The 2016 Men's Pacific Rim Championships team has been named as Sam Mikulak, Jake Dalton, Alex Naddour, John Orozco, Eddie Penev, and Donnell Whittenburg. Mikulak, Dalton, and Orozco will bring impressive experience to this team as 2012 Olympians.

Orozco has made a very impressive comeback from a torn Achilles last year, winning the senior division of last weekend's Elite Team Cup in Newark, NJ. At the AT&T American Cup, Whittenburg took second and 2016 Winter Cup Challenge winner Mikulak took fourth.


Release via USA Gymnastics

INDIANAPOLIS, March 10, 2016 – 2014 Pacific Rim all-around champion John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), and his fellow 2012 Olympic teammates and World medalists Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), and Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./Team Hilton (University of Oklahoma), headline the U.S. Men’s Team for the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, presented by Hershey’s, April 8-10, at the XFINITY Arena at Everett (Wash). The six-man team also includes World medalists Donnell Whittenburg of Baltimore, Md./Team Hilton (U.S. Olympic Training Center), and Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton (USA Youth Fitness Center), with Eddie Penev of Penfield, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, completing the team.

The U.S. men are also the defending team champions. The 2016 men’s team has earned a total of six World (one silver, five bronze) and 14 Pac Rim senior/team (seven gold, five silver and two bronze) medals. The three-day Pacific Rim Championships is expected to feature more than 200 gymnasts from more than 19 Pac Rim countries, competing in men’s and women’s gymnastics, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics. The countries are Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, and the United States.

The competition schedule, which is subject to change, is listed below.

April 8
1:30 p.m. - Subdivision 1: Men’s gymnastics team and all-around finals, and women’s trampoline team finals and individual preliminaries; XFINITY Arena
2 p.m. - Rhythmic gymnastics team and all-around finals (two events), Walt Price Student Fitness Center, Everett Community College
7 p.m. - Subdivision 2: Men’s team and all-around finals, and men’s trampoline team finals and individual preliminaries; XFINITY Arena

April 9
1:30 p.m. - Subdivision 1: Women’s gymnastics team and all-around finals, and junior men’s and women’s trampoline finals; XFINITY Arena
2 p.m. - Rhythmic gymnastics team and all-around finals (two events), Walt Price Student Fitness Center, Everett Community College
7 p.m. - Subdivision 2: Women’s gymnastics team and all-around finals, and senior men’s and women’s trampoline finals; XFINITY Arena

April 10
12 p.m. - Junior men’s and women’s gymnastics individual event finals; XFINITY Arena
1 p.m. - Rhythmic gymnastics junior and senior individual event finals, Walt Price Student Fitness Center, Everett Community College
6 p.m. - Senior men’s and women’s gymnastics individual event finals; XFINITY Arena

The team competition format for all disciplines is a mixture of junior and senior level athletes. The medalists for both team and the all-around, as well as qualifiers for event finals, for men’s, women’s and rhythmic gymnastics are determined during the team competition. For trampoline, the first day of competition determines which athletes advance to the finals. The top eight in the rankings advance to the finals, and a maximum of two athletes per country are eligible to advance to the individual event finals. For more information on the Pac Rim Championships, go to pacrim2016.com.

In addition to the 2012 and 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, the Seattle area has held three other major gymnastics events: the gymnastics competition at the 1990 Goodwill Games was staged in Tacoma, and Seattle was the site for the 1995 American Cup and 1973 women's national championships. Held every two years, the Pacific Rim Championships traditionally feature gymnasts from Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore and the United States. NBC Sports will televise action from the Pacific Rim Championships. Past sites include: 2014, Richmond, B.C., Canada; 2012, Everett, Wash.; 2010, Melbourne, Australia; 2008, San Jose, Calif.; and 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii.


Related:
Douglas, Nichols To AT&T American Cup, Biles To Pacific Rim Championships