Hawaii Gymnasts Win At U.S. (Elite) Championships

Sixty-four elite gymnasts from throughout the US who qualified at major national and international competitions competed for national ranking at the US Championships (for Trampoline-Tumbling) in Houston, Texas, 26-30 July 2005. The events were trampoline (TR), double mini-trampoline (DM), power tumbling (TU), and synchronized trampoline (SY). Nearly all athletes were previous Junior Olympic national champions and most were veteran international competitors with the only award groupings according to sex (female and male) and age (‘junior’ = 17 and under or ‘senior’ = 18+ years). In this most prestigious American championship, two elite athletes from Hawaii were honored as the best trampolinists in the country and Hawaii Academy was honored as the best elite double mini-trampoline (club) training facility in the nation:

Nani Vercruyssen (13 year old 8^th grader from Kaimuki Middle School and member of the US International Junior Elite Team) was 1^st in junior elite trampoline (4^th among all elite women) and 2^nd in junior elite double mini-tramp (3^rd among all elite women). Combined with wins at the US Elite Challenge in June, these results have qualified Nani as the top ranked 13-14 year old athlete from America on the US Team to the International (previously called World) Age Group Games on TR and DM.

Matt Moniz (18 year old senior at Aiea High School) competed in junior elite double mini-tramp and trampoline placing 1^st and 12^th, respectively. More important than being crowned an elite national champion was making the US International Team. His first place finish at nationals combined with a 1^st at the Elite Challenge secured his position on the 17-18 year old US Double Mini-Tramp Team for the International (World) Age Group Games in Eindhoven next month. After the meet in Holland, Matt will move up to compete in the senior elite division.

Hawaii Academy won 1^st place elite team on the double mini-trampoline. Each year premier sport schools and gymnastics clubs with elite athletes are honored as the ‘Best in America’ according to medals won at the US Championships for each of the three events and overall. This year the 1^st place team for double mini-trampoline went to Hawaii Academy in Honolulu, coached by Dr Max Vercruyssen (and Dr Donna Mah, Elizabeth Barrett, Wendy Rosen). The 1^st place team for trampoline went to Trampoline and Tumbling Express in Baton Rouge, LA, coached by Dimitri Poliaroush (Olympian, World Champion, and US Team Head Coach). The 1^st place team for tumbling went to Air Extreme in Lubbock, TX, coached by Brad Davis (World Championship Athlete and Two-Time USAG TT Coach of the Year). The 1^st place team overall went to Trampoline and Tumbling Express where the top two senior elite men and the top two senior elite women trampolinists are training for the World Championships and possible Olympic spots.

(quotes follow)

Says Dr Max Vercruyssen, Hawaii Academy elite coach:

‘Nani had two major goals this year: (1) make the US Team to compete in the International (World) Age Group Games and (2) perform well enough at the Games to medal (i.e., a top three finish). She has made her first goal, has won nearly all of the national and internationals championships this year and is ranked in the top three in the world, but there are five weeks of intense training preceding the Games and, once in Eindhoven, anything can happen. She placed 5^th in her age group in the last World Age Group Games (2003 in Hannover, Germany. Although she knows just being in the Games and competing against the national champions from most of the countries around the world is an honor in itself, she really wants to contribute to the US medal count this time.’

‘Matt’s main goal this year was making the US Team to Eindhoven, but he now gets to compete with the seniors, those doing twisting triple flips onto and dismounting the double mini. High placements in several countries has proven he can perform with the best … now each competition helps him build his world ranking.’

‘Being named the Best Gym School in America for Double Mini-Tramp was unbelievable … I actually asked the scorekeeper to show me the selection procedure and team data. A team consists of a minimum of two elite athletes and team score is determined by points awarded based on medals won. It turns out that no other team had athletes placing as high as Matt (1^st for juniors) and Nani (2^nd for juniors) on double mini-tramp. Hawaii Academy’s strongest event is double mini, but to win a huge trophy was the biggest surprise of the year. We have had a trampoline program for three years, elites for two, and to out perform programs that have been around 20 to 30 years was unexpected … not even a consideration.’

Nani Vercruyssen, the youngest and shortest member of the USA Elite International Trampoline Team (see www.usa-gymnastics.org/athletes/bios/tt/nvercruyssen.pdf), is currently ranked 1^st in synchronized trampoline (with partner Ashley Grimes from Florida), 1^st in double mini-trampoline, and 1^st in individual trampoline among US female elites under 18 years of age (see http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/tt/2005/eliteranking/jnt-rank-30-mar-05.pdf). Since placing 5^th in the World Age Group Games (Germany) in 2003, Nani has won gold in the IndoPacific Championships (Canada), silver in the Pan American Championships (Florida), gold in the All Japan Junior Championships (Japan), silver in the Silnitskyi International Cup (Belarus), gold at the USAG Winter Classic, bronze in the Aalsmeer Flower Cup (Netherlands), gold in the Scandinavian Open (Denmark), gold in the Frivolten Cup (Sweden), gold in the Canadian National Championships, gold in the US Elite Challenge, and now gold in the US Championships. Her final two meets of this year are the International Age Group Games (Eindhoven, NL) in September and then the All-Japan (Elite) Championships (Tokyo) in October.

Matt Moniz, has just made a US Team to the International Age Group Games but is not on a permanent US Team which requires placing in the top six at two national and two international championships. Immediately following the September championships in Holland he begins his quest to be named to the US Senior (18+ yrs) Elite International Team.

For more information phone 808.741.2223 or see www.hawaiiacademy.com. To make donations contact Ms Carlene Toshi, Development Department Head, at 808.842.5642. Pictures are available on request.