The US Men's squad won the Bronze medal at the Pan Am Games. Brazil took first and Puerto Rico 2nd. The squad featured a number of current and former NCAAers, including captain Brandon Wynn (formerly of Ohio State). The others include Cal's Donathan Bailey, Illinois' CJ Maestas, Stanford grad Sho Nakamori, Illinois' Tyler Mizoguchi, and former Illini Paul Ruggeri. Maestas qualified to the AA final with a 9th place finish, while Wynn qualified in 20th. For the individual event finals, Bailey qualified on FX while Maestas and Wynn qualified on Rings. Maestas will also compete on HB while Nakamori made the PB final. Ruggeri qualified in the top spot on HB, and made the final in PB and VT as well.
Former PSU star and NCAA champ Luis Vargas qualified in third to the AA final, and made finals on the PH. Another former PSU gymnast, Tommy Ramos, qualified to the Ring final.
Link: Results
Dana Ho, L10 at WOGA in Texas, has accepted a scholarship offer from Cal Berkley per Gym-Style.com, which maintains her personal website. Last season she finished 1st AA (1st V/UB) at her state meet, 2nd AA at regionals and 33rd AA at JOs.
The US team, led NU frosh Jessie DeZiel, won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games. DeZiel led the US squad on all three events she competed. Florida commit Bridgette Caquatto led the squad on UB and was the top AAer in fourth. UGA commit Brandie Jay was 5th AA, while UF commit Bridget Sloan competed on UB and FX only. Canada, using much of the World Championship squad, came in second, paced by UCLA signee Christine "Peng Peng" Lee. The lead AA qualifier was Guatemala's new young standout Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, followed by Lee and then Stanford's Kristina Vaculik (of Canada).
Jay also qualified to the VT finals, and Caquatto to the UB finals, while DeZiel qualified on FX (no 2nd vault).
Link: Results
Taylor Bolender, L10 at Gymnastics World in Ohio, has accepted a scholarship to Central Michigan University. During the 2011 season, she picked up several individual event wins on bars and beam. In the post season, she placed 9th AA at regionals and 3rd AA at the NIT. She is a two time NIT competitor and qualified to JOs in 2009.
Kirsten (Kiki) Petzold, L10 at Olympia Gymnastics Academy in Michigan, will be joining her sister, Brittany, on the CMU team next year. Kirsten finished 8th AA at her 2011 state meet, 7th AA at regionals, and 26th AA at JOs.
Natalie Trejo, L10 at Deltchev Gymnastics in Nevada, has committed to Southern Utah. Last season Trejo finished placed 14th AA at her regional meet and 15th AA (1st FX) at the NIT.
Nowadays, college coaches, in many cases are encouraging prospects to commit early to their institution in an effort to wrap up recruiting and outdistance the competition. This article attempts to shed light on a variety of “options” prospects and families can embrace moving forward in the ever changing college search for athletes. November is fast approaching and with that, early deadlines for college applications. Current seniors who have dedicated themselves to connecting early on with college coaches, providing them with the necessary evaluation tools coaches need to determine “potential matches”, have narrowed their list to a few or even one institution they feel is a perfect fit.
Chayse Capps has committed to OU, according to a site submission. She's a L10 at Inifinite Bounds and also trains as a dancer. At the 2011 L10 JO Nationals, she placed 8th(t) on BB and 30th in the AA. She was 14th AA at the Region III L10 Regionals in 2010.
Link: Official Web Site and Video at Gymnastike
Paris Ryder has committed to Arkansas for 2013-2014, according to a site submission and the NY USAG state web page. Ryder trains as a L10 at GMGC in New York. At the 2011 L10 JO Nationals, she placed 43rd AA. She also placed 11th AA at the 2010 Region VI L10 Regionals.
Link: NY USAG and
Marissa Unpingco, L10 at Edge Gymnastics, has committed to San Jose State. She finished 6th AA, 1st UB at her 2011 state meet and 9th AA at regionals.
Sydnie Dillard, L10 at Eagle's Wings in Texas, has committed to Arkansas according to her club's Facebook posting. Last season she placed 12th AA at her state meet and 15th AA at regionals.
Yale has hire Jason Vonk as an assistant, according to a school release. He's spent the last six years as program director and owner of Stars National Gymnastics Village in Colorado.
Link: Yale Release
Kristen DeCosta, L10 at Metroplex, has committed to Iowa State. Last season she finished 7th AA at her state meet and qualified to regionals. In 2010 she finished 10th AA at the NIT.
Kara Lovan, L10 at Trinity in Iowa, has committed to Oklahoma according to GymDivas.com. Last season she won her regional meet (1st AA, 1st BB/FX) and placed 40th AA at JOs.
Makenzie Johnson, L10 at Eagle's Wings in Texas, has announced her committment to BYU. Johnson placed 5th AA at her 2011 state meet, 11th AA at regionals and 2nd AA at the NIT.