Phoenix, AZ · August 6-9
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (August 7, 2025) – Asher Hong (Tomball, Texas/Stanford University) has the top senior score, while Maksim Kan (Muskego, Wis./Salto Gymnastics Center) and Jakson Kurecki (Nokomis, Fla./EVO Gymnastics) lead the junior 17 and 16-year-old age groups, respectively, on the first day of men’s competition at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Smoothie King Center.
Hong in the driver’s seat
Hong sits comfortably ahead of the senior field Thursday following Day 1 of men’s action, notching an 85.585 all-around score to rank first by more than four points. He leads on vault with a 14.915 (15.059, 14.771) and is second on still rings (14.818), floor exercise (14.808) and parallel bars (14.100). Fuzzy Benas (Richmond, Texas/University of Oklahoma) sits second all-around with an 81.105 followed closely by Colt Walker (Austin, Texas/Stanford University) in third with an 81.058, who also had the top score parallel bars (14.408).
Patrick Hoopes (Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy) had the highest score of the evening overall, posting a 15.775 on pommel horse to lead on the apparatus. Kameron Nelson (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University) was best on floor (15.201), Donnell Whittenburg (Baltimore, Md./EVO Gymnastics) on rings (15.101) and Taylor Burkhart (Arvada, Colo./Stanford University) on horizontal bar (14.505).
In the Squad Showdown, Squad D of Burkhart, Hong, Hoopes, Walker, Jun Iwai (Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics), Kiran Mandava (Cypress, Texas/Stanford University), David Shamah (McKinney, Texas/Stanford University) and Kai Uemura (Chicago, Ill./Stanford University) took the team title with a 255.203. The squad had the top scores on vault (43.926), floor (43.521), parallel bars (42.308) and high bar (41.505).
Kan No. 1 in 17
After winning the 16-year-old all-around title in 2024, Kan is currently first in the 17-year-old all-around (78.427) after the first day of competition, more than two points ahead of second place. He also sits first on pommel horse (14.374) and high bar (13.691) and is in second position on vault (14.281). Hunter Simpson (Palmetto, Fla./EVO Gymnastics) currently ranks second in the all-around (76.067) and is first on rings with a 12.731. Lincoln Dubin (Bellefonte, Pa./EVO Gymnastics) is in the third all-around position with an overall 74.340, aided by a first-place score on floor (13.488).
In apparatus competition after Day 1, Anthony Ruscheinsky (Summit, Wis./Salto Gymnastics Center) is first on vault (14.381) with a 0.1 lead over Kan, while Cole Fallbacher (Kennesaw, Ga./Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta) leads parallel bars with a 13.591.
Kureki leads 16
In the men’s Junior 16 division, Kurecki is the current all-around leader with a Day 1 score of 77.564. He also is first on high bar (14.361), stands second on pommel horse (12.000) and rings (12.100), and third on parallel bars (12.493). Cooper Gunderson (Delano, Minn./Mini-Hops Gymnastics) is second behind Kureki in the all-around with a combined 75.438, aided by first-place rankings on floor (14.144), rings (12.213), and vault (14.381). Hunter Egan (Montgomery, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics) is third with a 74.590.
Also topping the apparatus standings on Day 1 was Elijah Gutierrez (South Lyon, Mich./Infinity Gymnastics Academy), who is the current leader on both pommel horse (12.443) and parallel bars (12.581).
Following action on all six events, Squad D was the Squad Showdown champion with a combined score of 230.711. The team of Dubin, Kurecki, Simpson, Hayden Brown (Corona Del Mar, Calif./SCATS Gymnastics), Paxton Daniel (Wolfforth, Texas/Texas Elite Gymnastics Academy), Ty Herzing (State College, Pa./Centre Elite Gymnastics), Keegan Shemluck (Lakewood Ranch, Fla./EVO Gymnastics) and Jake Wazolek (New Windsor, N.Y./EVO Gymnastics) also had to top scores of the afternoon on high bar (38.813) and rings (36.531).
The Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships continue Friday, August 8 with junior women at 1:45 p.m. CT followed by the senior women at 6:45 p.m. CT. The men will return to competition Saturday, August 9 where national titles will be determined.
The following 42 athletes qualified to Day 2 of men’s competition at the championships. Athletes are listed alphabetically below.
Drake Andrews
Fuzzy Benas
Sasha Bogonosiuk
Crew Bold
Taylor Burkhart
Kelton Christianson
Taylor Christopulos
Brandon Dang
Alex Deubler
Alex Diab
Carson Eshelman
Luke Esparo
Kristian Grahovski
David Grossman
Jackson Harrison
Christopher Hiser
Asher Hong
Patrick Hoopes
Jun Iwai
Joshua Karnes
Charlie Larson
Jesse Lee-Pakele
Danila Leykin
Brody Malone
Kiran Mandava
Aaronson Mansberger
Stephen Nedoroscik
Kameron Nelson
Preston Ngai
Joey Nieves
Alex Nitache
Alex Noel (Second reserve)
Max Odden
Justin Park
David Ramirez
Dante Reive
Frederick Richard
Nathan Roman
David Shamah
Parker Thackston
Kai Uemura
Nathan Underhill (First reserve)
Colt Walker
Donnell Whittenburg
