Top 10 All-Around
1. Jake Dalton
2. Adrian De Los Angeles
3. Danell Leyva
4. Eddie Penev
5. Sean Melton
6. Akash Modi
7. Glen Ishino
8. Paul Ruggieri
9. Matthew Felleman
10. Marvin KimbleI was most impressed with Adrian De Los Angeles. He has competed the past couple of weekends during the NCAA season just as he did here: clean, consistent and strong. … could be a surprise dark horse this quad.
Another gymnast I was super impressed with was Sean Melton. This being his big senior elite debut, he proved he is ready to hang with the big boys. …
Using this competition as the first step of the bigger picture, World Championships, I will use a ranking of the Top 6 guys for a shot at a spot on this team …
1. Jake Dalton.
2. Danell Leyva.
3. Adrian De Los Angeles.
4. Alex Naddour. Only because of pommel horse.
5. Paul Ruggeri.
6. Sam Mikulak.
Uncle Tim was there too.
Here’s his funny post on the current state of Men’s Floor Exercise. Still a mess. But not quite as bad nor dangerous as the last quadrennial.
Near compulsory elements:
• Arabian varations
• Twisting series
• wide arm handstand
• layout Thomas
• triple twist dismount
4 comments ↓
1. Jake Dalton.
2. Danell Leyva.
3. Adrian De Los Angeles.
4. Alex Naddour. Only because of pommel horse.
5. Paul Ruggeri.
6. Sam Mikulak
I’ll take that bet…against. Are you in? I was there, also.
Dalton and Leyva are probably going. ADog has a shot.
This is an individual worlds. The US doesn’t need to take any PH guys, and Naddour’s mid 14s are not going to win any medals. If he doesn’t start performing better he’s not going. The US might as well take Newburger or Echard if it’s just for PH. Wynn is actually a better bet for a medal (on rings, not horse!), if the US is going to take someone just for one event.
Mikulak gets hurt every 3 weeks and Ruggeri is as unpredictable as a slot machine.
De Los Angeles should not have been the surprise that he was. He was a Jr Champion, he’d been getting very good scores in the NCAA coming into this meet, and he’s a great competitor. His issue he’s more of a balanced AA guy than a specialist. His only really high scoring event is FX.
Horton, Legendre, and Orozco were not at Winter Cup, but don’t write them off. Barring injury, Horton and Legendre will be in the race, and Orozco says he will be doing everything but FX and VT at Nationals. Not sure about Brooks, and Maestas might actually make it back, too.
Yeah, I’ll take that bet and give you odds.
None of the Olympic guys had to compete at Winter Cup to earn their spots so, other than Dalton and Leyva, who were tuning up for American Cup, they didn’t, for the most part. Winter Cup is never a very good indication of who is going to be ready in the fall.
I would also agree and say I don’t see anywhere De Los Angeles, whose biggest asset was his consistent AA performances, fits in to an event format.
Horton, Legendre and Brooks are all better bets to go, if healthy, than either Mikulak or Ruggeri, though I’d say all of those names are definitely in the mix. (I’d feel differently about Sam if he wasn’t so recently injured.) I’m not too confident Orozco can make it back in time but, hey, if he does, he’s going for sure.
But I’d bet Naddour would have to rock his set both days at USAs and at least one international event before Worlds for them to take him, though stranger choices have been made.
Being as it is individual, a couple rings guys, probably Wynn, might indeed have a shot, but that’s such a legacy event that I think they’d really have to show some amazing stuff to make the spot worthwhile.
Of the six you list, I’d guess two, maybe three, tops, will actually be traveling to Antwerp.
Oh and, Akash Modi is the guy to watch for. He’s the next big star coming up. 2016 bound, I’d bet.
ITA Akash Modi. Keep your eyes on him.
I think DLA will be aiming to upgrade a few things, so he might have a shot.
Wynn has actually beaten Zanetti on SR – right after Zanetti won Silver in Tokyo.
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