Feb. 6, 2006

Las Vegas, Nev.- While his UIC teammates competed at the JMU Open this weekend, UIC senior Nick Stavros was in competition against some of the nation's best at the 2006 Winter Cup Challenge held at the Sports Center Arena in Las Vegas.

Stavros represented UIC well, placing 13th out of 28 competitors on pommel horse in his session while posting a mark that placed him 23rd on the apparatus out of 63 athletes.

With new scoring rules adopted by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in place at the event, Stavros received 6.0 points for his A score (which represents difficulty and technical content) and a 7.5 points for his B score (which involves execution, artistry, composition and technique) for a final tally of 13.500.

Stavros was the first UIC gymnast to ever compete in the Winter Cup Challenge, which gives gymnasts the opportunity to earn a spot on the U.S. Men's Senior National Team.