INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 9, 2016 – All six members of the 2015 U.S. Men’s World Championships Team are expected to compete at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas, Feb. 18-20 at the Cashman Convention Center. Performances at the 2016 Winter Cup will determine eight members of the 2016 U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 P&G Gymnastics Championships, June 3-5, in Hartford, Conn.

The members of World Championships Team, who retained their spots on the senior national team, are: Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton (Universal Gymnastics); Alexander Naddour of Queen Creek, Ariz./Team Hilton (USA Youth Fitness Center); Paul Ruggeri of Manlius, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center); and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J./Team Hilton (Ohio State University). Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee, Wis./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), was the alternate.

2012 Olympians Jake Dalton of Sparks, Nev./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma), Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), and John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), are expected to compete along with Olympic teammate Leyva. The three 2012 Olympic alternates are also in the field: Brooks, Legendre and Naddour.

Other senior national team members registered for the 2016 Winter Cup Challenge are Eddie Penev of Rochester, N.Y./Team Hilton, and CJ Maestas of Corrales, N.M./U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Performances at the 2016 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 15 men who will comprise the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team through the 2016 P&G Gymnastics Championships in Hartford, Conn. June 3-5. The six members of the 2015 World Championships squad, plus the alternate, retain their spots on the national team. The remaining eight spots will be determined based on the following criteria: the top three 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 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.

Athlete roster for 2016 Winter Cup Challenge
(Alphabetical by state, then last name)

Arizona
Allan Bower, Mesa, Ariz./University of Oklahoma
Thomas Hanson, Mesa, Ariz./Arizona State University
Alexander Naddour, Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton (USA Youth Fitness Center)

California
Donothan Bailey, Lake Forest, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Cameron Bock, Tustin, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics
Andrew Botto, Redwood City, Calif./University of Iowa
Adrian De Los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif./University of Michigan
Bryan De Los Santos, Los Angeles, Calif./Southern California United
Joshua Dixon, San Jose, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center
Travis Gollott, Livermore, Calif./University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Andrew Herrador, Livermore, Calif./West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy
Bennet Huang, Palo Alto, Calif./West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy
Douglass Johnson Jr., Los Angeles, Calif./Southern California United
Samuel Mikulak, Newport Beach, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./University of Oklahoma
Kevin Wolting, Laguna Hills, Calif./University of California – Berkeley
Timothy Wang, Riverside, Calif./U.S. Air Force Academy
Daniel Yoon, Huntington Beach, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics

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

Florida
Danell Leyva, Miami, Fla./Team Hilton (Universal Gymnastics Inc.)
Sean Melton, Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University
Anton Vorona, Weston, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics, Inc.

Georgia
Andrew Bitner, Buford, Ga./Gymnastix Training Center
Ethan Esval, Roswell, Ga./The Atlanta School of Gymnastics

Illinois
Maxim Andryushchenko, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics
Robert Baker, Lemont, Ill./University of Illinois
Jack Boyle, Naperville, Ill./University of Iowa
Grant Breckenridge, Libertyville, Ill./Stanford University
Alex Diab, Glen Ellyn, Ill./University of Illinois
Matthew Loochtan, Hawthorne Woods, Ill./University of Iowa
Joshua Martin, Buffalo Grove, Ill./Aerial Gymnastics Club
Bailey Perez, Glen Ellyn, Ill./Premier Gymnastics Academy
Michael Wilner, Buffalo Grove, Ill./Gymnastics Spot
Josh Zeal, Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center

Indiana
Mitchell Brown, Fortville, Ind./DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics
Ellis Mannon, Indianapolis, Ind./University of Minnesota
Anton Stephenson, Fishers, Ind./University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Alec Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University

Maryland
Donnell Whittenburg, Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Kyle Zemeir, Ellicott City, Md./University of California – Berkeley

Massachusetts
Addison Chung, Medfield, Mass./New England Sports Academy
Peter Daggett, E Longmeadow, Mass./University of Oklahoma
Matthew Felleman, Medway, Mass./Pennsylvania State University
Mitchell Mandozzi, Harvard, Mass./New England Academy of Gymnastics

Michigan
Stacey Ervin, Taylor, Mich./University of Michigan
Jacob Moore, West Bloomfield, Mich./Twistars USA Inc.

Minnesota
Zach Liebler, Pine Island, Minn./University of Minnesota
Shane Wiskus, Spring Park, Minn./Mini-Hops Gymnastics

New Hampshire
Nicholas Merryman, Brookline, N.H./New England Academy of Gymnastics

New Jersey
Andrew Brower, Old Bridge, N.J./US Gymnastics Development Center II
Leroy Clarke, Maplewood, N.J./Pennsylvania State University
Tristan Duverglas, West Orange, N.J./Pennsylvania State University
Evan Hymanson, Morganville, N.J./Monmouth Gymnastics
Timothy Kutyla, Wyckoff, N.J./US Gymnastics Development Center II
Akash Modi, Morganville, N.J./Stanford University
Favian Valdez, Kearny, N.J./US Gymnastics Development Center II
Brandon Wynn, Voorhees, N.J./Team Hilton (Ohio State University)

New Mexico
Emyre Cole, North Las Vegas, Nev./University of Michigan
Jacob Dalton, Sparks, Nev./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma)
Christopher Maestas, Corrales, N.M./U.S. Olympic Training Center
Nolan Novak, Albuquerque, N.M./University of Michigan

Nevada
Brennan Pantazis, Sparks, Nev./Gymnastics Nevada

New York
Dominic DiFulvio, Marietta, N.Y./Pennsylvania State University
Brian Knott, New York, N.Y./Stanford University
Steven Legendre, Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma)
John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Eddie Penev, Rochester, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Paul Ruggeri III, Manlius, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)

Ohio
Michael Burns, Baltimore, Ohio/Pennsylvania State University
Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio/Pennsylvania State University
Alex Johnson, Marysville, Ohio/Ohio State University
Connor Lewis, Grove City, Ohio/Integrity Gymnastics and Cheerleading
Drew Moling, Canal Winchester, Ohio/Ohio State University

Pennsylvania
Jacob Light, Macungie, Pa./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center

South Carolina
Anthony McCallum II, Columbia, S.C./University of Michigan

Texas
Levi Anderson, Spring, Texas/University of Oklahoma
Christopher Brooks, Houston, Texas/Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Tristan Burke, Royse City, Texas/Ohio State University
Davis Grooms, Katy, Texas/Champions Gymnastics
Hunter Justus, Cypress, Texas/University of Oklahoma
Tanner Justus, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
Griffin Kehler, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Jordan King, The Woodlands, Texas/University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Michael Reid, Killeen, Texas/University of Oklahoma
Taylor Seaton, Plano, Texas/Stanford University
Blake Sun, San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Gymnastics Center
Alexei Vernyi, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
Colin Van Wicklen, Magnolia, Texas/University of Oklahoma
Matthew Wenske, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics

Virginia
Michael Deitz, Manassas, Va./College of William & Mary
Kiwan Watts, N. Chesterfield, Va./Above The Bar Gymnastics Academy

Wisconsin
Dmitri Belanovski, Milwaukee, Wis./University of Michigan
Marvin Kimble, Milwaukee, Wis./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center)
Robert Neff, Brookfield, Wis./Stanford University