Feb. 20, 2014
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - After recording two solid performances in the opening session of the 2014 Winter Cup, sophomore Trevor Howard (Columbus, Ohio) and junior Craig Hernandez (Libertyville, Ill.) have both advanced to the final round of competition. The finals are set to begin Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:15 p.m. in the Riviera Hotel.
Last night, Howard led the way with a 12-place finish in the all-around, finishing with a total score of 80.900. While he did not capture an individual title, the two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week secured a trio of top-10 finishes.
Hernandez continued his standout performance on the pommel horse in the opening session of competition. The junior led all gymnasts with a 14.250 showing on the apparatus, claiming an individual title in the event. The first-place finish marks his second consecutive pommel horse title at the Winter Cup Challenge.
Howard and Hernandez are now two of 42 gymnasts vying for seven open spots on the U.S. Senior National Team. The seven spots will be claimed by the top two all-arounders who are not presently on the U.S. Senior National Team. The other remaining spots will be selected based on the National Team Points Systems, while two more are selected by the Men's Program Committee and one is selected by the national team coordinator.
Fans can follow along with live coverage of the 2014 Winter Cup Challenge finals by visiting www.wintercup.com/live.