Leyva Posts Top Score at 2013 Men's National Qualifier

Leyva Posts Top Score at 2013 Men's National Qualifier

Jul 14, 2013 by Anne Phillips
Leyva Posts Top Score at 2013 Men's National Qualifier


As expected, 2012 Olympic All Around bronze medalist Danell Leyva posted the highest all around score at Saturday's Men's National Qualifier at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. 

Leyva totaled a an 87.00 to finish one point ahead of 2012 U.S. Junior All Around Champion Donnell Whittenburg. Whittenburg is a 2012 high school graduate now taking residence at the USOTC. His 86.00 all around score qualified him to the 2013 P&G Championships, and he actually finished in first place in the National Points Raning System, well above Leyva and the other contenders. 


Photo: Donnell Whittenburg during the 2012 Visa Championships. Photo by Melissa Perenson.

We also saw the return of 2012 Olympian John Orozco, working his way back from an ACL tear. Orozco impressed on four events. 

Saturday's Qualifier was the final chance for athletes to advance to the 2013 P&G Championships, held in Hartford from August 15-18. There were fourteen senior qualification spots up for grabs.

Below is the breakdown of ways U.S. men may qualify for the P&G Championships, the full recap from USAG, and meet results. 


Meet recap from USA Gymnastics:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 13, 2013 – 2012 Olympic all-around bronze-medalist Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton HHonors (Universal Gymnastics), posted the highest senior all-around score at the 2013 Men's National Qualifier at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The top junior score went to Cameron Bock, SCATS Gymnastics/Tustin, Calif. Fourteen senior men qualified to the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships, Aug. 15-18 in Hartford, Conn. The complete men's field for the P&G Championships will be released in the near future.

2012 Olympian John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), competed on four events, marking his first competition since the 2012 Olympic Games. He tied for the highest score on still rings at 15.100. His other scores were 14.150 on pommel horse; 13.650, parallel bars; and 14.850, horizontal bar. U.S. Senior National Team member Sean Melton of Orlando, Fla./U.S. Olympic Training Center, performed in three events: 14.500, pommel horse; 13.900, parallel bars; and 13.950, horizontal bar.
Leyva, who has already qualified for the P&G Championships, posted an 87.000, His event scores are: 13.650, floor exercise; 13.100, pommel horse; 13.950, still rings; 14.950, vault; 15.500, parallel bars; and 15.850, horizontal bar. He had the top scores for both the parallel bars and high bar.

Bock scored the top junior score at 81.300. His event scores are: 13.850, floor; 14.050, pommel horse; 13.350, still rings; 13.450, vault; 12.900, parallel bars; and 13.700, high bar.

The 14 seniors who qualified for the P&G Championships, in rank order, are: 
Donnell Whittenburg, USOC/Baltimore, Md.;
Joshua Dixon, USOC/San Jose, Calif.;
Chris Turner, Stanford University/Fremont, Calif.;
Steven Lacombe, University of California – Berkeley/Mission Viejo, Calif.;
Sean Senters, Stanford/Center Valley, Pa.;
Luke Stannard, University of Illinois/Waukegan, Ill.;
Kanji Oyama, University of Oklahoma/Huntington Beach, Calif.;
Matthew McGrath, University of Iowa/Wheaton, Ill.;
Donothan Bailey, University of California – Berkeley/Lake Forest, Calif.;
Mark Ringle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln/San Ramon, Calif.;
Kevin Baker, Stanford Boys Gymnastics/Union, Ky.;
Robert Courter, William and Mary/Baton Rouge, La.;
Matthew Loochtan, University of Iowa/Hawthorn Woods, Ill.;
Daniel Steiner, Ohio State University/Mesa, Ariz.

The 14 athletes who qualified to the P&G Gymnastics Championships, scheduled for Aug. 15-18 in Hartford, Conn., in the senior division were based on the National Points Ranking System (see the point ranking below).




For the junior division, the top six age-eligible athletes from the Men’s National Qualifier using the combined all-around results from the 15-16 and 17-18 divisions will advance and will be determined on Sunday, July 14, following junior technical sequences scheduled for 11 a.m. MT.

The National Qualifier wraps up on Sunday, July 14, with junior technical sequences at 11 a.m. MT.


Top 8 Senior All Around Results:



Here is the outline of ways that men may qualify to compete at the 2013 P&G Championships: 
• Senior National Team members who are named following the February 2013 Winter Cup 
Challenge (including all eight 2012 Olympic team members and alternates) automatically qualify. 

• A minimum of 14 athletes will qualify to the 2013 U.S. Championships based on the National Points Ranking System from the 2013 National Qualifier to be held July 13-14 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

• From the 2013 NCAA Championships:
a. The top 2 rank order all-around (U.S. citizens), not including any prequalified athletes to the 2013 U.S. Championships, provided they finish top 8 in the all-around. 
b. Top two ranked athletes (U.S. citizens) on floor exercise, pommel horse, 
still rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar, which may include pre-qualified athletes to the 2013 U.S. Championships.

• An athlete who is unable to participate in the 2013 National Qualifier may petition to compete in the 2013 U.S. Championships 

Links:
Full Senior Results
Full Junior Results (with technical sequences)

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