WINNERS CROWNED AT HNI
MARCH 13, 2005, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOUSTON-A whopping $22,000 in prize money was up for grabs this weekend at the annual, and ever-expanding, Houston National Invitational (HNI). For the first time, this top men’s meet included women’s competition, as well as trampoline and tumbling.

U.S. National Team member Todd Thornton (click picture at left to enlarge) took a big chunk of that change ($1,500), claiming the Elite all-around title Saturday night at George Brown Convention center in Houston.

Thornton, who tallied a 52.925 in the all-around, topped Kazakhstan’s Ildar Valeyev by three tenths (52.625)

“It means a lot [to win here],” Thornton said after the meet. “I’ve been to this meet several times. I think I’ve won it once before. It’s one of those transition meets, where everyone is not quite ready. So to fight through and win here means a lot.”

Third place went to Thornton’s Houston Gymnastics Academy (HGA) teammate Sean Townsend. The former World Champion (2001) on parallel bars earned an event-high 9.5 on high bar.

Gold Cup gymnast Joey Hagerty was fourth (51.05), half a tenth ahead of Kazakhstan’s Stephan Gorbachev (51.0). Gorbachev struggled on rings (7.975) and high bar (7.6), but was the night’s only two-event winner, claiming the top spot on floor (9.2) and p-bars (9.05).

Close behind was sixth-place Clay Strother of Minnesota (50.95). The former U.S. National Team member won vault with a 9.4.

Wesley Aderhold (WOGA) and Matt Hicks (HGA), finished seventh and eighth, respectively, while the home team, Houston Gymnastics Center, athletes Kyle Nathan and Chester Smithart rounded out the top ten.

Also of note, HGA’s Sean Golden, who finished first on rings with a 9.35. The three-event competitor was also second on floor (9.1) and vault (9.35).

Current U.S. National Team member David Durante, who competed on just three events due to a heel injury, finished third on rings with a 9.225.

The top Level 10 juniors competed earlier on Saturday. Buffalo Grove’s Ryan Lieberman was a near-sweep in the 14-15 age division, winning the all-around (54.75) and five events (all but high bar, where he was third).

Cypress’ Tim Pittman was second (52.3), followed by Midwest Academy’s Mike Behles (51.25).

Andrew Faulk (Alamo), sixth overall, won high bar with an 8.8, while Pittman earned a share of p-bars, matching Lieberman’s 9.2.

In the 16-18 age group, Premier Athletics’ Jake Bateman went 54.7 for the all-around victory, also adding floor (9.8) and p-bar (9.3) titles. Andre Berry (Cypress) was second overall (54.0) and first on vault (9.5). The U.S. Olympic Training Center’s s was third (53.65).

Other event winners included Gold Cup’s Shaun Antonio who notched the top spot on pommels with a 9.0, and Bryant Hadden (Cypress) with a 9.45 on rings. ACES’ Garrett Carr, who competed on only four events due to injury, earned the high bar crown with a 9.4.

Aderhold (Oklahoma), Antonio (Penn State), Bateman (Ohio State), Hadden (Stanford) and Carr (Oklahoma) are all headed to NCAA competition next year on scholarship.

In Friday night’s open team competition, WOGA—using a bevy of talented juniors (Tim Gentry, Philip Onorato, Wesley Cox, Eric Hergenrader, Colin McGuire and Aderhold)—topped perennial winner HGA (Sean Ames, Matt Hicks, Joe Alberts, Golden, Thornton and Townsend) for the first time, 209.85 to 208.6. The Cypress squad—David Finning, Tristan McKian, Anthony May, Berry, Hadden and Pittman—finished third 207.7.

Gold Cup, Alamo, Juergen’s, Houston Gymnastics Club and HNG rounded out the nine-team field.