Three Sooners at U.S. Championships

NORMAN, Okla. The 2005 Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships will be held August 10-12 in Indianapolis, Ind., and three athletes from the University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics team will be competing for a spot on the U.S. National Team.

The meet will feature the nation's top male gymnasts including senior Jamie Henderson and sophomores Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons and Jonathan Horton. The competition will kick off Wednesday, August 10th at 7 p.m. (CST) with the first round of competition and will conclude on Friday, August 12th at 7 p.m. (CST) with the all-around finals and the event finals.

Selection for the U.S. National Team will be determined by the finish in the all-around competition and the points received for competition in the different events. The top two gymnasts in the all-around and the top six gymnasts in total points will become members of the U.S. National Team. Six additional gymnasts will also be selected by the U.S. National Team Selection Committee based on their performance at the Visa Championships.

“The U.S. Championships is the process for athletes to make the U.S. National Team,” said OU head coach Mark Williams. “The team selected will compete at the World Championships and the Pan-Am Games. For Jonathan we have expectations of him to make the team once again. In order to do so, he will have to put forth two days of great competition.

“Jamie has been right on the edge in the past, so hopefully this is his year to make it. He has four strong events and with the point system, he should have a good chance to make the team. Taqiy is still recovering from knee surgery, so this competition will be a step towards becoming 100 percent. We are waiting for him to recover and we hope that he is 100 percent in time for the Winter Cup (Feb. 3-4) and the collegiate season.”

Henderson qualified for the event with a fourth place finish in the all-around at the U.S. Qualifier in Colorado Springs, Colo. on June 25. It was the second straight year that Henderson finished fourth at the qualifier.

Abdullah-Simmons managed to qualify after finishing seventh in the all-around competition at the 2005 NCAA Championships in West Point, N.Y.

Horton, already pre-qualified for the event because of his status on the previous U.S. National Team, but would have qualified with his third place finish in the all-around at the NCAA Championships.

For all three OU gymnasts, it is the second straight year to be a participant at the U.S. Championships. In 2004's competition, Horton finished 10th, Abdullah-Simmons 12th and Henderson 21st. Additionally, former OU assistant coach, Guard Young and former gymnast, Heath Mueller competed in the 2004 U.S. Championships.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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