Senior tumbling champions Kaden Brown and Hope Bravo

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 18, 2021 – More than 200 athletes gathered in Birmingham, Ala., over the weekend for trampoline and tumbling's 2021 Elite Challenge. Champions were crowned in trampoline, tumbling, double mini-trampoline and synchronized trampoline across men's and women's senior, junior, youth elite, open elite and Level 10 divisions.

The event served as the final qualification opportunity for the USA Gymnastics Championships, which will take place June 21-27 in St. Louis. Almost 900 athletes have now qualified through to the USA Gymnastics Championships, T&T's premier event for the season. Performances will also help determine selection for several upcoming trampoline and tumbling international competitions, including the 2021 World Championships, and senior trampoline performances will factor into selection for the Tokyo Olympic team should the U.S. earn a men's or women's berth through international competition leading up to the Summer Games.

Top placements in the elite divisions are listed below.

Seniors
  • Men's tumbling: 1. Kaden Brown, Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling, 143.000; 2. Dom Dumas, Lubbock, Texas/Air Extreme, 134.300; 3. Brandon Krzynefski, Centreville, Va./Eagle Gymnastics Academy, 133.900
  • Women's tumbling: 1. Hope Bravo, Allen, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy, 136.900; 2. Miah Bruns, Crete, Ill./World Champions Centre, 134.400; 3. Shelby Nobuhara, Mapleton, Utah/High Altitude, 125.200
  • Men's trampoline: 1. Aliaksei Shostak, Lafayette, La./T&T Express, 169.505; 2. Jeffrey Gluckstein, Atlantic Heights, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 166.660; 3. Cody Gesuelli, Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, 160.285
  • Women's trampoline: 1. Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club, 145.740; 2. Maia Amano, Honolulu, Hawaii/Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, 141.850; 3. Olivia Simpson, Lubbock, Texas/Air Extreme
  • Men's double mini-trampoline: 1. Ruben Padilla, Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline and Tumbling, 154.000; 2. Trevor Harder, Winston-Salem, N.C./Carolina Elite Trampoline Academy, 148.400; 3. Changa Anderson, Washington, D.C./Silver Stars Gymnastics, 145.900
  • Women's double mini-trampoline: 1. Tristan Van Natta, Westerville, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 137.100; 2. Shelby Nobuhara, Mapleton, Utah/High Altitude, 136.900; 3. Trinity Van Natta, Hilliard, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 134.300
  • Men's synchronized trampoline: 1. Ryan Maccagnan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Stars Gymnastics and Ruben Padilla, Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline and Tumbling, 102.620; 2. Paul Bretscher, Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy and Cody Gesuelli, Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, 88.090
  • Women's synchronized trampoline: 1. Alana Cushing, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy and Michelle Sherman, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 119.220
Juniors
  • Men's tumbling: 1. Alexander Cole, Washington, D.C./Dynamite Gymnastics, 139.200; 2. Cristian Orth, San Diego, Calif./So Cal TTC, 128.700; 3. BJ Mensah, New York, N.Y./CAVU Trampoline and Tumbling, 126.800
  • Women's tumbling: 1. Nastia Katchalova, Lakeland, Fla./Elite World Gymnastics, 134.200; 2. Rosalie Thongphay, San Tan Valley, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center, 127.400; 3. Jill Papenhause, Tremont, Ill./Central Illinois Gymnastics Academy, 122.500
  • Men's trampoline: 1. Ryan Maccagnan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Stars Gymnastics, 153.815; 2. Gavin Britton, Bennington, Neb./Premier Gymnastics, 146.470; 3. Ben Adams, Angier, N.C./Sonshine Gymnastics, 135.330
  • Women's trampoline: 1. Ava Hernando, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 143.465; 2. Leah Garafalo, Cream Ridge, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 142.970; 3. Lynlee Taylor, DeRidder, La./T&T Express
  • Men's double mini-trampoline: 1. Ryan Maccagnan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Stars Gymnastics, 144.900; 2. Van Larson, Phoenix, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center, 136.900; 3. Alec Pelezo, Magnolia, Texas/World Champions Centre 135.700
  • Women's double mini-trampoline: 1. Rosalie Thongphay, San Tan Valley, Ariz./USA Youth Fitness Center, 132.800; 2. Leah Garafalo, Cream Ridge, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 127.600; 3. Finley Merker, West Chicago, Ill./DuPage Cheer and Power Tumbling, 127.400
