Winter Cup Challenge Headed for Las Vegas

All six members of the U.S. Men’s Team from the 2013 World Championships, which won four medals in Antwerp, Belgium, are expected to compete at next month’s Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.  Competition runs Feb. 20-22 and will be held in the Riviera Hotel & Casino’s Royale Pavilion.  The four 2013 World medalists in the field are silver medalists Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./Team Hilton HHonors (University of Oklahoma), and Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (University of Oklahoma), and bronze medalists John Orozco of The Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center); and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center).

The members of the 2013 World Championships team were: Dalton; Legendre; Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./University of Michigan; Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton HHonors (USA Youth Fitness); Orozco; and Wynn.

2012 Olympic alternate Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Gymnastics), and 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton HHonors (Universal Gymnastics), have also registered for the event.

Other senior national team members registered for the 2014 Winter Cup Challenge are: Josh Dixon of San Jose, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Stacey Ervin of Taylor, Mich./University of Michigan; Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University; Eddie Penev of Rochester, N.Y./Stanford University; Paul Ruggeri III of the U.S. Olympic Training Center)/Manlius, N.Y.; and Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Performances at the 2014 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 15 men who will comprise the U.S. Men's Senior National Team through the 2014 P&G Gymnastics Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa., Aug. 21-24. The six members of the 2013 World Championships squad, plus the two World alternates, retain their spots on the national team. The remaining seven spots will be determined based on the following criteria: the top two ranked all-around athletes who are not already on the senior national team; two based on the National Team Points System; two athletes selected by the Men's Program Committee; and one selected by the national team coordinator.

The Winter Cup competition schedule is: preliminary rounds, Feb. 20 - 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.; and final round, Feb. 22 at 7:15 p.m. Tickets will be on sale on competition day. The Winter Cup format has junior and senior gymnasts competing in the same field.

The top 42 gymnasts, according to the 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.