© John Cheng

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 6, 2018 – 2016 Olympians Sam Mikulak of Newport Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, and Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness, along with reigning U.S. champion and World bronze medalist Yul Moldauer of Arvada, Colo./University of Oklahoma, are expected to compete at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas, Feb. 15-17 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort. 2017 World team member Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee/Salto Gymnastics and 2016 Olympic alternate Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Stanford University, have also registered to compete.



Other U.S. senior national team members expected to compete are: Donothan Bailey of Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Allan Bower of Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma; Trevor Howard of Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University; Sean Melton of Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University; Kanji Oyama of Huntington Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center; Alex Powarzynski of Happy Valley, Ore./University of Oklahoma; Colin VanWicklen of Magnolia, Texas/Cypress Academy; and Alec Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University.



This year’s Winter Cup Challenge will feature separate junior and senior competitive divisions.



The top three all around athletes from the 2017 P&G Gymnastics Championships in both the 15-16 age division and the 17-18 age division are expected to compete at the Winter Cup. Those athletes are: Brody Malone of Summerville, Ga./Cartersville Twisters; Vitaliy Guimaraes of Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics and Max Andryushchenko of Arlington Heights, Ill./Ohio State University from the 17-18 division and Garrett Brauton of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy, Paul Juda of Deerfield, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics and Riley Loos of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Technique Gymnastics.



Performances at the 2018 Winter Cup Challenge will help determine the 12 men who will comprise the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team through the 2018 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Boston, Aug. 16-19. Following the two-day competition, the top six ranked all-around athletes will automatically qualify for the 2018 senior national team. The Men’s Program Committee will select six more gymnasts from the participants at the Winter Cup Challenge or from petitions to the team. Based on his World Championships results, Yul Moldauer will be automatically selected to the national team if he participates at the 2018 Winter Cup and qualifies to the finals.



The first day of competition will consist of one session for the junior division and one for the senior division. The finals session will feature the top 28 senior athletes and the top 14 juniors.



Junior athletes will advance to the finals according to the all-around ranking from the first day of competition. The senior athletes will advance according to the Men’s Program Committee’s points ranking system. 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. 15 – 1 p.m., juniors; and 6:30 p.m., seniors; and final round, Feb. 17 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. 14 and on both competition days. The Winter Cup format has junior and senior gymnasts competing in the same field. USA Gymnastics will be live-streaming all three competitive sessions via its YouTube channel.



Athlete roster for 2018 Winter Cup Challenge

(Alphabetical by state, then last name)



Arizona

Allan Bower, Chandler, Ariz./University of Oklahoma, senior

Brandon Briones, Gilbert, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports, junior

Alexander Naddour, Gilbert, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness, senior



California

Donothan Bailey, Mission Viejo, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior

Jeremy Bischoff, Canyon Country, Calif./Wallers GymJam, junior

Cameron Bock, Tustin, Calif./University of Michigan, senior

Adrian De Los Angeles, Long Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior

Isaiah Drake, Los Angeles, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica, junior

Bennet Huang, Palo Alto, Calif./University of Iowa, junior

Nikita Latman, Pleasanton, Calif./Arizona State University, senior

Riley Loos, El Dorado Hills, Calif./Technique Gymnastics, senior

Samuel Mikulak, Newport Coast, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior

Brandon Ngai, Sacramento, Calif./University of Illinois, senior

Kanji Oyama, Huntington Beach, Calif./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior

Samuel Phillips, West Hills, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica, junior

Shane Sadighi, Aliso Viejo, Calif./UC Berkeley, senior

Nathan Tsuji, Santa Cruz, Calif./University of Washington, senior

Jordan Williams, Concord, Calif./Liberty Gymnastics, senior

Daniel Yoon, Huntington Beach, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics, junior

Dylan Young, Burbank, Calif./Wallers GymJam, junior



Colorado

Taylor Burkhart, Morrison, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, junior

Vitaliy Guimaraes, Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, junior

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



Florida

Justin Ah Chow, Miami, Fla./Universal Gymnastics, junior

Crew Bold, Delray Beach, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics, junior