  • Women's synchronized trampoline: 1. Leah Edelman, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy and Leah Garafalo, Cream Ridge, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 126.750; 2. Ava Hernando, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy and Logan McCoy, Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 110.370; 3. Ashley Sherman, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy and Bella Ursu, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 99.430
Open Elite
  • Men's tumbling: 1. Dylan McGuire, Midlothian, Texas/Trevino's Gymnastics, 134.200; 2. Raf Bryant, Worthington, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 130.700; 3. Adam Herms, Burke, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center, 121.300
  • Women's tumbling: 1. Avery Slick, Jenks, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, 121.100; 2. Kaylee Larson, Ladera Ranch, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, 119.900; 3. Susan Gill, Carrollton, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy, 114.700
  • Men's trampoline: 1. Dylan Kline, Syracuse, Utah/Flipside Tumbling, 146.005; 2. Derek Therrien, Lake Orion, Mich./Gymnastics Central, 140.990; 3. Rory O'Neil, Maplewood, Minn./Twin City Twisters, 138.440
  • Women's trampoline: 1. Mikaela Snider, Clovis, N.M./Air Extreme, 139.560; 2. Paxton Henley, Victoria, Texas/Full Force, 134.875; 3. Tara Helmboldt, Knoxville, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville North, 134.290
  • Men's double mini-trampoline: 1. Alex Balinbin, Kenner, La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy, 138.800; 2. Tommy Sneed, Inverness, Ill./Kids in Action Gymnastics Academy, 133.900; 3. Ryan Diez, Weston, Fla./TAG USA Gymnastics, 130.900
  • Women's double mini-trampoline: 1. Karlee English, San Antonio, Texas/Powerhouse TNT Gymnastics, 133.500; 2. Kira Schwartz, Glendale, Calif./So Cal TTC, 130.100; 3. Kaylee Larson, Ladera Ranch, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, 126.100
Youth Elite
  • Men's tumbling: 1. Xavier Harper, Oak Ridge, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville North, 128.700; 2. Eli Nilson, Draper, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline and Tumbling, 120.800; 3. Micah Miner, Glen Carbon, Ill./Kris Power Tumbling, 117.500
  • Women's tumbling: 1. Amelia Gasper, Delavan, Ill./Central Illinois Gymnastics Academy, 124.600; 2. Skye Hawk, Allen, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy, 123.300; 3. Olivia Pierce, Metairie, La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy, 119.900
  • Men's trampoline: 1. Kai Lawson, Bethesda, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics, 138.165; 2. Will Cockrill, Plano, Texas/Flip Factory, 132.145; 3. Nate Erkert, Wildwood, Mo./High Energy Gymnastix, 127.105
  • Women's trampoline (11-12): 1. Bella Ursu, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 130.185; 2. Victoria Azarov, Midland, Texas/Legacy Elite Athletics, 127.825; 3. Aña Rassega, Scottsdale, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center, 127.420
  • Women's trampoline (13-14): 1. Alexandra Mytnik, Manalapan, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 144.685; 2. Ava DeHanes, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 142.180; 3. Leah Edelman, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 140.975
  • Men's double mini-trampoline: 1. Micah Miner, Glen Carbon, Ill./Kris Power Tumbling, 134.800; 2. Will Cockrill, Plano, Texas/Flip Factory, 131.200; 3. Kai Lawson, Bethesda, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics, 129.900
  • Women's double mini-trampoline: 1. Ava DeHanes, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 130.700; 2. Leah Edelman, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 129.500; 3. Kennedi Roberts, North Richland Hills, Texas/Flip Factory, 127.300
  • Men's synchronized trampoline: 1. Xavier Harper, Oak Ridge, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville North and Micah Miner, Glen Carbon, Ill./Kris Power Tumbling, 87.840
  • Women's synchronized trampoline: 1. Ava DeHanes, Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy and Alexandra Mytnik, Manalapan, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 126.630; 2. Isabella Bowman, Dublin, Ohio/Integrity Athletics and Hannah Leder, Hilliard, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 95.230
Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat. Trampoline was added to the Olympic Games in 2000, and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the USA had its first athlete in history advance to the finals.