Dalton wins 2013 Winter Cup Challenge title

5203LAS VEGAS, Feb. 9, 2013 – 2012 Olympian Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma, posted a two-day, combined all-around total of 173.250 to capture the all-around crown at the 2013 Winter Cup Challenge today inside the Las Vegas (Nev.) Sports Center. Adrian de los Angeles of Long Beach, Calif./University of Michigan, 172.400, and Danell Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics, 171.950, finished second and third, respectively.

During tonight’s all-around competition, Dalton scored 87.850, de los Angeles posted 86.600, and Leyva tallied 86.450.

Dalton and de los Angeles came down to the wire, having traded the top spot in the standings throughout the evening. In the final rotation, the two dismounted their respective events moments apart from one another. Dalton’s 14.500 on the horizontal bar edged de los Angeles, who posted a 13.300 on the pommel horse.

“I had a few mistakes in night one, so it was nice to clean up a few things tonight. Coming away with the win is always good. It gives me a little more confidence and helps me get ready for the American Cup,” Dalton said. “Everything kind of goes crazy after the Olympics, so it’s great to be able to get back into the same cycle.”

Dalton began competition on the floor exercise with a 15.600 after mounting with a laidout Arabian double. Next, he recorded scores of 13.000, 15.000 and 14.750 on pommel horse, still rings and vault, respectively. On the parallel bars, he posted a 15.000 before heading to the high bar in the sixth rotation. Dalton also won the floor exercise and still rings individual titles with two-day totals of 31.250 and 29.650, respectively.

Leader after night one, de los Angeles started on the still rings, where he dismounted with a full-twisting double layout to score 14.350. On the vault, his Kasamatsu one-and-a-half earned him a 14.700. He posted scores of 15.100, parallel bars; 13.500, high bar; 15.650, floor; and 13.300, pommel horse.

Leyva, the 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist, posted his best score of the night on the vault, where his nearly stuck Kasamatsu one-and-a-half earned a 15.050. He also posted a 14.600 on high bar, a 14.400 on floor, a 13.150 on pommel horse, a 14.400 on still rings and a 14.850 on the parallel bars. Leyva, who is the 2011 World parallel bars champion, won the parallel bars (30.050) and high bar (29.750) individual titles.

Michael Newburger of Austin, Texas/Ohio State University, won the pommel horse title with a combined score of 30.300, while Eddie Penev of Rochester, N.Y./Stanford University, picked up the vault crown, also scoring 30.300.

Following the competition, de los Angeles, Paul Ruggeri of Manlius, N.Y./U.S. Gymnastics Development Center, Sean Melton of Orlando, Fla./U.S. Olympic Training Center, Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Monmouth, Brandon Wynn of Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University, Glen Ishino of Santa Ana, Calif./University of California – Berkeley, and Penev were named to the U.S. national team, along with all eight members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.