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/ Men's Gymnastics
/ Men's Gymnastics
Gophers Shining Bright on International Stage
7/11/2018 3:39:00 PM | Men's Gymnastics
The Gophers have produced a number of national champions this summer
The University of Minnesota men's gymnastics team has made a splash on the international stage with both Timmy Kutyla and Justin Karstadt bringing home national championships.
Joel Gagnon has been a mainstay for Team Canada and Shane Wiskus experienced top level training in Japan with Team USA.
"It's been very rewarding to see the success of our international guys this summer," head coach Mike Burns said. "For Timmy and Justin to come away with medals from their respective meets is a tribute to their preparation and abilities. Joel, now an alum of Minnesota, qualified for the floor exercise finals in Turkey at his first World Challenge Cup. Overall, it's been a great summer for Gopher gymnastics on the international scene."
Karstadt and Gagnon got the summer started when they competed at the Canadian National Championships. Karstadt made event finals on both pommel horse and parallel bars while Gagnon qualified on floor. Karstadt took fourth on pommel while notching a 14.300 for the p-bars national championship. Gagnon took home fifth on floor.
Kutyla was locked in at the Polish National Championships. He won the high bar (12.9), p-bars (13.5) and floor (12.95) titles.
This past weekend Karstadt again qualified for event finals on pommel horse and p-bars while competing in Mersin, Turkey for a World Challenge Cup event and Gagnon made it on floor. Karstadt picked up a bronze medal on pommel horse.
Wiskus will be competing at the P&G Championships later this summer but he had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo and train with both Team USA and Team Japan earlier this summer. We were able to catch up with him about his experience:
Gopher Sports: What was it like training with Team USA in Toyko?
Shane Wiskus: It was a good experience and I learned a lot from the veterans on the team.
GS: What did you learn in your time there?
SW: I learned a lot about Japanese culture and the appreciation they have for men's gymnastics.
GS: Did you get to do anything outside of gymnastics? A lot of fans want to know what kind of food you tried there?
SW: I tried pretty much everything from sushi to ramen as well as basic Japanese dishes. It was all incredible and I miss it already.
GS: Is there anything you gained from your time there that you hope to take back to the team?
SW: I learned that everywhere you go people are watching, so represent yourself and your team to the best of your ability.
GS: You are coming off a successful freshman campaign. What is next for you heading into sophomore season?
SW: Learning to become a leader on the team and focusing on moving forward in my gymnastics.
GS: Being on Team USA is just the first step of your Olympic dreams. What is the next step for you and how are you working to make 2020 a reality?
SW: Making every practice count and never losing sight of that dream. The next step for me would be to make a world team in the upcoming years.
GS: Any other fun summer plans?
SW: I will be attending Lollapalooza in a month which I am very excited for. I just got back from a trip to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior which was very relaxing and needed.
This weekend, July 12-15, Minnesota alums Jalon Stephens and Ellis Mannon will be competing in the P&G Qualifier vying for a spot to join Wiskus at the P&G Championships from August 16-19. Follow us on Twitter all weekend long for updates and click here to see where Stephens and Mannon will be starting.
Joel Gagnon has been a mainstay for Team Canada and Shane Wiskus experienced top level training in Japan with Team USA.
"It's been very rewarding to see the success of our international guys this summer," head coach Mike Burns said. "For Timmy and Justin to come away with medals from their respective meets is a tribute to their preparation and abilities. Joel, now an alum of Minnesota, qualified for the floor exercise finals in Turkey at his first World Challenge Cup. Overall, it's been a great summer for Gopher gymnastics on the international scene."
Karstadt and Gagnon got the summer started when they competed at the Canadian National Championships. Karstadt made event finals on both pommel horse and parallel bars while Gagnon qualified on floor. Karstadt took fourth on pommel while notching a 14.300 for the p-bars national championship. Gagnon took home fifth on floor.
Kutyla was locked in at the Polish National Championships. He won the high bar (12.9), p-bars (13.5) and floor (12.95) titles.
This past weekend Karstadt again qualified for event finals on pommel horse and p-bars while competing in Mersin, Turkey for a World Challenge Cup event and Gagnon made it on floor. Karstadt picked up a bronze medal on pommel horse.
Wiskus will be competing at the P&G Championships later this summer but he had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo and train with both Team USA and Team Japan earlier this summer. We were able to catch up with him about his experience:
Gopher Sports: What was it like training with Team USA in Toyko?
Shane Wiskus: It was a good experience and I learned a lot from the veterans on the team.
GS: What did you learn in your time there?
SW: I learned a lot about Japanese culture and the appreciation they have for men's gymnastics.
GS: Did you get to do anything outside of gymnastics? A lot of fans want to know what kind of food you tried there?
SW: I tried pretty much everything from sushi to ramen as well as basic Japanese dishes. It was all incredible and I miss it already.
GS: Is there anything you gained from your time there that you hope to take back to the team?
SW: I learned that everywhere you go people are watching, so represent yourself and your team to the best of your ability.
GS: You are coming off a successful freshman campaign. What is next for you heading into sophomore season?
SW: Learning to become a leader on the team and focusing on moving forward in my gymnastics.
GS: Being on Team USA is just the first step of your Olympic dreams. What is the next step for you and how are you working to make 2020 a reality?
SW: Making every practice count and never losing sight of that dream. The next step for me would be to make a world team in the upcoming years.
GS: Any other fun summer plans?
SW: I will be attending Lollapalooza in a month which I am very excited for. I just got back from a trip to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior which was very relaxing and needed.
This weekend, July 12-15, Minnesota alums Jalon Stephens and Ellis Mannon will be competing in the P&G Qualifier vying for a spot to join Wiskus at the P&G Championships from August 16-19. Follow us on Twitter all weekend long for updates and click here to see where Stephens and Mannon will be starting.
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