Black Gymnasts in History: USA Gymnastics National Champions

Recognizing the Black USA National Champions has revealed more interesting information. Some of the gymnasts that we featured before have numerous event titles. There are several who have one title but also had successful careers on the National Team and even won world titles as well.

Women’s All-Around Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1983	Dianne Durham	Karolyi’s Gymnastics	14	76.1
1994	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	17	78
2001	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	16	74.912
2002	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	17	75.55
2013	Simone Biles	Bannon’s	16	120.45
2014	Simone Biles	World Champions	17	122.55
2015	Simone Biles	World Champions	18	124.1
2016	Simone Biles	World Champions	19	125

Women’s Vault Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1983	Dianne Durham	Karolyi’s Gymnastics	15	19.525
1986	Joyce Wilborn	North Stars Gymnastics	16	19.425
1993	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	16	9.581
1994	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	17	9.750
1996	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	19	9.800
2003	Annia Hatch	Stars	24	9.650
2004	Annia Hatch	Stars	25	9.625
2009	Kayla Williams	Gym Nest	16	29.075
2014	Simone Biles	World Champions	17	31.025
2015	Simone Biles	World Champions	18	31.550
2016	Simone Biles	World Champions	19	31.975

 Women’s Uneven Bars Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1992	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	15	9.812
1994	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	17	9.900
1995	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	18	9.912
1996	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	19	9.912
2002	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	17	9.450
2004	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	19	9.650
2012	Gabrielle Douglas	Chow’s Gymnastics	16	31.300

 

Women’s Balance Beam Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1983	Dianne Durham	Karolyi’s Gymnastics	15	18.775
1986	Angie Denkins	Will-Moor	17	18.850
1990	Betty Okino	Karolyi’s Gymnastics	15	9.825
1993	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	16	9.687
1994	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	17	9.850
1996	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	19	9.862
2001	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	16	9.525
2015	Simone Biles	World Champions	18	30.700
2016	Simone Biles	World Champions	18	30.800

Women’s Floor Exercise Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1983	Dianne Durham	Karolyi’s Gymnastics	15	19.375
1993	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	14	9.912
1994	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	17	9.925
1995	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	18	9.900
1996	Dominique Dawes	Hill’s Angels	19	9.900
2002	Tasha Schwikert	GymCats	17	9.400
2003	Ashley Postell	Capital	17	9.450
2010	Mattie Larson	All Olympia	18	30.350
2014	Simone Biles	World Champions	17	31.150
2016	Simone Biles	World Champions	17	32.150

 

Men’s All-Around Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
2012	John Orozco	U.S.O.T.C.	19	184.850

 

Men’s Floor Exercise Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1977	Ron Galimore	Louisiana State University	18	•
1979	Ron Galimore	Iowa State University	20	19.300
1980	Ron Galimore	Iowa State University	21	19.550
1988	Charles Lakes	California Sun	25	19.550
2009	Joshua Dixon	Stanford University	20	31.000

 

Men’s Still Rings Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
2015	Donnell Whittenburg	Team Hilton/USOTC	20	32.000
2016	Donnell Whittenburg	Team Hilton/USOTC	21	31.650

 Men’s Vault Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1977	Ron Galimore	Louisiana State University	18	•
1979	Ron Galimore	Iowa State University	20	19.450
1980	Ron Galimore	Iowa State University	21	19.500
1981	Ron Galimore	Iowa State University	22	9.725
2005	Sean Golden	Houston Gymnastics Academy	22	19.425
2007	Sean Golden	Houston Gymnastics Academy	24	31.850
2014	Donnell Whittenburg	USOTC	20	30.950

 Men’s Parallel Bars Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1992	Jair Lynch	Stanford University	20	9.900
1993	Chainey Umphrey	University of California-Los Angeles	23	9.525
1996	Jair Lynch	Stanford University	24	9.762

 Men’s Horizontal Bar Champions

Year	Name	Club	Age	Score
1983	Mario McCutcheon	Southern Connecticut State University	25	19.575
1992	Jair Lynch	Stanford University	20	9.925
2014	John Orozco	USOTC	21	31.850

Rhythmic Gymnastics
Ribbon Event
1990   Ingrid Knight (Cohee)

Please take the time to watch the videos and links.

