INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 3, 2017 – 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, click here.

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.

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, 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

South Carolina
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, Wisc./University of Michigan
Marvin Kimble, Milwaukee, Wisc./U.S. Olympic Training Center
Robert Neff, Brookfield, Wisc./Stanford University