Sooners in Las Vegas for Winter Cup

NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma's Jonathan Horton and Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons travel to Las Vegas this weekend for the 2007 Winter Cup Challenge, Feb. 8 and 10. The two-day event will feature over 80 of the top male gymnasts in the country competing for seven spots on the U.S. Senior National Team.

Horton's spot on the U.S. Team is secured due to his membership on the 2006 U.S. World Championships Team. The junior from Houston, Texas, finished as the runner-up in the all-around at the 2006 Winter Cup and went on to win the all-around title at the Tyson American Cup. Horton is also the reigning U.S. floor exercise champion and the NCAA all-around, rings and floor title-holder.

An All-American on vault, parallel-bars and in the all-around for the Sooners' 2006 NCAA title team, Abdullah-Simmons is making his fourth trip to the Winter Cup. At last year's event he finished fifth on the p-bars, while coming in eighth in the all-around competition.

Horton bio | Abdullah-Simmons bio | USA Gymnastics

The Winter Cup Challenge consists of two days of competition. Scores from both days of competition count toward the final rankings for the all-around and individual events.

The qualification round on Feb. 8 consists of two sessions, each with approximately 42 athletes, beginning at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (CST). The top 36 gymnasts, based on the points ranking system approved by the Men's Program Committee, will advance to the finals, which begin at 9:15 p.m. Central Time on Feb. 10. Saturday's competition features an all-around format, with medalists determined in both the all-around and individual events.

Fans across the country can enjoy the action from the final day of the Winter Cup Challenge via a free, live Web cast at usa-gymnastics.org on Feb. 10 from 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Central Time. U.S. Olympians Steve McCain (2000) and Mihai Bagiu (1996) will serve as commentators for the free Web cast.

Seven gymnasts will be added to the U.S. Men's Senior National Team following the Winter Cup Challenge. Three athletes will be added to the team based on the national team points system rank order, while the final four gymnasts will be selected from the Winter Cup Challenge participants and petitioned athletes by the Men's Program Committee. These seven, along with the seven members of the 2006 World Championships Team who already qualified for the team, will comprise the Senior Men's National Team until the 2007 Visa Championships in August.

Horton, Abdullah-Simmons and the fourth-ranked OU men's gymnastics team return to collegiate competition on Friday, Feb. 16 to face club teams from the University of Washington and the University of Texas. The meet is scheduled for a 7 p.m. (CST) start at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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