Angie Denkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79yheuMQl0w
Mattie Larson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn80km0qaUo
Ashley Postell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmYdyclNEJA
Joyce Wilborn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mMvmELyKOs
Kayla Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx3p28f4zzU

Josh Dixon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq4osvNnRZ0
Sean Golden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VXA2ZvFok4
Mario McCutcheon: https://youtu.be/fSlEf2q7UQw?t=10m
John Orozco: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/48452973#48452973
Donnell Whittenburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EugHELBpis

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Derrick Cornelious

 

New to this year’s roundup, this nomination came in through Facebook:

From NY State, Derrick Cornelious went to Division II/III SUNY Cortland in Cortland, New York. Under the leadership of coaches Steve Posner and Eric Malmberg, Derrick won the Division II NCAA Championship and then went on to win the NCAA Division 1 vaulting championship at UCLA that year. I was at that meet and have seen Derrick many times since. He is supportive of his college, teammates and is a dedicated family man.

We are proud to honor Derrick as part of our Black Gymnasts in History project!

Black Gymnasts in History: Gabby Douglas

Gabby!!

There is something about great athletes when everyone knows them by their first name!

The top prize in Women’s Gymnastics is the All-Around Olympic Gold Medal. The Olympics is just its own event, and nothing matches the anticipation, pressure, intensity and drama.

I was fortunate to be able to attend this event at the 2012 Games thanks to my friend, Shane Geraghty, who gave me his ticket! He saw in my eyes that I just had to see this live. It was as dramatic and edge-of-the-seat thrilling as any sport event I have ever seen.

Adding to the Olympic Gold was her Silver Medal at the 2015 World Championships and her performance at the 2016 Olympics, where she helped the “Final Five” win a team gold medal. Wow wow wow! It is so rare for an Olympic Champion to come back at a World Championships and an Olympic Games like Gabby did.

The impact of her win along with her comeback resonates strongly. She opened the door wide open and inspired so many to the possibility of greatness.

Today for Black Gymnasts in History we salute 2012 Olympic Champion Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas.

Watch Gabby in action—her Olympic all-around title-winning routines at the 2012 Olympic Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX23iuXswgI

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Simone Biles

Simone!!!

What more can you say—just one of the best gymnasts in history.

As part of our month-long Black Gymnasts in History project, we are proud to salute the reigning Olympic All-Around Champion and the most successful female World Champion Gymnast EVER, Simone Biles!

See Simone in action—her final consecutive medal-winning routine at the 2016 Olympics: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/simone-biles-unreal-floor-exercise-win-gold

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Sid Oglesby

Read our profile on Sid from 2016: 

Sid Oglesby- now this is a gem. Thank you, Abie Grossfeld.

The first Black NCAA National Event Champion in 1964!! Wow.

And the story does not stop there – Sid went on to become a highly respected public official.

Another important find is that Sid Oglesby, having to put up with extensive hardship, also successfully advocated to ban Syracuse University’s interscholastic competition with segregated schools in the 1960s.

Take the time to read his story:
http://www.syracuse.com/empire/index.ssf/2015/12/how_a_5_bet_led_syracuses_sid_oglesby_to_a_life_confronting_races_ugly_head.html

Sid Oglesby, we are truly honored to recognize you today for our Black Gymnasts in History Project.

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Olympic Coaches

Read our profile on Olympic coaches from 2016: 

Alan has travelled the world as a coach for several other countries and has instructed a long list of champion athletes on many levels. The journey that brought Annia Hatch to the U.S. National Team, World Championships, and then onto Olympic success after suffering a massive knees injury was masterful indeed.

