Malone cruises to all-around title as men take over U.S. Classic

Brody Malone*

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (July 31, 2022) – Reigning U.S. all-around champion Brody Malone (Aragon, Ga./Stanford University) collected all-around and horizontal bar titles Sunday in the Salt Lake Valley, as men’s competition debuted at the U.S. Classic. The 2020 Olympian’s cumulative 88.558 outpaced his Stanford teammate Colt Walker (Cedar Park, Texas), who finished in the runner-up spot with an 85.264.

Stanford gymnasts accounted for three of the top-five all-around placements with Khoi Young (Bowie, Md.) slotting in fourth behind a combined 83.150. He was edged out of the third spot by veteran Donnell Whittenburg (Baltimore, Md./Salto Gymnastics) who delivered an 85.018 and claimed two event titles in his first domestic appearance of 2022. Penn State’s Matt Cormier (Milton, Mass.) landed fifth with an 81.769.

Malone was one of three World medalists to pocket apparatus titles Sunday at Maverik Center. His 16.016 led all competitors on horizontal bar, where he earned world bronze last October. Stephen Nedoroscik (Worcester, Mass./Penn State University) the reigning World champion on pommel horse, set the bar on his signature apparatus with a 14.743, and 2015 World vault bronze medalist Whittenburg delivered high scores on still rings (15.522) and vault (16.780), landing a backward full-twisting double tucked Tsukahara, also known as a Ri Se Gwang, on the latter.

Walker’s 15.860 topped the parallel bars standings, while Cormier snared the day’s high marks on floor exercise with a 15.222.

USA Gymnastics’ men’s program bonus system, which was first introduced at Winter Cup in February and awards senior athletes additional points for performing select high-difficulty elements, was once again in play.

In the junior division, Toma Murakawa (Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA) led the way on floor exercise (22.300), pommel horse (19.900), still rings (21.550) and vault (23.400) en route to the all-around crown. His combined 129.550 landed him solidly in the top all-around spot ahead of runner up Zach Green (San Jose, Calif./Stanford Boys Gymnastics), who finished with a 125.050, and Cash Johnston (Houston, Texas/Houston Gymnastics Associates), who rounded out the top three with a 124.150. Green posted the competition’s high score on horizontal bar with a 21.200. Brendan Strom (Simi Valley, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA) earned top honors on parallel bars with a 22.600.

Junior gymnasts were scored on technical sequences Saturday evening at USA Gymnastics World in Woods Cross, Utah, to verify their eligibility to compete at the Junior Elite level. U.S. Classic men’s junior all-around and apparatus scores are cumulative and include marks earned on technical sequences Saturday in addition to those received Sunday at Maverik Center.

The top U.S. men’s and women’s artistic gymnasts will be back in action next month at the OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa, Fla. The annual national championship event will take place August 18-21 at Amalie Arena. Multiple ticket packages and single-session tickets are on sale now.


Junior Qualifiers to the 2022 U.S. Championships


Senior Qualifiers to the 2022 U.S. Championships