Antonio Castro, Pinecrest, Fla./University of Nebraska, senior

Joshua Dieker, Oviedo, Fla./Springfield College, senior

Evan Kriley, Clearwater, Fla./La Fleur's Tampa, junior

Sean Melton, Orlando, Fla./Ohio State University, senior



Georgia

Andrew Bitner, Hoschton, Ga./Stanford University, senior

Brody Malone, Summerville, Ga./Cartersville Twisters, junior

Kameron Nelson, Martiez, Ga./Hayden's Gymnastics, junior



Illinois

Max Andryushchenko, Mt. Prospect, Ill./Ohio State University, junior

Grant Breckenridge, Libertyville, Ill./Stanford University, senior

Alex Diab, Glen Ellyn, Ill./University Of Illinois, senior

Paul Juda, Deerfield, Ill./Buffalo Grove Gymnastics, junior

Curran Phillips, Naperville, Ill./Prairie Gymnastics, junior

Michael Wilner, Buffalo Grove, Ill./University of Illinois-Chicago, senior



Indiana

Christopher Stephenson, Fishers, Ind./University of Nebraska, senior

Alec Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind./Ohio State University, senior



Louisana

Jalon Stephens, Shreveport, La./University of Minnesota, senior



Massachusetts

Liam Doherty-Herwitz, Bedford, Mass./Brestyan's Gymnastics, junior

Yan Inhaber-Courchesne, Westborough, Mass./New England Academy of Gymnastics, junior

Stephen Nedoroscik, Worcester, Mass./Penn State University, senior



Michigan

Michael Jaroh, Northville, Mich./Michigan Elite Gymnastics, junior



Minnesota

Shane Wiskus, Spring Park, Minn./University of Minnesota, senior



Montana

Zack Mollett, Billings, Mont./Arizona State University, senior



North Carolina

Nehemiah Baker, Oak Ridge, N.C./Flip Force Gymnastics, junior

David Willett, High Point, N.C./High Point Gymnastics, junior



New Hampshire

Michael Fletcher, Nashua, N.H./New England Academy of Gymnastics, junior



New Jersey

Tristan Duran, Franklin Lakes, N.J./University of Minnesota, senior

Akash Modi, Morganville, N.J./Stanford University, senior



New York

Kevin Penev, Penfield, N.Y./RGA, junior



Nevada

Dylan Ellsworth, Reno, Nev./University of Iowa, senior

Brennan Pantazis, Sparks, Nev./Penn State University, senior



Ohio

Trevor Howard, Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University, senior



Oklahoma

Jordan Kovach, Chickasha, Okla./University of Illinois, senior



Oregon

Spencer Goodell, Tigard, Ore./OMEGA, junior

Alex Powarzynski, Happy Valley, Ore./University of Oklahoma, senior



Pennsylvania

Joshua Karnes, Erie, Pa./Lakettes Gymnastics, junior



South Carolina

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



Texas

Lazarus Barnhill, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

John Chou, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

Evan Davis, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

Joshua Davis, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Frisco, junior

Jack Freeman, Palestine, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

Ian Gunther, Houston, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

Asher Hong, Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy, junior

Khalil Jackson, Katy, Texas/Champions Gymnastics, junior

Hunter Justus, Cypress, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior

Griffin Kehler, Frisco, Texas/University of Nebraska, senior

Kyle King, Mesquite, Texas/University of Nebraska, senior

David Pochinka, Plano, Texas/WOGA Plano, junior

Morgan Seyler, Flower Mound, Texas/Southlake Gymnastics, senior

Colin VanWicklen, Magnolia, Texas/Cypress Academy, senior

Colt Walker, Cedar Park, Texas/AcroTex Gymnastics, junior

Matthew Wenske, Houston, Texas/University of Oklahoma, senior

Alexander Wilson, Sugar Land, Texas/Ohio State University, senior



Utah

Johnny Jacobson, Syracuse, Utah/University of Illinois, senior



Virginia

Sean Neighbarger, Virginia Beach, Va./Ohio State University, senior

Kiwan Watts, Chesterfield, Va./Arizona State University, senior



Vermont

Nikita Bolotsky, Saint Johnsbury, Vt./U.S. Olympic Training Center, senior



Washington

Garrett Braunton, Olympia, Wash./Cypress Academy, junior



Wisconsin

Marvin Kimble, Milwaukee, Wis./Salto Gymnastics, senior

Robert Neff, Brookfield, Wis./Stanford University, senior