 6:30 p.m., seniors

·      Saturday, August 10:  Men’s gymnastics – 1 p.m., juniors, and 6:30 p.m., seniors

·      Sunday, August 11:  Women’s gymnastics – 1 p.m., juniors, and 6:30 p.m., seniors

At the 2018 U.S. Championships, both 2016 Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, and two-time Olympian Mikulak won their fifth U.S. women’s and men’s all-around titles, respectively.  Also in 2018, Biles won her fourth World all-around title, as well as the vault and floor gold, uneven bars silver and balance beam bronze medals.  Biles also anchored the U.S. women’s Team that won the team title.  Mikulak brought home his first individual World medal, the horizontal bar bronze.

USA Gymnastics is partnering with the Kansas City Sports Commission for the 2019 event, with support from Visit KC and Sprint Center. This is the first time the event has been in Kansas City since 1987.

The Team USA Champions Series showcases numerous Olympic sports throughout the season, highlighting the year-round quest of Team USA athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.

Sprint Center played host to both the 2012 and 2016 Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions.  Kansas City has also staged other gymnastics events, including the final selection event for trampoline for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The roster of former U.S. all-around champions is a veritable who's who of gymnastics, including: women – Jordyn Wieber, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Courtney Kupets, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Kim Zmeskal and Mary Lou Retton; and men –Jonathan Horton, Paul Hamm, Blaine Wilson, John Roethlisberger, 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.

Additionally, the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center, Aug. 8-11, in conjunction with the championships. The annual USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show provides a valuable opportunity for gymnastics professional around the country to attend educational presentations, as well as a number of live demonstrations, on a variety of topics, including coaching, judging, business, preschool, school-age/recreational, sports science, fitness and safe sport and more.  Attendees also receive admittance to the trade show hall where they can visit vendor booths that provide specific goods and services to the gymnastics community.

Background information

·      Sprint Center. Sprint Center is Kansas City’s home for live entertainment and sporting events. Anchor to more than $6 billion of reinvestment in a revitalized downtown Kansas City, the award winning venue has welcomed more than 11 million guests and generated more than $1.01 billion in economic activity since opening in 2007. Having exceeded attendance and financial projections in each year of operation, Sprint Center annually hosts more than 100 ticketed events and is a unique public/private partnership between AEG and the City of Kansas City, Mo.

·      Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation.  The mission of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation is to drive Kansas City’s overall sports strategy, to enrich the quality of life, create economic impact and raise visibility for our region, with the vision of making a better Kansas City through Sports.  For the latest on Kansas City Sports Commission news, follow on Twitter, Facebook Instagram and YouTube.  Also, follow the Kansas City Marathon presented by Garmin on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. www.sportkc.org.

·      Visit KC.  Visit KC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, Visit KC supports a vital and growing component of the local economy—generating nearly 48,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.

·      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 encourages 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. 

2019 U.S. Championships field for men’s gymnastics

Gymnasts are alphabetical by state.

Arizona

Allan Bower, Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma, senior

California

Donothan Bailey, Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, senior

Jeremy Bischoff, Canyon Country, Calif./Waller's GymJam Academy, Level 10/17-19

Adrian De Los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, senior

Isaiah Drake, Los Angeles, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, Level 10/15-16

Bennet Huang, Palo Alto, Calif./University of Iowa, senior

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

Zachary Martin, Elk Grove, Calif./Elevate Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Samuel Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, senior

Brandon Nguyen, Elk Grove, Calif./Elevate Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, senior

Tyler Shimizu, Newark, Calif./West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Timothy Wang, Riverside, Calif./U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, senior

Colorado

Taylor Burkhart, Morrison, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Noah Giordano, Castle Rock, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Yul Moldauer, Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma, senior

Logan Myers, Morrison, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Connecticut

Luke McFarland, E. Hartford, Conn./Daggett's Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Florida

Justin Ah Chow, Miami, Fla./Ohio State University, senior

Crew Bold, Delray Beach, Fla./University of Minnesota, Level 10/17-19

Steven Lukasik, Lutz, Fla./La Fleur's, Level 10/17-19

Sean Melton, Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University, senior

Illinois

Max Andryushchenko, Mt. Prospect, Ill./Ohio State University, senior

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

Paul Juda, Deerfield, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, senior

Michael Kogan, Vernon Hills, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Maximilian Olinger, Lake Forest, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Michael Paradise, Bartlett, Ill./University of Illinois, senior

Rithik Puri, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Michael Wilner, Park Ridge, Ill./University of Illinois at Chicago, senior

Indiana

Alec Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University, senior

Maryland

Donovan Hewitt, Burtonsville, Md./Ohio State University, Level 10/17-19

Aleksandr Kuzmenchuk, Bowie, Md./Paragon Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

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

Khoi Young, Bowie, Md./Sportsplex Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Massachusetts

Matthew Cormier, Milton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Ian Lasic-Ellis, Dover, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Mitchell Mandozzi, Harvard, Mass./University of Iowa, senior

Stephen Nedoroscik, Worcester, Mass./Pennsylvania State University, senior

Frederick Richard, Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Michigan

Landen Blixt, Fowlerville, Mich./Infinity Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Jacob Moore, W. Bloomfield, Mich./University of Michigan, senior

Minnesota

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

Nevada

Brennan Pantazis, Sparks, Nev./Pennsylvania State University, senior

New Hampshire

Michael Fletcher, Nashua, N.H./University of Illinois, senior

New Jersey

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

New York

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

North Carolina

Stewart Brown, Taylorsville, N.C./University of Iowa, senior

Donte McKinney, Cameron, N.C./University of Minnesota, Level 10/17-19

Ohio

Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio/Pennsylvania State University, senior

Oklahoma

Gage Dyer, Yukon, Okla./University of Oklahoma, senior

Oregon

Zachary Tiderman, Wilsonville, Ore./OMEGA Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Pennsylvania

Genki Suzuki, North Wales, Pa./University of Oklahoma, senior

South Carolina

Zachary English, Duncan, S.C./Palmetto Gymnastics Academy, Level 10/15-16

Tennessee

Ethan Boder, Knoxville, Tenn./GymTek Academy, Level 10/17-19

Kameron Nelson, Jackson, Tenn./Arrow Athletic Center, Level 10/17-19

Nicholas Tarca, Knoxville, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville North, Level 10/15-16

Adam Wooten, Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth School of Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Texas

Levi Anderson, Spring, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior

Michael Artlip, Bellaire, Texas/Houston Gymnastics Center, Level 10/15-16

Lazarus Barnhill, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, Level 10/17-19

John Chou, Houston, Texas/Stanford Boys Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Evan Davis, Houston, Texas/University of Iowa, senior

Jack Freeman, Palestine, Texas/Cypress Academy, Level 10/17-19

Dallas Hale, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Asher Hong, Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy, Level 10/15-16

Cameron Lee, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16

Vishal Mandava, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy, Level 10/15-16

Zachary Nunez, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy, Level 10/17-19

Daniel Simmons, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy, Level 10/17-19

Colin Van Wicklen, Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior

Colt Walker, Cedar Park, Texas/AcroTex Gymnastics, Level 10/17-19

Matthew Wenske, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior

Oliver Zavel, Lakeway, Texas/Crenshaw Athletic Club, Level 10/15-16

Utah

Taylor Christopulos, Layton, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, Level 10/17-19

Virginia

Kiwan Watts, N. Chesterfield, Va./Arizona State University, senior

Washington

Garrett Braunton, Olympia, Wash./Cypress Academy, Level 10/17-19

Nicolas Kuebler, Seattle, Wash./Metropolitan Gymnastics, Level 10/15-16