Feb. 6, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Three members of the top-ranked and defending national champion Penn State men's gymnastics team along with third-year assistant coach Kevin Tan will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete as individuals at the prestigious 2008 Winter Cup Challenge on Thurs., Feb. 7 and Sat., Feb 9. Seniors Derek Helsby (Orlando, Fla.) and Vladi Klurman (North Miami Beach, Fla.) and junior Shaun Antonio (Rio Rancho, N.M.), along with Tan, will perform against the nation's top American gymnasts with roster spots on the U.S. Senior Team on the line.
Four-time All-American Derek Helsby will compete in the all-around at the Winter Cup Challenge for the second straight year. In 2007, he finished 17th with a score of 83.000, performing the best in the vault (14.700) and the still rings (14.350). Helsby is off to a solid start to the 2008 season, earning nine top three finishes, including three titles and two second place all-around showings.
Vladi Klurman is also making a return trip to Las Vegas and to the Winter Cup after advancing to the finals in the pommel horse (31st), vault (23rd), still rings (16), and parallel bars (29th) a year ago. The 2007 All-American in the still rings had his best outing of the 2008 season in last weekend's win over Minnesota, claiming two titles (rings and vault) while establishing personal season high scores in three events.
Shaun Antonio will be making his first Winter Cup appearance when competition begins on Thursday. He has competed exclusively on the pommel horse and high bar this season but will perform in three events at the Winter Cup.
Current U.S. Men's Senior National Team member Kevin Tan returns to the Winter Cup Challenge as its two-time defending champion on still rings. Under the guidance of head coach Randy Jepson, who will join the Penn State contingent at the Winter Cup, Tan as emerged as one of the world's top still rings competitors. At the 2007 World Championships, Tan, a team co-captain, helped the United States place fourth and secure a berth to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Earlier in the year, he won the still rings title at the 2007 Internationaux de France - World Cup in Paris, France. Tan has also won back-to-back still rings titles at the VISA Championships.
The Winter Cup Challenge features two days of competition. Scores from both days of competition count toward the final rankings for the all-around and individual events. The qualification round on Feb. 7 consists of two sessions, each with approximately 44 athletes, beginning at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. The top 42 gymnasts, based on the points ranking system approved by the Men's Program Committee, will advance to the finals, which begin at 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 9.
Seven gymnasts will be named to the U.S. Men's Senior National Team following the Winter Cup Challenge. Four athletes will be added to the team based on the national team points system rank order, while the final three gymnasts will be selected from the Winter Cup Challenge participants and petitioned athletes by the Men's Program Committee. These seven, along with the seven members of the 2007 World Championships Team who already qualified for the team, will comprise the U.S. Men's Senior National Team until the 2008 Visa Championships in May.
The remainder of the Nittany Lions will remain in University Park to train and prepare for their next match-up, a Sat., Feb. 16 dual meet in Champaign, Ill. against Big Ten opponent No. 5 Illinois.
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