Former OU gymnast posts a two-day score of 173.250 to claim his second Winter Cup title in three years.
Feb. 10, 2013
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NORMAN, Okla. -- Former OU gymnast and 2012 Olympian Jake
Dalton won the all-around title at the 2013 Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas,
Nev. with a two-day score of 173.250.
Dalton, a member of the OU men's gymnastics squad from 2010-12, also won individual
event titles on floor and rings with two-day totals of 31.250 and 29.650, respectively.
The Winter Cup title came down to the wire, with Dalton and Adrian de los Angeles
trading the top spot throughout the night. In the final event, Dalton's 14.500
on the horizontal bar beat de los Angeles, who scored a 13.300 on pommel horse.
"Jake competed well and fought through every routine," OU head coach
Mark Williams said. "I'm very proud of his performance tonight. He improved
on almost every event from Thursday. This should help with his preparations
for the American Cup in a few weeks."
The all-around championship is the second for Dalton, who also won the event
in 2011. An OU gymnast has won the event in three of the past four years. OU
letterwinner Chris Brooks (2006-2009) won the all-around in 2010, while Steven
Legendre (2008-11) finished second in 2012.
"I had a few mistakes in night one, so it was nice to clean up a few things
tonight. Coming away with the win is always good. It gives me a little more
confidence and helps me get ready for the American Cup," Dalton said. "Everything
kind of goes crazy after the Olympics, so it's great to be able to get back
into the same cycle."
Dalton began the night on floor, where he recorded a 15.600 after mounting with
a laid out Arabian double. He followed with scores of 13.000, 15.000 and 14.750
on pommel horse, still rings and vault, respectively and continued to trade
the lead with de los Angeles.
On the parallel bars, Dalton's fifth event, he scored a 15.000 before his 14.500
on high bar to seal the title.
Alex Naddour, a gymnast at OU from 2010-11, competed on pommel horse and rings.
He finished with a two-day total of 57.450 after he posted a 14.500 on pommel
horse and a 14.550 on rings in the finals.
The top 42 gymnasts from Thursday's preliminary rounds advanced to Saturday's
finals, in addition to the top three gymnasts on each event. The all-around
and individual event champions were determined by combining a gymnast's scores
from the two days of competition.
The Winter Cup Challenge helps determine the 15 gymnasts who will comprise the
U.S. Men's Senior National Team through the 2013 U.S. Gymnastics Championships
in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 15-18. The eight members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic squad,
including Dalton, Brooks, Legendre Naddour and Jonathan Horton (2005-08), retain
their spots on the national team. The remaining seven spots will be taken from
the top finishers in certain criteria at the Winter Cup.
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