Chronopoulos and Rakita Collect Medals at Canadian Nationals

Lincoln, Neb.-  Former Husker gymnast Yanni Chronopoulos and newcomer Sam Rakita competed at the Canadian National Championships in Alberta, Canada. At the Senior level, Chronopoulos claimed the bronze medal and Rakita earned second place in the Senior Next Gen level. The Ontario natives both placed in the top 20 in every event. Scores for each event are calculated by combining performances from both days.

Current Husker Nik Tarca competed for the Romanian National Team at the European Championships, where he earned 37th place in the all-around.

Canadian National Championships - Senior Next Gen (19-20)
Rakita had a stellar weekend at the National Championships, grabbing gold on high bar with a 26.232 and posting a 26.432 on still rings. The incoming freshman earned silver on parallel bars, posting a 24.499. He also earned fourth place on floor with a 25.566 and on vault with a  26.266. The 19-year-old capped off his competition with a 21.899 on pommel horse for 13th place. His weekend performance totaled 150.894 to give Rakita the silver medal. 

Canadian National Championships - Senior Competition (21+)
Chronopoulos performed best on pommel horse at the competition with a 26.80 for a bronze medal on the apparatus. The Big Ten Rings Champion took home fourth on rings with a 26.366. He scored fifth on parallel bars (27.033), sixth on vault (26.533), seventh on floor (26.266) and 12th on high bar (25.533). This was Chronopoulos’ first time competing in the all-around this season, where he excelled with a combined score of 157.798 for third place. 

European Championships
Tarca had his best finish on pommel horse, nabbing a 13.50 for 25th place. The sophomore took 45th on vault (13.566), 64th on high bar (11.933), 66th on still rings (12.20) and parallel bars (12.166) and 89th on floor (11.966). His performance totaled a 75.364 for 37th place. 

Taylor Christopulos will continue international competition for Husker gymnasts, as he will travel to Panama to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team in the Pan-American Games from June 12 to June 15.