One must remember that the coaches spend the same amount of hours in a gym as their athletes. Miles and Alan continue to serve our sport as great coaches, and we salute Miles Avery and Alan Hatch today for Black Gymnasts in History.

Read more about Miles here: http://coachmilesavery.com/COACH_MILES_AVERY/COACH_MILES_AVERY.html

See a behind-the-scenes video with Alan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZaD_xYY614

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: The Jesse White Tumbling Team

Read our profile from 2016:

Today we feature the Jesse White Tumbling Team, based in Chicago.

I have heard so much about this group over the years. The Jesse White Tumblers are legendary in the Midwest, and one must appreciate that the Honorable Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State, has taken this amazing group around the world to celebrate this sport.

Please take the time to read about this amazing team here: http://jessewhitetumblingteam.com/about/

Here is a great video:

Jessie White Tumbling Team

Today we are proud to salute the incredible Jesse White for Black Gymnasts in History.

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Dave Green

Read our profile on Dave from 2016: 

Dave Green and Flip City – legends indeed! On day two of the Harlem Gymnastics Invitational, I am reminded of Dave Green  because one of our trampoline judges for tomorrow is Pat Henderson, and Roger Walker came in tonight to make sure that our rod floor was marked properly for tumbling. Roger was one of the best tumblers in the world and now he is a great coach; Roger was one of Dave’s students.

The impact of Flip City was immense on so many levels. For the World Champions, for putting Newark on the map (in a positive way), and for providing an outlet for the youth that set them on a path to lead constructive and productive lives.

Oh yes, I am a big big fan–I always look to the success of Flip City and the trailblazing work of David Green. I often reach out when I need advice for my foundation.

We are honored to recognize Dave Green today for our Black Gymnastics in History project.

Please read more about Dave’s career here: http://www.worldacro.com/images/stories/pdf2015/2015%20was%20summer%20newsletter%20%20press%20release%20.pdf

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Steve Butcher

Read our profile of Steve from 2016: 

As we finish day one of our Harlem Gymnastics Invitational, I am reminded that gymnastics is a sport of rules. Each discipline has a book of rules called the Code of Points! The Code of Points is the responsibility of the Technical Committee of the International Federation of Gymnastics (“FIG”). The President of the Men’s Technical Committee is Steve Butcher!

The Technical Committee is very powerful and, yes, very political. For ten years I was on the USAG Executive Committee with Jackie Fie, who was the President of the Women’s Technical Committee. I was in awe of her knowledge, passion, and fairness, and also how she had to so carefully navigate this international group of gymnastics officials.

I am in awe of Steve Butcher, too- and so so proud!  I have known Steve for many years and it has been amazing to see him rise to the top of our sport. I follow him as he travels the world, holds court at the Olympic Games and makes his mark and sets the stage for the best male gymnasts in the world!

Take the time to read through his profile: http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/site/figNews/view?id=478.  It will give you a different perspective of gymnastics and insights of those that are charged to make the rules for the future of gymnastics.

Today for Black Gymnasts in History we salute Steve Butcher, President of the FIG Men’s Technical Committee.

Wendy

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Black Gymnasts in History: Tasha Schwikert

Read our profile of Tasha from 2016: 

Tasha  — now she is one accomplished gymnast! On so many levels!

Olympics, NCAA, USA, World Championships!

Determination and fortitude are two words that describe her career.

I have known her first coach, Cassie Rice, for years – Cassie put her on the international scene.

And then Valorie Kondos Field, her coach at UCLA – Valorie really brings out the personality in her gymnasts.

They are both standouts for the Pac 12- see below.
http://pac-12.com/article/2016/02/02/pac-12-all-century-womens-gymnastics-team-announced

It is a thrill to profile these great athletes and today we salute Tasha Schwikert for Black Gymnasts in History.

Wendy

Read more on Tasha here: http://www.flogymnastics.com/article/28732-catching-up-with-olympian-tasha-schwikert

Watch Tasha performing on vault at the 2003 World Championships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhUbPGpDQ3A

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